The British Limousin cattle society hosted the first of its premier spring sales in Carlisle on what was a dream weekend for the Goldies team.

The herd has been at the forefront at the sales for the last number of years and won the reserve overall championship at last year’s sale. Based in Scotland, it is run by Bruce Goldie and family.

Their entry of six bulls achieved all the top placings achievable in the pre-sale show and later sold to average over £17,000. This was led by two bulls selling for the joint top price of 30,000gns.

Securing the first 30,000gns was the pre-sale overall champion Goldies Olympia. This son of Ampertaine Foreman is out of Wilodge Vanatastic daughter Goldies Fragrance who herself is out of the prolific cow Vitality.

Having stood as intermediate and overall champion under judge Michael Alford, he was the pick of the Whinfellpark herd.

Matching him at the money and standing as reserve intermediate and reserve overall champion was Goldies Owain. This bull is a flush full brother to the overall champion and was secured by Melanie Alford for the Foxhillfarm herd.

The third prize-winner from the same class sold for 14,000gns, adding further to the Goldies success. This again is a full flush brother to the champion and reserve and was secured by an undisclosed buyer.

The other three Goldies bulls sold for 10,000gns, 7,500gns and 6,200gns.

These six bulls from the Goldies outfit helped greatly in boosting the average for intermediate bulls by £1,480 to settle at a staggering £8,560.

Sale average

Overall, the sale average price was up £276 at £6,650. That said, 17 fewer bulls traded compared with the same sale in 2019. This may be partly down to a large number of bulls being kicked out at inspection for testicles, mouths or locomotion.

There were many highs, however, with 16 bulls hitting five figures, 12 of these between 10,000gns and 13,000gns.

The only other one after Goldies to break that barrier was the first prize-winner for the last class Pabo Oldspice, which sold for 15,000gns. Bred by the Hughes family in Wales, he was the choice of Messrs Wright based in Drumfries.

This bull comes with strong Irish connections. His sire, Derrygullinane Kingbull, was purchased by the Hughes at Roscrea for €11,300. KIngbull had secured the male championship at the Irish Limousin Cattle Society world international congress, earlier the same year.

Oldspice claimed the national pedigree calf champion title at the English winter fair.

Farmers Journal Scotland Farm Profit Programme participant Andrew Gammie had a good day, selling one bull for 13,000gns and another for 12,000gns. Taking the higher of the two was the previous day’s reserve junior champion Westpit Oklahoma. This September 2018-born bull is a son of the herd’s former stock bull Jalex Itsallgood and out of the homebred Netherhall Doubleoseven daughter Westpit Julie Gaz. He was the pick of Messrs Campbell based in Lanark.

Securing the 12,000gns bid was the first prize-winning Westpit Orlando. This son of Goldies Jackpot is out of Brockhurst Holy who goes back to the well-known Brockhurst Bolshoe. This bull was overall continental champion at last year’s stars of the future. Securing this one was Messrs Wilson.

Irish breeding

Also selling for 13,000gns was the second prize-winning Huntershall Outlaw from Stephen Nixon. This powerful bull is a son of Northern Irish-bred stock bull Claragh Mufassa who’s out of the cow’s top donor Haltcliffe Avon. On the dam side, both Loosebeare Fantastic and Volcano feature.

Irish breeding was also behind the 12,500gns Maraiscote Omalley from the Nimmo family. This one is a son of Roundhill Ladysman, purchased privately from the Corridan family in Limerick. Out of a Goldies Comet-bred dam, the heterozygous polled bull was the pick of Messrs Howatson and stood second in his class to the 15,000gns Pabo bull.

Hitting 12,000gns was Loosebeare Olaf from EW Quick and sons. This homebred bull on both sides is out of the AI sire Loosebeare Fantastic, with Sympa also in the back breeding.

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