BLCS Spring 2018 Magazine

Limousin www.limousin.co.uk

SPRING/SUMMER 2018

the official magazine of the British Limousin Cattle Society

‘MAJESTIC’ AMPERTAINE BULL HEADS UP THE MAY SALE TRADE AT 35,000GNS

26,000GNS GRAHAMS NIKITA LEADS STRONG DEMAND FOR LIMOUSIN FEMALES

8,000GNS SETS NEW ALL-BREEDS UK RECORD FOR A FROZEN EMBRYO

TRUEMAN LIMOUSIN WINS INTERBREED AT 150TH ROYAL USLTER BALMORAL SHOW

Whinfellpark Lomu

Lenagh Larkhill

Gunnerfleet Lion

Foxhillfarm Jasper

Lowerffrydd Empire

Wilodge Cerberus

The full range of Whinfellpark Stock Bull Semen is available to purchase by contacting Iain Scott 07876 254112 Craig Douglas 07717 291456 enquiries@awjfarms.co.uk For more information, please visit www.whinfellpark.com 01931 711 234 Dolcorsllwyn Fabio

Cover shot: A typical young Limousin bull out in the field and ready to do his job! Thanks to photographer Wayne Hutchinson.

NEXT ISSUE: Full coverage and pictorial round-up from the Summer ‘Major’ 2018 Shows held around the UK. Catch up on the latest commercial features, market report, herd profiles, Young Limousin Breeders, and all the ‘very latest’ from British Limousin, the UK beef industry market leader.

The technical roundup and reports will include results from the July 2018 EBV & GEBV BLUP run; and updates on progress with the Limousin Breed Improvement Plan and the Society’s involvement with the DEFRA backed Feed Efficiency project.

Editor: Iain Kerr British Limousin Cattle Society Ltd, Concorde House, 24 Warwick New Road, Royal Leamington Spa, Warks CV32 5JG Tel: 02476 696500 Fax: 02476 696716 Email: info@limousin.co.uk www.limousin.co.uk

Limousin Easy calving

Length muscling

It’s the business

& WIDTH

Designed by GHOST Leamington Spa

www.limousin.co.uk

Contents 06 News round-up It’s been a full throttle start to 2018 as the Limousin breed has once again set the pace at commercial and pedigree sales around the UK, as well as a number of high profile breed and individual achievements.

Bringing you all the latest we highlight Limousin sales grossing over £1.5 Million in the first week of May; NI Limousin Club raise £22,000 for Children’s Hospice; Limousin frozen embryo makes a record 8000gns; and Kile Diamond wins Bill Callion Trophy

SPRING/SUMMER 2018

56-59 Trueman Limousins Win Interbreed at 150th Royal Ulster Balmoral Show The first of the summer ‘majors’ saw the Savage family win the Supreme Individual Beef Interbreed title, for the second year in a row, at what was the 150th anniversary of the Royal Ulster Balmoral Show. Full report and pictures

24-27; 36-39; 60-63 Three features in this issue take us to Fraserburgh, Lockerbie, and Lanarkshire.

First up we look at Donald Fraser’s Dunain Mains Farm at Inverness where Limousin genetics are fundamental to the success of his commercial suckler herd. From there we move to Lockerbie where Limousins fit the bill perfectly for first generation farmer Gary Bell in his commercial enterprise at Haas Side Farms. Our third feature is on Hugh Black & Sons, Lanarkshire, quality high street butchers with Limousin beef at the heart of their business.

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SALES Carlisle Feb 18

p64

Stirling Feb 18

p70

Dunngannon Feb 18

p74

Aberdeen Feb 18

p76

Brecon Feb 18

p79

Newark April 18

p80

Carlisle May 18

p82

Stirling May 18

p88

Ballymena May 18

p92

Brecon May 18

p94

50-55 Andrew Hamill, 14, wins

28-35

2018 National YLBC Stockjudging

Technical Corner

Northern Ireland's Andrew Hamill wins the 2018 National YLBC Stockjudging held this year at the Royal Bath & West Show. Catch up with all the latest news of a packed period of Young Breeders activitiy.

This issue looks at buying a bull using myostatin information and making new tools and sources of information available that will enhance the breeding decisions of all users of Limousin genetics. Following the March 2018 EBV & GEBV update the rankings of leading stock sires for carcase traits, maternal traits, and leading young bulls for gestation length, are also included.

64-95 Limousin Sales see strong demand continue A big sales section includes reports from all of the Society’s main sales held around the UK from January through to May. Strong demand for bulls and females, high clearance rates, and solid and improved averages has been the main story at official sales held in Aberdeen, Ballymena, Newark, Carlisle, Stirling, and Brecon. Trade has also been strong at Breeder’s Sales and commercial calf sales so check out the further sales coverage on pages 40-49.

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NEWS

The Limousin Breed Improvement Plan A

ll breeds need to genetically develop to increase the value of the breed, to improve the profitability of their keepers and drive their market position.

What is it all about?

The British Limousin Cattle Society has been working on its Breed Improvement Plan (BIP) since 2014. Using the latest breeding technologies, it is in place to ensure that genetic change within the Limousin breed is progressive and targeted to the market demands of the industry.

By the end of the Strategy term, 2014-2024, access to quality genetics in new key performance areas has the potential to significantly impact on profitability for commercial Limousin producers.

The BLCS Breed Improvement Plan lays out the strategic direction for the genetic improvement of Limousin cattle in the UK. It consists of ten key strategic breeding goals that can be applied at individual herd level guiding the breed towards achievement of its wider objectives.

This Strategy demonstrates the Society’s purpose and commitment to investing in the development and improvement of the breed to bring profitability to pedigree breeders and commercial users of Limousin cattle and genetics. It is a ground breaking body of work, built around established and new breeding technologies to protect and grow all Limousinbased enterprises, now and in the future.

COMMERCIAL VALUE Highest % in new and evolving market specifications

LOW COST OF PRODUCTION Efficient dams, efficient sires, best use of resource

6 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

GENETICS FOR

THE SUPPLY CHAIN

ETHICAL PRODUCTION Lower replacement rates, disease solutions, calf survival, lower carbon emissions

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NEWS

9 GO AL

To maintain current levels of genetic progress in Docility

GOAL 8

AL O G

GOA L6 www.limousin.co.uk

To establish and implement breeding solutions to identify and improve feed efficiency

To improve the rate of gain in growth and carcase traits, without compromise to correlated traits

Ongoing

4

To establish the role genetics has to play in control of meat quality, identify suitable means of evaluation & set appropriate breeding targets

To establish and implement breeding solutions to address disease issues as they become available

G O AL

7

Ongoing

To grow Ongoing the performance recorded population to 75% of registrations by the end of To this Strategy improve period Calving Ease to a point at the end of this Strategy period where it’s annual rate of genetic change is zero

GOAL 3

To improve current levels of progress being made for Age at 1st Calving and Calving Interval and Gestation length. To investigate wider measures of cow production efficiency

Ongoing

2

Completed and Female Fertility GEBVs now available

To maintain current levels of genetic progress in Longevity

To generate positive genetic change and improve 200 Day Milk Weight within the breed

GOA L1

AL GO

Ongoing

0 AL 1 O G

Completed and Carcase Trait GEBVs now available

AL 5 GO

Ongoing

BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

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NEWS

Using Limousin Breeding Values Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and Genomic Estimated Breeding Values (GEBVs)

Introduction

*BIRTH & REAR TYPE

All Limousin Breeding Values (EBVs and GEBVs) indicate how much of an animal’s performance is due to genetics and how much is due to its environment.

