A top of 25,000gns was reached for the the overall and senior champion Simmental Corskie Gingersnap (photo above) at Stirling last week. Bred by WJ and J Green, Corskie, Moray Gingersnap is a January 2015 son of the 45,000gns record-priced Bel Dhu Capercaillie, out of a Popes Laird daughter. Judge Vikki Wood of Pope’s Farm backed up her decision by being the successful bidder of the champion bull.

The breed also had the biggest clearance rate over the four days, with 79% of the bulls finding new homes. Although the top price was up 7,000gns on the 2015 autumn sale, averages dropped by nearly £600 – a trend seen across most of the continental breeds throughout the sales.

Next best was 12,000gns, which was met twice. This price was achieved by the intermediate and reserve overall champion Islavale Granite 15 (photo above). Bred by W S Stronach, Banffshire, Granite is an Atlow Dixon son, out of a Glenturk Premier daughter. Also at that price was Corksie Griffin, again by the Green family. Corskie is another son of Bel Dhu Capercaillie.

The MacPherson family of Inverness then traded two bulls at 11,000gns – firstly, a Hockenhull Waterloo son out of a Kilbride Farm Strabane daughter and, secondly, a Kilbride Farm Doubleaction son out of a Kilbride Farm Strabane daughter.

The dispersal of the Woodhall herd of Hector Macaskill topped at 16,000gns and averaged £5,030 for 31 cows and calves; £4,442 for 10 in-calf cows and £3,266 for 10 maiden heifers. Topping the sale was Woodhall Charmaine and her heifer calf Woodhall Helena

Charolais

A similar story of tough trade was seen in the Charolais ring where averages plummeted by £1,400 on 2015 levels.

Topping the whites at 18,000gns was the Reserve supreme champion Goldies Linford ET. An 18-month-old son of Blelack Digger, he is out of homebred Goldies Happiness, going back to the 34,000gns Perth supreme champion Goldies Uppermost.

Exhibitor Hamish Goldie, Ruthwell, Dumfrieshire, sold a total of seven, averaging £7,590. His next sale was Goldies Landmark ET, a 2016 third prize-winner with the same breeding who was purchased for 11,000gns.

Northern Irish breeders were out in force, with the next top price of 16,000gns being paid for Ovill Lennon ET from O’Kane Bros, Dungiven, Co Derry. WP Bruce, Meigle, Perthshire, was the man behind the money on this May 2015-born class winner, sired by the 14,000gns Goldies Usher.

Bartley Finnegan, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, also claimed one of the highest prices when he sold for the fourth top price of 12,000gns. The 19-month-old Battleford Lynx ET is a son of Blelack Blackberet, while the dam is the Balbithan Vespasian-sired Blelack Cerise.

Judge Rob Adam backed his decision when he secured junior champion Balthayock Loyalist at 14,000gns. Loyalist is a son of the 20,000gns Highland Show continental beef breeder champion Maerdy Grenadier.