Dunlouise Angus has built a reputation worldwide through the use of solely native bloodlines dating back to the mid-1900s. While slow to get established identifying the native lines, the Soutar family has, over the past 20 years, reaped the rewards for this particular niche market. This week, on the home farm, the herd held its first international sale of native Dunlouise Angus which was met with outstanding trade.

In total, 43 cattle sold, with a further 13 lots of embryos selling for just shy of £322,000.

Topping the sale at 39,600gns was a lot of six embryos from red native Dunlouise Red Nessie M494 sired by Dunlouise Red Native F207. This worked out, per embryo, at 6,600gns, believed to be a record price for the UK if not Europe.

These embryos made their way to Woodstone Angus in Texas owned by the Woods family. This wasn’t the family’s only purchase, they also secured the only other lot of red embryos available for 1,100gns each.

These three embryos were from Dunlouise Red Nell K383 and were again sired by Dunlouise Red Native F207.

The final lot Woodstone Angus purchased, again at 1,100gns, was six from Eversfield Pumpkin F378 by Genex AI sire Dunlouise Cup Bearer H278.

Due to the fact that live animals could only move throughout the EU whereas the embryos could go worldwide, many of the embryo lots were acquired by international buyers.

Next best of the embryos after the sale topper was for two from Dunlouise Pippa P544 by the internationally recognised Dunlouise Jipsey Earl. These two commanded a price of 3,700gns each, selling to Australia-based John Hendry of Onyx Park Australia.

Live trade

Topping the live cattle trade was one of the last entries into the ring Dunlouise Newman S615 who sold for 16,000gns. This 14-month-old young bull is sired by Irish bull Jubilant 2nd of Bohey, a herd name which is still highly regarded in the Irish breeding scene.

Newman’s dam is from the Nell line in the form of Parsee of Doonholm daughter Dunlouise Nina N506. Successful buyer was Harrison O’Connor of the Saddle Butte Ranch in Montana, which means Newman will be staying in the UK to have semen drawn for export to the US.

Mr O’Connor also invested heavily in some of the female lines on the farm, securing a further two lots. His first purchase of the day at 6,000gns was Dunlouise Jipsey Nectar N532. This nearly four-year-old cow was sired by Dunlouise Nevis L441 and from the renowned Jipsey line on the farm. She sold with her January 2017 Piledrive of Haymount bull calf at foot.

The final purchase by the Montana man was 7,000gns for Dunlouise Rose P546 and her March-born bull calf Dunlouise Rebel T646. This three-year-old sees Emperor of Newark, Dunlouise Jipsey Earl and Wedderlie Evitor in her lineage.

Matching Rose at the 7,000gns mark was Dunlouise Jipsey Princess P550, who was purchased by Mr K W W Brown of the Craigowmill herd in Kinross.

Sired by Dunlouise Patriot M456, she is out of Emperor of Newark daughter Dunlouise Jipsey Halle H296 and sold with her November-born heifer calf at foot.

Mr Brown also purchased the joint top-priced in-calf heifer Dunlouise Kora R577 at 6,000gns and maiden heifer Dunlouise Eliza S617 at 4,200gns.

All the red native animals were purchased by Scottish breeders. Purchasing two for his herd was David Ismail of Fordel Angus. He secured two full sisters at 4,000gns and 6,200gns respectively. Sire of these two were Dunlouise Red Eddard M496 while the dam was Dunlouise Red Native F207 daughter Dunlouise Red Country Babe M521.

The final red heifer of the sale was secured by the Massie family of Blelack at 4,200gns. This heifer, Dunlouise Red Nellie R594, is out of the same cow as the embryos which topped the sale and is sired by Dunlouise Emmisary N522.

Bulls in the sale were particularly strong, with four selling to average 9,300gns. Along with the aforementioned 16,000gns Newman, Dunlouise Curve Bender S611 sold for 9,000gns, Generic of Cavan son Dunlouise Einstein S625 sold for 7,200gns and Dunlouise Earlston was secured at a price tag of 5,000gns by Cogent Breeding.

Thirty-seven females averaged at 4,850gns, while the 56 embryos on offer averaged at 1,605gns each.

Speaking after the sale, Geordie Soutar said: “I think we did quite well. The bulls sold very, very well, the embryos obviously did too. One gratifying thing was there were more UK buyers. Because the majority of our business would be overseas, I’m very happy to see more of them stay here.”