• EBVs are calculated from pedigree information, performance records collected on-farm and records collected from wider sources such as BCMS and abattoir data.

*AGE OF ANIMAL

*AGE OF DAM

• GEBVs also use the records above, but additionally incorporate information from each animal’s DNA. The incorporation of large, independent sets of commercial Limousin records and the use of DNA in calculations means Limousin breeding values are more accurate and more robust than ever before.

*HEALTH STATUS & HISTORY

*SEASON

*FARM FACTORS

*NUTRITION

(EG SOIL TYPE ETC)

Knowing an animal’s genetic merit is ESSENTIAL: it is the only thing it can pass on to its progeny. Appearance is influenced by many things…

8 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

INHERITED GENETIC POTENTIAL

*Collectively known as ‘environmental effects’, these will influence how an animal appears yet none of their effects can be passed to calves.

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NEWS

Using Limousin Breeding Values Below Average

All Limousin Breeding Values are expressed in the same unit as the recorded trait (eg kgs for 400 Day Weight, mm for Muscle Depth etc).

They are relative to the Limousin Breed Average, which is updated and published annually.

Limousin Breeding Values are typically presented in a bar chart. üü

üü

The central vertical line always represents the current Breed Average for each trait Bars lying to the right of this line indicate the EBV/ Index is above Breed Average (ie superior) – and the further to the right it is, the higher above Breed Average it is.

üü

In the same manner, bars lying to the left of the line indicate the EBV/Index is below Breed Average (inferior).

üü

Breeding values that are GEBVs (ie those that have used information from the animal’s DNA in their calculation) are referred to as GEBVs on the graph. EBVs and GEBVs can be used in exactly the same way.

Above Average (Superior)

Trait

EBV

Acc %

Gest. Length (days) Birth Weight (kg) Calving Ease (%) Mat.Calv. Ease (%) CALVING VALUE

-7.5 -1.4 -0.4 0.8 10

92 90 84 62 91

200 Day Growth (kg) 400 Day Growth (kg) Muscle Depth (mm) Fat Depth (mm) BEEF VALUE

46 96 4.8 0.2 54

88 88 77 61 89

Age to Slaughter GEBV (days) Carcase weight GEBV (kg) RETAIL VALUE (of prime cuts)

-3 8 41

67 72 71

200 Day Milk (kg)

Index 70 Adjusted Weights (kg)

80

90

100

110

120

130

Index

100

200

300

400

500

Scanned

207

385

569

739

0

NO

The Accuracy %. This is an indicator of the quality and quantity of records used in the EBV calculation. They range from 0% (nothing known) to 99% (very well-recorded) and indicate the confidence that can be placed on the breeding value. Breeding values with low accuracy will change over time, as more animal and family records are added to the EBV evaluation.

The Limousin Breed Benchmark indicates the distribution of EBVs across the breed for each trait. The benchmark can be used to identify an animal’s specific ranking within the breed for a specific trait. The benchmark can be found under ‘Breed Improvement’ on the Limousin website www.limousin.co.uk

2

58

Age at 1st Calv. GEBV (days) Calving Interval GEBV (days)

22 5

58 44

Scrotal Circ (cm) Docility (%)

0.7 7.7

76 81

Sale Wt (kg)

Scrotal Circ. (cm)

Breeding Indexes – the Calving Value, the Beef Value and the Retail Value. These combine individual EBVs and GEBVs in to a single figure that indicates overall breeding merit for that range of traits. Each trait within an index is weighted according to its relative economic value. Indexes can be used to select for a number of traits all at the same time. More positive values indicate overall higher genetic merit for the traits involved: Calving Value -> Gestation Length and Calving Ease EBVs Beef Value -> Growth, Muscle Depth, Fat Depth, Birthweight, Gestation Length and Calving Ease EBVs Retail Value -> Fillet, Striploin, Rump, Topside, Silverside and Knuckle.

In this example, the EBVs and GEBVs indicate the animal has favourable genetics for the majority of the characteristics. It is predicted to be easy calving, with good growth, speed to finishing and carcase conformation. Its fat depth EBV indicates it is likely to be fatter than average (more negative EBVs indicate leanness). Its daughters are predicted to be easy calving (Maternal Calving Ease) with good milking ability (200 day Milk). A higher Scrotal Size EBV is associated with early maturity of daughters, and a higher Docility EBVs indicates greater calmness during handling.

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BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

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NEWS

Which EBVs? • Select animals using EBVs that are relevant to your farm, cow type and end market • Consider the traits that will make you most money, but • Don’t forget to check all important traits such as Calving Ease.

• To establish just how much influence a bull will pass on to his progeny it is important to halve the EBV value, since the other half of a calf’s genes comes from the cow.

For example, a bull with a 400-Day Growth EBV of +62 is estimated to have the genetic potential to be 62kg heavier at 400 days of age compared to a bull with an EBV of 0.

Based on this, his calves would be expected to be 31kg heavier at that age when compared to calves by a bull with an EBV of 0, since they only inherit half of their growth genes from their sire (the other half coming from their dam).

EBVs Influencing Calving Ease

EBVs Influencing Growth and Carcase Quality

EBVs Influencing Maternal Performance

How easy-calving a bull’s calves will be: • Birthweight • Calving Ease • Gestation Length

• • • • • • •

• • • • •

How easy-calving a bull’s daughters will be: Maternal Calving Ease

200 Day Growth 400 Day Growth Muscle Depth (Loin) Fat Depth Carcase Weight Age to Slaughter The 6 Prime Cuts: Fillet, Striploin, Rump, Topside, Silverside, Knuckle

200 Day Milk Age at First Calving Calving Interval Longevity Calf Survival

These traits are passed from bulls to their daughters.

Where to find Limousin Breeding Values: • On the Limousin database www.taurusdata.co.uk. Search for individual animals, by breeding values and by breeder • From the owner/breeder • In sale catalogues • In the Limsale app – download from your usual app store.

