sale dates / sale reports / perth 9th february 2005

The first official Limousin sale of the year saw an excellent clearance rate and a very solid trade underpinned by demand from commercial producers, with two bulls sharing the top price of 8,000gns and 26 bulls selling at 4,000gns or more. Overall, 102 bulls averaged £3,331 with the sale grossing £339,832. The clearance rate saw 84% of the bulls forward find new homes with almost all of the bulls heading to commercial buyers who readily bid on those bulls with width, growth and natural muscling.

Elrick Ultimate

Two 22 month old bulls shared the day’s leading price of 8,000gns: Elrick Ultimate from Mr MJ Massie, Mains of Elrick, Auchnagatt, Ellon, Aberdeenshire and Spage Unison from Mr W Campbell, Ballyvaddy Rd, Carnlough, Ballymena, N Ireland.

Elrick Ultimate has a beef value of LM 38 putting him into the top 1% of breed and is a growthy bull with tremendous muscling – again scoring in the top 1%. A son of Ryedale Paragon - Junior Champion Carlisle May 2000 - and out of the homebred dam Elrick Olympia, he sold to Messrs W Thomson & Son, Hilton of Beath, Kelty, Fife. Senior Reserve Champion, Elrick Universal, another Rydale Paragon son but this time out of Goldies Isodora, made 5,700gns to complete a successful day for Mr Massie when selling to Messrs Aitken Bros, Riccarton Farm, Linlithgow.

Spage Unison

In the pre-sale Show, Spage Unison had been awarded the Junior Championship and went on to get the nod as the Overall Reserve Champion from judge Brian Allan, Glenturk, Newtown Stewart. Unison is out of Grange Marianna and by Millbrook R2K, Reserve Overall Male Champion at the ILC National Show 2004, and is his first son offered for sale. He is also half brother to Spage Tess who went under the hammer at the Red Ladies Derby in November also for 8,000gns. Buyer was Messrs J Grant & Son, Glenconglass, Tomintoul, Ballindalloch.

Third top price of the day was the 7,800gns paid by Messrs Robertson of Embleton Mill, Alnwick, Northumberland for Newhouse Black Universal from Messrs R Adam & Son, Newhouse of Glamis, Angus. A powerfully built bull with an EBV of LM45, he is by Greenwood Black Poll Homerun and out of Newhouse Spicegirl. The Newhouse herd also sold Upperclass by Ronick Shapely and out of Newhouse Missy at 5,700gns as well as Junior Reserve Champion, Newhouse Ulex at 4,200gns.

Glenturk Upstanding went under the hammer for 7,500gns. A half brother to Glenturk Ultrasolid who led the trade at 21,000gns in October at Carlisle, this powerful bull with a muscle depth of 10.2cm, is a Grahams Rocksolid son and out of Luttrellstown Petra. He sold to James Black, Tangy, Campbelltown, Argyll.

5,600gns was the sum paid for Balnacraig Ulises by Robert Bell & Partners, Westhall, Milnathort, Kinross. Presented by Messrs G&D Cruickshank, Gordonstone, Torphins, by Banchory, Kincardineshire this August 2003 born Ryedale Paragon son was out of Balnacraig Mariette.

Three further bulls made 5,500gns. Windsole Urchin, a Cannon Son out of Sluicebreeze Henrietta, from Mr W Lawson, Auchterarder, Perthshire sold to Messrs Wood, Octofad Farm, Port Charlotte, Isle of Islay. Anside Upjohn from Mr & Mrs S Irvine, Braehead Farm, Drummuir, Keith, sired by Bewick Orbit and out of dam Anside Pharon, heads to Messrs Green, Colliehill, Inverurie, Aberdeen. 5,500gns. Spittalton Umpire, an Odeon son and out of homebred Spittalton Olive, from Mr J Burnett & Sons, Blairdrummond, Stirling sold to R&E Cuninghame, Neriby Farm, Bridgend, Isle of Islay.

The show’s Supreme Champion, Woodhouse Union, from Redpath Farms, Spylaw, Kelso, Roxburghshire made 5,000gns. This Goldies Gigolo son and out of Ronick Nathalie had caught the judge’s eye as well as that of new owner JC Oakes, Bogs of Blervie, Forres, Morayshire, having progressed to the show Championship after winning the Senior section.

A second bull also reached the 5,000gns mark: Shannas United from Mr & Mrs J Penny, Mintlaw, Peterhead selling to The Firm of Doldy Farm, Glenisla, Blairgowrie. He was sired by Ronick Jalopy and his dam is Shannas Onita.

A draft sale from the Middledale herd saw Middledale Rhododendron top the smaller Limousin female trade at 1,600gns. A March 2000 born second calver with her bull calf Middledale Verdict at foot, she was sired by Heroique and is out of Middledale Gladioli. New owner is Stephen Irvine, Braehead Farm, Drummuir, Keith. The previous day’s Female Champion was Peter Henshall’s Ringway Tuppence who sold to Mr JR McCann, Letham, Cupar, Fife for 1,500gns.

Averages

102 bulls: £3,331.69

37 females: £915.49

Leading prices

8,000gns Elrick Ultimate

8,000gns Spage Unison

7,800gns Newhouse Black Universal

7,500gns Glenturk Upstanding

5,700gns Elrick Universal

5,700gns Newhouse Upperclass

5,600gns Balnacraig Ulises

5,500gns Windsole Urchin

5,500gns Anside Upjohn

5,500gns Spittalton Umpire

5,000gns Woodhouse Union

5,000gns Shannas United

4,500gns Fedneyhouse Uthree

4,500gns Lethendry Upstart

4,500gns Walkers Ustralia

4,400gns Westhall Black Uprising

4,300gns Anside Ulma

4,200gns Newstart Upstart

4,200gns Newhouse Ulex

4,100gns Balnacraig Ulsterman

4,000gns Middledale Umbug

4,000gns Goldies Unionjack

4,000gns Goldies Unruffled

4,000gns Burnbank Ultimate

4,000gns Normande Urban

4,000gns Allanfauld Upstanding