• From the Limousin Society – get in touch or check out the EBV section on our website www.limousin.co.uk

10 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

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NEWS

The Smart Way to Search Your Limousin Sale Catalogue

DOWNLOAD THE NEW APP TODAY!

THE BREED WITH THE PREMIUM BUILT IN

Friday 19th & Saturday 20th October Carlisle Bull Sale Sunday 21st – Tuesday 23rd October Stirling Bull Sale

• Ideal weights for the market • Excellent growth rates, fast finishing

Saturday 10th November Brecon Sale

• Consistent top carcase grades • High maternal traits, low heifer replacement costs

For full details please visit: www.limousin.co.uk

The world of Limousin at your fingertips. Sale and show reports, news pages, catalogues, technical, galleries, blogs, classifieds, online shop, links, archives, young breeders, it’s got the lot.

Visit us at

www.limousin.co.uk

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NEWS

‘MAGNIFICENT MAY’ SEES A BUMPER WEEK OF LIMOUSIN SALES GROSS £1,507,031

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53

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see the bumper sales section in this issue on pages 64 to 95.

E NC RA

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Nikita from Robert and Jean Graham, Stirling. For full reports and pictures please

B M E N U AL M FE

requirements. Commercial producers are keen to harness the advantages of market ready genetics and are positively investing in Limousin as the ‘go-to’ breed.

The breed is combining easy calving, ideal weights, age to slaughter and feed efficiency.

Add in marketability, at any age and stage in growth and it is an attractive package for any commercial producer.”

There were some high end pedigree prices in the mix. Leading the fixture at Carlisle, for the second consecutive year was James McKay, Co Derry who sold Ampertaine Majestic for 35,000gns to Gareth Corrie based at Newtonards, Northern Ireland. A strong female sale the evening before had seen 76 lots sell (92% clearance rate) to a lead price of 26,000gns for the March 2017 maiden heifer Grahams

£

he bumper week of official BLCS Limousin sales in early May yet again demonstrated that the demand for Limousins is as fierce as ever. Kicking off with Carlisle over the 4th and 5th May, through Ballymena and Stirling, concluding at Brecon on Saturday 12th May, a total of 316 pedigree Limousins went under the hammer (bulls and females) to gross a fantastic £1,507,031.

That equates to an average of £4,769 per animal covering all ages and classes of stock.

Some highlight sale facts include: • 226 bulls sold to an average of £5,359 and gross £1,211,136 • 90 females (mainly maiden heifers) sold to an average of £3,288 and gross £295,896 • Carlisle led the way, with 117 bulls averaging £6,523.

74 females grossed £268,531 • 16 bulls make five figures and over at Carlisle • 12,000gns top price sets new all-breeds centre record at May Stirling Sale The sales cross the UK were very much driven by commercial buyers, looking for easy calving genetics, a feature very prevalent in the autumn of last year. Commenting on the sales BLCS Chief Executive Iain Kerr said “It is great to see that the robust demand for Limousin cattle at the Society’s sales this year has continued where it left off in 2017. At its heart it is driven by commercial producers and their focus on all round efficiency and profitability.

Breeders have continued to bring forward first quality bulls and females which fit these

R VE A V E R A LL B ULL

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PERFORMANCE, PRODUCTION, PROFITABILITY

NEWS

L

LIMOUSIN SALE APP PROVING VERY POPULAR!

aunched in late 2017 the Society’s LimSale app is proving to be a very popular and widely used tool for searching Limousin Society sale catalogues. After just three rounds of major sales the LimSale app has been downloaded by over 1,000 people!

Through using the app finding animals at sales to specific requirement has proven to be faster and easier than ever and is already playing a valuable part in sale marketing. The app can be downloaded to a wide range of smart phones and tablets and presents electronic dynamic sale catalogues that can be filtered according to individual search criteria. It can also be used to create catalogue short lists, record notes and store all results to help find the animals best suited to all producers’ needs.

LimSale can work in any environment. Once your chosen sale has been downloaded, no internet connection is required for the app to run. This offers great flexibility in sale locations

where internet access is limited. It will successfully run on any Apple device (from iphone 4s and above), all platforms running Windows10 and over 13,950 android devices.

For any assistance in using

the LimSale app, please get in touch with the Limousin Society office on 02476 696500, email info@limousin. co.uk. Alternatively please try our quick start guide on www.limousin.co.uk, click on ‘Society Sales’ and ‘LimSale App – User Guide’.

Countries that have downloaded LIMSALE.

BREED IMPROVEMENT INCENTIVE SEES £62,715 PAID TO BREEDERS • £894,215 paid back to members in total through commitment to long term breed improvement

A

formative part of its commitment to long term breed improvement, 2017 saw a further £62,715 paid back to British Limousin breeders in pedigree refunds through the year. A long standing incentive, the monies-back-initiative affords breeders the opportunity to assess the quality of the pedigree cattle they have registered up to the age of 450 days.

If at that time the breeder chooses to de-register the animal from the herdbook, a flat rate refund of £20+VAT per animal is returned.

Since its establishment a mighty £894,000 has now been

returned to breeders in all. Commenting, BLCS Chief Executive Iain Kerr said: “It’s been a significant financial commitment by the Society but one that continues to help drive breed improvement within the herdbook. Through its stated Breed Improvement Plan the Society is working hard to provide breeders with the tools and technologies to breed efficient, market-relevant cattle that deliver on performance and profitability. This incentive sits well with that and continues to encourage breeders to be selective with their animals at a young age and focus on quality.”

Practical one-stop Limousin semen shop www.semenstore.co.uk

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NEWS

NI LIMOUSIN CATTLE CLUB RAISES £22,000 FOR CHILDREN’S HOSPICE

A

fter hearing the story of Graham and Joanne McFarland, and their young son Andrew, the Northern Ireland Limousin Club (with NI Committee member David Hamill leading the way) leapt into action with a plan to raise funds for the NI Children’s Hospice who has supported the family in recent months. Graham’s brother Howard runs the Rahoney Limousin herd in Trillick, Co Tyrone.

At the outset, they couldn’t have imagined that the plan would lead to a fantastic £22,000 being raised and including the donation of a frozen embryo which was auctioned for a new all-breeds UK record price of 8000gns (please see overleaf).

The fundraising really captured the heart of British Limousin Cattle Society members and many other breeders and businesses donated goods and services to a charity auction held at Ballymena Market on Monday 7th May ahead of the NI Limousin Breeders Club annual spring sale.

With his tenacious approach, David Hamill, who runs the Cloverdale Herd in Dunmurray, secured some great lots, other embryos, semen straws, a calf crush, a heifer, a ewe with her lamb at foot and even a toy tractor.

The Judge at the pre-sale show, Blair Duffton from Aberdeenshire, Scotland went home with a new wheelbarrow, spade, shovel and compost!

The combined effort, which includes a JustGiving page, has raised the £22,000 to date. The family ‘are humbled’ by the generosity of Society members, not only by the outstanding donations but also from the willing purchasers and those who gave up their time in the planning and preparation of

the fundraising events. Joanne and Graham McFarland said “The entire family circle are totally amazed by the kindness and generosity shown by so many at the Auctions held at Carlisle and Ballymena in support of the NI Children’s Hospice, we deeply appreciate the support received from The British Limousin Cattle Society and its members” they added “Donations have been received from family, friends, neighbours, local businesses and strangers from wide and far and we are very thankful to everyone who has given something. Please keep Andrew in your thoughts and prayers”.

The NI Club welcomed Heather Weir, NI Hospice Chief Executive to their stand at the recent Balmoral Show where a presentation was made. She said “I am absolutely delighted that the NI Limousin Cattle Club and British Limousin Cattle Society has raised this amazing sum of money for Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. The funds raised from the auction will help us to open our sixth Hospice bed,

14 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

making a real and immediate difference to local infants and children living with lifelimiting and life-threatening conditions”. She went onto say, “It is only through the support and generosity of local communities, businesses, foundations and statutory partners that enable us to continue to care for over 300 life-limited infants and children each year”.

British Limouisn Cattle Society Honorary president David Thomlinson said “It is

amazing what our members have achieved in coming together for this hugely worthwhile cause, what a generous community of breeders we have. While thanks are extended to everyone involved, I must pay particular gratitude to Robert and Jean Graham for the donation of such a special embryo. In setting a new record price it demonstrates just how keen breeders were to get their hands on such fantastic genetics”

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NEWS

8,000GNS GRAHAMS EMBRYO SETS NEW RECORD

O

n Saturday 5th May at Borderway Mart, Carlisle some special donated lots were auctioned prior to the BLCS Bull Sale to help raise funds for the NI Children’s Hospice.

Leading the way amidst some warm and spirited bidding was a frozen embryo which sold for a magnificent 8000gns and in so doing set a new UK all-breeds record.

The grade A embryo, donated to the fundraising effort by Robert and Jean Graham who run the Grahams Limousin herd at Bridge Of Allan, Stirling, is the only embryo ever to have been offered for sale from the mating of Grahams Coffee and Claragh Franco. This mating needed no introduction to the ringside audience; the successful combination has already produced multiple show winners and sale toppers. A total of five cattle this way bred have grossed 146,500gns, including

Grahams Lorenzo at 40,000gns, Grahams Natalie 38,000gns, Grahams Lily 32,000gns, Grahams Nashville 20,000gns and Grahams Lillie 16,500gns. The buyer managed to secure the best of breeding right from the heart of the Grahams herd.

In addition to the embryo from the Grahams, others were donated by AW Jenkinson, Whinfellpark herd, Penrith, Cumbria and Henry Savage and Sons who run the Trueman Limousin herd at Newry, Co Down, Northern Ireland.

KILE DIAMOND WINS THE BILL CALLION TROPHY AT BALMORAL 2018

P

reviously contested for in the Royal Show Tidy Lines competition, the revitalised Bill Callion Trophy was up for grabs at the recent 150th Anniversary Balmoral Show.

Judged in secret over the duration of the show, stock handlers were evaluated on the organisation of their cattle stalls, their interaction with the animals and other breeders and their general attitude and demeanor. Having been revealed as the judge, Jim Scott of the Ardigon herd, Killyleagh, Co Down, from who Bill bought one of his first Limousin cows said “I was looking for someone with high standards, a shining example

of a Limousin handler”.

Against some fine competition, he picked out Young Limousin Breeder Kile Diamond of the Pointhouse herd, Garvagh, Co Derry as his deserved winner.

The trophy is set to rotate around the ‘major’ shows in order that Limousin exhibitors from all over the UK have a chance to demonstrate their stockmanship skills.

Bill Callion, a former Society Chairman, started the Lodge herd, now run by Ian and Wendy in Stirling back in 1980.

One of his grandsons James runs the Melbreak herd in Co Tyrone with his wife Alison and their sons, Thomas, Angus and Toby. Another grandson Mark

runs the Middlegate herd of Limousins in Workington, Cumbria.

Kile took home the magnificent trophy and £100 cash prize from James and Alison Callion.

NOTICE OF 47th BLCS AGM

P

rovisional notice is hereby given that the 47th Annual General Meeting of the Members of the Society will be held on Thursday 20th September 2018 at the BLCS Offices, Concorde House, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5JG commencing at 11.00am.

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BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

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NEWS

FORTHCOMING SHOWS, SALES & EVENTS UP TO DECEMBER 2018 All Sales are Official BLCS Sales unless marked with an asterisk. NB dates correct at the time of going to press.

Thursday 21st – Sunday 24th June Royal Highland Show Friday 22nd June Exeter - South West Limousin Summer Sale* Tuesday 10th – Thursday 12th July Great Yorkshire Show Saturday 14th July Scottish Limousin Grand Prix, Echt Show Thursday 19th to Friday 27th July ILC Colorado USA Monday 23rd – Thursday 26th July Royal Welsh Show Tuesday 21st & Wed 22nd August Malvern - National Young Stars Three Counties Showground

Friday 24th August Thainstone – The Spectacular Show & Sale of Calves & Store Cattle* Friday 21st September Thainstone – Annual Sale of BVD Acc Virus Free & Vaccinated Bulling Heifers* Tuesday 2nd October Thainstone - Annual Show & Sale of Commercial Beef Breeding Cattle* Saturday 6th October Newark Sale* Friday 12th October Hexham – Show & Sale of Limousin Bred Store Cattle Thursday 18th October Hexham / Bellingham – Sale of Suckled Calves

Sat 20th & Sun 21st October Harrogate – Countryside Live

Saturday 24th November Lanark – LiveScot

Sunday 21st – Tuesday 23rd October Stirling Bull Sale

Saturday 24th November & Sunday 25th Welshpool, North West Midlands & North Wales Breeders Autumn Show & Sale*

Sunday 28th October Cornwall Pedigree Beef Calf Show Friday 2nd November Carlisle – Borderway Agri Expo Wednesday 7th November Exeter - Agrifest South West Saturday 10th November Brecon Sale Saturday 10th November Stirling - Stars of the Future Friday 16th November Dungannon Sale

Friday 19th & Saturday 20th October Carlisle Bull Sale

Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th November English Winter Fair, Staffordshire

Barnard Castle.

FORFAR : Heifers reached £1,496.14 for a 626kg Limousin from West Bog to average 229p.

Limousins from Nethermyres headed up the bullocks which averaged 22p at 238p per kg.

THAINSTONE : Limousin heifers topped the sale of prime cattle when they peaked at 242p per kg for a 520kg heifer from Waterside of Forbes, Alford.

DARLINGTON : Clean cattle numbers were up when a Limousin heifer from MF Hall, Woodhill, topped the trade at 265p per kg.

DINGWALL : prime cattle sold to 231.0p per kg for a 570kg Limousin cross heifer from Mountgerald, Dingwall and £1,358.90 for a 635kg Limousin cross bullock from Bridgend,

Dingwall.

Mon 26th Tues 27th November Welsh Winter Fair Tuesday 27th November (TBC) Balmoral Northern Ireland Allams Winter Fair Friday 30th November & Saturday 1st December Peterborough – East of England Winter Stock Festival Friday 14th December Carlisle - Red Ladies & Weaned Calf Show & Sale

MARKET SHORTS MARCH BARNARD CASTLE : cattle

from R Hutchinson & Son, Bowes led the trade at the show potential sale. They claimed the haltered calf championship with Babycham, a Limousin heifer which sold for £1,700 to KD Leighton, Goole. They also had the top steer price of the day of £1,450 for the reserve champion, another Limousin which was knocked down to A Vance, Newton Stewart. J Dent & Son, Dartington took the unhaltered championship with a Limousin heifer which was knocked down for £1,300 to Walter E Dandie & Sons, East Lothian. Feeding bulls sold to £1,195 for J & SE Bainbridge, Richmond with a Limousin selling to LS Staley,

16 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

WIGTON : bullocks peaked at

225.5p for a 620kg Limousin from Messrs Gray, East Mill.

CARLISLE : a buoyant trade prevailed and was topped at £1,682.21 for a Limousin cross steer from Messrs Bowe, Bothel Parks, Wigton. Top price per kg was 232.5p from Messrs Tory, Newbiggin Farm, Carlisle for a Limousin cross. Heifers peaked at £1,436.88 and 235.5p for Limousin crosses from Messrs Story, Newbiggin Farm.

WIGTON : trade improved for all classes at the anniversary show and sale of prime stock when local butcher Steven Wilson from Corby Hill judged the entries. Mr Wilson bought his choice of champion a Limousin heifer weighing 629kg from DA Harrison, hill house,

for 245.5p per kg or £1,544. It was the reserve however, another Limousin heifer, weighing 699kg from RE Miller, West Farm, which topped the gross trade at £1,674. Another 535kg Limousin heifer from Messrs Watson, Cunningarth, led the price per kg at 248.5p. Bullocks sold to 239.5p and £1,377.13 for the first prize Limousin from Messrs Cape, Kirkland guards.

LOCKERBIE : heifers led the gross trade at £1,195 for a pen of Limousins from Messrs Wilson, Reddings, which also realised 249.5p per kg. Bullocks were topped by Limousins from Messrs Ewart, Belridding at £1,140 and 276.3p.

FORFAR : Limousin cattle from Nethermyres topped the sale when three entries realized 250p per kg.

www.limousin.co.uk

NEWS

BURKE TROPHY RESERVE FOR LIMOUSINS IN DEVON

www.limousin.co.uk

Foxhillfarm Minesagin and Foxhillfarm Napoleon

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T

he Blue Riband Burke Trophy was contested at the Devon County Show held over the three days of May 17th to May 19th.

The beef trophy, judged by Mike Yeandle, who has a herd of pedigree Devon cattle near Dorchester, delivered a runners-up spot for a pair from the Foxhillfarm stable of Mike and Melanie Alford, Cullompton, Devon. The Burke Trophy, a highlight at the Royal Show between 1951 and 2009, has since moved around the country to different shows to be presented to the best pair of beef animals, one male and one female, chosen out of all the breed classes at the event.

The show proved to be a great success for the local Foxhillfarm team. In the Limousin section under Judge Eric Norman they were placed first a number of times. They took the Male Championship with Foxhillfarm Napoleon, an April 2017 born son of Foxhillfarm Jasper out of the record priced female, Glenrock Illusion. On the second day of the show Napoleon stood as Junior Interbreed Champion.

In the female section, Foxhillfarm Naomi first won her class and then went on to secure the Female and Overall Limousin Championship.

Naomi is by Trueman Jagger and out of the Wilodge Fantastic daughter, Foxhillfarm Isla. She went onto secure the locally bred Interbreed Championship. Having won her class, Foxhillfarm Minesagin stood as Reserve Female Limousin Champion behind Naomi. This September 2016 born Jagger daughter is out of the Loosebeare Fantastic daughter, Foxhillfarm Justtheone.

These three teamed up to stand as Interbreed Group of Three Champions and then in the coveted Burke Trophy contest, Napoleon and Minesagin paired up to take the reserve spot.

Contact: SAC Veterinary Services Greycrook, St Boswells, Roxburghshire, TD6 0EU T: 01835 822456 E: pchs1@btconnect.com www.cattlehealth.co.uk

Leading the way in Agriculture and Rural Research, Education and Consulting

SAC Consulting is a division of SRUC

SRUC is a charity registered in Scotland, No. SC003712

BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

| 17

NEWS

2017 BCMS FIGURES 26%

GB TOTAL

Limousin news, advertising, and promotion through

facebook and twitter

T

he popularity of the Society’s Facebook and Twitter pages continues to grow as an easy-to-use means of communication and keeping up-todate, on a day-to-day basis, with news from around the world of British Limousin. The Society’s Facebook page now has 12,983 ‘likes’ and is constantly growing. Regular updates keep it fresh and informative. The reach of social media is such that individual posts are attracting up to 50,000 ‘views’ within 48hours of posting! That’s a lot of advertising and getting the Limousin word out!

# Facebook and Twitter are free to use. You can send messages, upload photos and videos for free, and link to websites.

# Facebook and Twitter connect to people from all around the world and the UK. Limousin posts are regularly viewed and commented upon from the USA, Australia, Canada, across Europe, and many more countries worldwide.

# Facebook and Twitter plays a very important role in getting the latest news, updates, and reminders of all the Society’s forthcoming sales, shows, events, and activitites.

So if you haven’t already why not ‘like’ the Society on Facebook or ‘follow’ us on Twitter. It’s a great way to network news to an ever-growing audience and to keep up-to-date with all the news, as it happens, from the world of the UK’s number one beef breed!

18 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

Limousin

484,497

26%

AA

333,652

18%

British Blue

237,686

13%

Charolais

200,134

11%

Simmental

157,031

8%

Hereford

152,416

8%

Shorthorn

46,722

3%

Stabiliser

24,475

1%

214,868

12%

1,851,481

100%

Other Beef Breeds TOTAL

25%

ENGLAND TOTAL

Limousin

282,276

25%

AA

211,786

19%

British Blue

180,344

16%

Hereford

110,621

10%

Charolais

74,887

7%

Simmental

74,118

7%

Shorthorn

22,003

2%

Stabiliser

16,289

1%

152,955

13%

1,125,279

100%

Other Beef Breeds TOTAL

26%

SCOTLAND TOTAL

Limousin

120,730

26%

AA

95,498

20%

Charolais

83,141

18%

Simmental

73,751

16%

British Blue

22,230

5%

Hereford

10,994

2%

Shorthorn

22,111

4%

Stabiliser

3,380

1%

Other Beef Breeds TOTAL

37,898

8%

469,733

100%

32%

WALES TOTAL

Limousin

81,491

32%

Charolais

42,107

16%

British Blue

35,112

14%

Hereford

30,801

12%

AA

26,368

10%

Simmental

9,162

4%

Shorthorn

2,608

1%

Stabiliser

4,806

2%

Other Beef Breeds TOTAL

24,014

9%

256,469

100%

www.limousin.co.uk

LIMOUSIN-SIRED CALVES REQUIRED Limousin or Limousin-cross steer calves required for the Beef Feed Efficiency Programme; an initiative aiming to produce Estimated Breeding Values for traits associated with Feed Efficiency.

Ideally calves will be • Dairy or suckler-bred steer calves • In groups of 8-16 head by the same registered (or previously registered) Limousin bull or Limousin AI sire. The bull must be known but need not be identified on the passport.

• be aged from 2 weeks up to approximately 7 months old Market prices will be paid for any selected cattle or calves can be provided on a retained ownership arrangement. For more information please contact Natalie Cormack, Project Manager on 07866 934563, natalie. cormack@ahdb.org.uk or Alison Glasgow, Limousin Society on 07885 255621, alison@limousin.co.uk

The programme is funded by DEFRA and AHDB http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/research/geneticselection/genetic-selection-beef/beef-feed-efficiency/

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01422 243100

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BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

| 19

SEMENSTORE

SEVEN NEW LIMOUSIN BULLS NOW AVAILABLE ON SEMENSTORE! The easy to use, one stop on-line Semenstore.co.uk has seen a further seven Limousin bulls added to the site over the last two months. This popular on-line platform carries the largest portfolio and choice of Limousin bulls available across the UK. There’s ‘something for everyone’ with buyers able to select on phenotype, bloodlines, specific traits, performance figures, and of course cost.

To view these latest additions and the bulls across the site

then please visit www.semenstore.co.uk

Trueman Mozart Quick Info: £25.00 per straw: Available UK mainland only Trueman Mozart is the first son born from the World Record breaking 140,000gns Trueman Jagger.

Mozart was Male Champion and Overall Junior Interbreed Champion at the RUAS Balmoral in May 2017. His dam is full sister to Trueman Euphonium who herself was the 40th Anniversary National Limousin Champion. Mozart was purchased in Carlisle in October 2017 for 15,000gns where he was Overall Supreme Champion. The vendor says: “He shows tremendous growth, length, width and temperament.”

Powerful Louis Quick Info: £12.00 per straw: Available UK mainland only Powerful Louis was purchased privately from the “Powerful” Herd of Philip Crowe in Ireland as a calf. The vendor says: “Louis is an exciting prospect with astonishing width, shape and style. His plates are very wide and square. Louis has top data to match with a muscle depth of 8.2mm (top1%).”

Ampertaine Magnum Quick Info: £30.00 per straw: available UK & Europe Ampertaine Magnum was purchased at Carlisle October 2017 for 70,000gns for his style, conformation and ease of calving, with very good EBV figures. The vendor advises that he has grown on to make a powerful bull with good temperament.

20 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

www.limousin.co.uk

SEMENSTORE

Ampertaine Inferno Quick Info: £30.00 per straw: Available Europe and Australasia Ampertaine Inferno was purchased at Carlisle in May 2015 for 16,000gns. The vendor says: “Inferno was bought for his depth of breeding, being an Elgin son and out of the good breeding cow Kype Tiffany ( a Cloughhead Lord daughter), and his extreme muscling and great top which he is passing on to his progeny.”

Chatsworth Jojo Quick Info: £20.00 per straw: Available UK mainland only The vendor says: “Chatsworth Jojo has stamped all his calves with a placid nature, great growth rates and a fabulous depth of muscling. All with unassisted calving. His first sons topped the Society Sale at Brecon in November 2017 to 6,400gns.”

Wilodge LJ Quick Info: £40.00 per straw: available UK Mainland Only Outstanding private purchase from the top female line at Wilodge. LJ combines great width and muscle, super style and locomotion along with weight gain and a positive calving value. Much admired, his progeny are eagerly awaited. His dam, Wilodge Gem, along with her full sister, the award winning Wilodge Diamante, form the backbone of the noted Wilodge herd.

Sokrates Quick Info: £10.00 per straw: Available Worldwide The vendor says: “This is a rare opportunity to have genetics from a bull that is both homozygous polled and carries a copy of the NT821 double-muscle gene. Sokrates is leaving a tremendous stamp on his calves, quiet-natured with tremendous long full tops and great muscling. His calves on farm to-date have averaged 39kg for heifers and 47kg for bulls.

He is bred from a very strong female line that is consistently producing quality animals with natural heavy fleshing.

www.limousin.co.uk

BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

| 21

Semenstore is a practical one-stop Limousin semen shop for vendors and buyers. Semenstore features:-

• On-line semen purchasing

• Export and domestic

• Automated service

• Competitive pricing

• Payment collection • Professional marketing • Semen for all markets

and costs

• Unique offers & packages • One-stop Limousin semen shop

www.semenstore.co.uk 22 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

www.limousin.co.uk

THE STRESS-FREE SOLUTION

Easy-to-use pour-on solution Efficacy data results*:

100%

effective against Ostertagia gutworm

98.3%

effective against 7 week old immature fluke

* Source: Data from artificial infection and field trials. NorbrookÂŽ Trial Data, available on request. Please read the product data sheet and seek advice before use.

The dosing programme should be established with your veterinary practitioner, animal health adviser or licenced merchant.

Manufactured in NI by: Norbrook Laboratories Ltd, Station Works, Newry, Co. Down, BT35 6JP. Distributed in GB by: Norbrook Laboratories (G.B.) Limited, 1 Saxon Way East, Corby, Northamptonshire, England, NN18 9EY. Legal Category: UK: POM-VPS Closamectin Pour on Solution for Cattle contains 200mg/ml closantel and 5mg/ml ivermectin. | 4485-LA(C)-v1b-UK-26/03/18

FEATURE

LIMOUSIN

‘THE BREED OF THE FUTURE’ FOR INVERNESS COMMERCIAL BEEF PRODUCER Limousin genetics are fundamental to the success of a large commercial suckler herd at Donald Fraser’s Dunain Mains Farm at Inverness.

D

onald and his father, also Donald, farm 3000 acres on Dougfour Estate, About 1000 acres lies along the banks of the Caledonian Canal all the way from Inverness to Loch Ness, while the hill rises steeply to 2200 feet.

Donald senior has a fleet of lorries, so management of the

farm is left to Donald junior, with the help of a couple of men who double up as tractormen, stockmen and lorry drivers. Donald also has his own HGV and sometimes has to help out on the transport side, while father Donald helps with the stock at busy times.

The stony and sandy

Donald Jnr with two Alagils bulls

24 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

www.limousin.co.uk

FEATURE low-ground soil is ideal for out-wintering cattle and Donald tries to keep as many cows outside as possible. This in turn helps with the fertility for growing 230 acres of spring barley, most of which goes for malting, but around 150 tonnes is kept for homefeeding.

Cow numbers are currently 225, split between 125 spring and 100 autumn calving. The vast majority of the cows are Limousin cross but a Simmental bull has also been used and recently Donald has bought a Saler bull. He said, “I do not want the cows to become too pure, three-quarter Limousin is perfect but I like the hybrid vigour the other breeds introduce and I have been very impressed with the Saler cross Limousin calves.�

Because he buys bulls with easy calving figures he tends to use the Limousin over the heifers, which at the moment are allowed to grow on and calf at two-and-a-half years old.

The Caledonian Canal which runs along the bottom of Dunain Mains

In the ten years since coming home from finishing his agriculture degree in Edinburgh, Donald has focussed on herd fertility with noticeable success. He has increased the minerals being fed to the cows in their ration

and also boluses them with selenium and iodine which he believes has helped fertility levels.

There is plenty to do on the farm with arable crops, forage crops, silage, 800 ewes plus the transport business,

so Donald does not believe in having extended calving periods. The bulls only go out with the November/December calvers for six weeks, but last year he achieved 95% scanning. The spring calvers get eight weeks with the bull.

Outwintered cows and calves

www.limousin.co.uk

BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

| 25

FEATURE Bulls are also health checked and semen tested before being turned out with the cows.

Donald said, “I might give a first calver a second chance, but on the whole I do not let cows slip from herd to herd, I cull anything not in-calf, and between nutrition and management, fertility is really improving.” The tight calving period means calves are a good even bunch to sell as forward stores at Dingwall.

Limousin bulls have been bought locally from Alasdair and Gill Macnab’s Alagils herd at Dingwall and Donald said, “I am not a fan of the heavier bulls presented for sale. I like the fact Alasdair and Gill do not push their bulls; I can see them as youngsters and buy them in plenty of time to get used to their new surroundings before turning them out with the cows.”

Donald also appreciates the work that goes into performance recording the bulls. Alasdair and Gill are keen advocates of EBV’s and, while their bulls are mostly well above average for weight gain and carcase quality, they also offer good temperament and female traits such as milkiness, which Donald requires for his replacement heifers.

Alasdair said, “Donald has bought six bulls from us over the years and I feel that is a reflection on our breeding and also how we bring the bulls up. We find our bulls last a long time and are not over-fat. We spend a lot of time weighing and scanning for backfat and muscle depth, plus we think it is important that cows calve easily and that the calves grow fast with a high meat yield.”

Some of the bulls used on Donald’s herd include Alagils Juno by Netherhall Gallant, a three-quarter brother of Jambon which sold at Carlisle for 28,000gns in May 2016 to the Norman herd.

Alagils Gatsby is a previous purchase which is a full ET brother of Alagils Gershwin which sold for 12,000gns.

About 60% of Donald’s herd is by Alagils bulls now and the genetics coming

Yearling calves destined for sale in April

“The 11 month-old bullocks sold at the end of March averaged 422kg and £2.51per/kg (£1055per/ head.) The same age heifers averaged 395kg and £2.41per/kg (£951.95per/head).” through in the cows are just what Donald wants, he said, “I don’t want my cows too big, around 700kg is fine. I expect them to average eight calves and still look fresh enough at the end of their breeding life to make a quality cast cow.”

He added, “All the oldest cows in my herd are Limousin, there is never a problem with their udders and we only have to deal with about one per cent of the herd’s feet each year.”

Only the heifers are calved inside and assisted calvings over the whole herd are less than 10%, which Donald puts down not only to genetics, but also the extra selenium in the diet which seems to help the cows calve easily while calves are full of vigour and get a good start in life.

The winter-calving herd is outside although cows are run into a shed at night. Donald is not a believer in creep

26 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

feeding but in order to take the pressure off the cows at bulling, he buys a tonne of calf pellets which he mixes with home-grown barley and feeds for the six weeks over bulling only.

Calves are weaned at the end of August and the cows go away to the hill. Once the calves are inside in late September/October, they are fed a total mixed ration (TMR) consisting of silage, draff, max barley and minerals. Donald works closely with Harbro on the nutrition side and with his local vet practice on the health side.

The best of the calves are sold in January at Dingwall as forward stores where the bullocks average 450 to 500kg and the heifers 400 to 450kg, while the remainder are sold in February. The calves are regularly in the top 10% of the sale and this year the best

pen sold for just under £1200 per head. They tend to go to regular buyers locally, or in Aberdeenshire, and Donald receives good feedback about how well the calves go on to do.

The spring calvers are all out wintered on forage crops, except heifers, and rotated to fields nearer to the steading as they get closer to calving.

Donald said, “Some of our fields are like an extra shed; the ground is dry and stony and they can shelter among the whin bushes or in the woods. I believe they are much healthier outside.”

Calves are weaned in September/October and sold in the spring at slightly lighter weights than the winter calves.

This year, the 11 month-old bullocks sold at the end of March averaged 422kg and £2.51per/kg (£1055per/ head.) The same age heifers

www.limousin.co.uk

FEATURE averaged 395kg and £2.41per/ kg (£951.95per/head.) A batch of forward 10 monthold bullocks sold for similar weights and prices.

Since coming home from college, Donald has not made drastic changes to the herd but he has tried to improve margins by improving fertility and calf losses and making better use of home-grown feed. He is currently unable to record and analyse the herd’s performance accurately but has applied for a grant to install an electronic weigh crate for the cattle. He said, “This will be an investment of around £25,000 but it will give me accurate information about which families are better performing. I also hope that by recording growth rates and weights I can start calving heifers at two years old.”

Up until now he has retained around 35 heifer calves each year for replacements, but as fertility and management around the tight calving periods have improved, only around 10 are being kept this year.

Yearling calves

Donald feels there is scope to tighten management up further in order to increase margins and feels it will be necessary to farm as efficiently

as possible post-Brexit. He reckons his mixed farm would not be viable without support, but he firmly believes Limousin is the breed for the

future, and is confident that, with continued improvement, his cows and system will give him the best possible chance in the post-Brexit world.

Three of the Alagils stock bulls

www.limousin.co.uk

BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

| 27

TECHNICAL CORNER

BUYING A BULL USING MYOSTATIN INFORMATION

A

key feature of the British Limousin Cattle Society’s Breed Improvement Plan is to make new tools and sources of information available that will enhance the breeding decisions of all users of Limousin genetics.

Amongst the most recent of these is Myostatin information.

Myostatin is a single gene that impacts on the development of muscling, and different variants of the gene also impact on birth weight, calving ease, fat cover and milkiness in females. Used in conjunction with wider information such as Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), it enables breeding decisions to be refined even further, matching the right type of animals to the job required of them.

This Autumn it is a requirement that all bulls sold at Society sales should be tested for Myostatin and this information will be available to buyers at the point of sale. In addition, any animal that is DNA tested for any purpose now automatically gains Myostatin results, so many breeding animals sold off farm or at wider livestock sales will have the information available. Many breeders are also electing to test widely within the young stock in their herds to help select the animals they will retain for breeding.

This article explains how to interpret Myostatin information and how to use it when making selection decisions.

üü From October 2018, all bulls at Society sales will have Myostatin information available. üü All DNA testing includes a Myostatin result, so many bulls sold off farm and through wider sales will also have Myostatin information available.

What is Myostatin?

The Myostatin gene is a single gene found in all mammals and influences the production of a protein that controls muscle development. Natural mutations of the gene produce proteins that are less effective at controlling muscle development, which results in increased muscle mass.

To use Myostatin information, it is firstly important to understand the principles behind ‘homozygous’ and ‘heterozygous’ animals.

The Myostatin gene comes in a pair, so each animal has two ‘copies’ of the gene; one inherited from its sire and one from its dam. But there are also three main variants of the gene that occur in Limousin (as well as other beef breeds), so an animal can have any one of six different combinations.

•

•

An animal that has inherited two copies of the gene that are the same is said to be ‘homozygous’ and it can only pass on that gene to its offspring.

An animal that has inherited one copy of one variant, and one copy of a different variant, it is said to be ‘heterozygous’. It can pass on either one of its copies to its offspring, and there is no way of predicting which one that will be.

It is impossible to accurately tell from the appearance of an animal what variants of Mysotatin it might be carrying. The only way to be 100% sure is through DNA analysis. For Limousin, Myostatin testing is now a routine part of the service and results are reported back for all tested animals.

28 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

www.limousin.co.uk

TECHNICAL CORNER

The Three Main Variants of Myostatin The three main variants of Myostatin to occur in Limousin are:

Predicting the Outcome: Where both parents are homozygous, the outcome of a mating can be predicted with 100% accuracy.

F94L

Animals with two copies of this gene (ie F94L/F94L) exhibit an increase in muscling (by up to 19%) with no associated increased in calving difficulty, lowered fertility or longevity and by far the majority of animals in the breed carry this gene. Heterozygous animals (those with one copy of the gene) also exhibit these characteristics but not to the same degree.

As a result of the high frequency of this gene in the Limousin population, most animals have double copies (are homozygous) and exhibit its characteristics; increased muscle mass without increased calving difficulties, lowered fertility or longevity. It is therefore partly responsible for the breed as it is today and one of the reasons behind its commercial success.

Bull

NT821/NT821

Cow

F94L/F94L

NT821

This variant is carried by a lower proportion of animals in the breed. Animals with two copies of the gene (ie nt821/ nt821) will exhibit characteristics of the condition: larger loin depths, reduced fat depths and large, rounded rump and thighs. However, unlike F94L, animals with two copies may also have slightly heavier birth weights bringing with it the potential for more difficult calvings, If animals are ‘heterozygous’ with F94L (ie F94L/nt821) they will still exhibit quality carcase characteristics but may be less likely to be affected by more difficult calvings.

Q204X

As with nt821, Q204X is carried by a small proportion of animals in the breed. Animals with two copies of the gene (ie Q204X/Q204X) will exhibit characteristics of larger loin depth, reduced fat cover and greater meat tenderness.

However, they may also have the potential to exhibit larger birth weight and, if females, slightly reduced milking ability.

Animals that are ‘heterozygous’ with F94L (ie F94L/Q204X) will still exhibit quality carcase characteristics but may be less likely to be affected by larger birth weights and reduced milking ability.

Two further variants of Myostatin exist but are relatively uncommon in their occurrence. Known as nt419 and E291X, their effects in homozygous and heterozygous states are similar to nt821 and Q204X respectively.

www.limousin.co.uk

All calves will be F94L/NT821

F94L/NT821

F94L/NT821

F94L/NT821

F94L/NT821

However, where one or both parents are heterozygous, only the probability of the outcome can be predicted. For example, if a bull with a Myostatin genotype of F94L/NT821 were mated to a cow with a Myostatin genotype of F94L/Q204X, the outcome can be worked out as follows:

Bull Cow

F94L

NT821

F94L

F94L/F94L

F94L/NT821

Q204X

F94L/Q204X

Q204X/Nt821

So the probability is that 25% of calves from this mating would have a genotype of F94L/F94L, 25% would be F94L/NT821, 25% would be F94L/Q204X and 25% would be Q204X/NT821.

BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

| 29

TECHNICAL CORNER

What are the Benefits of Myostatin?

The recognised benefits of Myostatin are: üü üü üü

Increased Meat Yield – by up to 19%.

More feed efficient Higher meat quality – increased tenderness, reduced fat content, higher polyunsaturated fats

For breeders, knowing the Myostatin status of animals within herds will be important for the choices and options it offers herd management and breeding programmes.

For purchasers, and across the industry, it will similarly allow choices to be made based on knowledge and understanding when buying Limousin cattle.

On a population level, because of the high frequency of F94L, there are no significant disadvantages to the presence of the Myostatin mutations.

Some difficulties may present themselves at individual animal and herd level, however. If animals carrying nt821 and Q204X are mated to animals that are carrying the same mutations, it does increase the potential to increase birth weight and reduce milk. Whilst this can be managed – and very successfully so – it is lack of knowledge of an animals’ status that is a barrier to this and therefore the main disadvantage currently. Knowing what the genotypes of breeding stock are will help pedigree and commercial producers select animals for the best possible outcome and will allow all herds to set and achieve breeding goals that capture the beneficial characteristics they bestow.

How Should Myostatin Information be Used when Buying A Bull?

An important factor to remember is that carcase traits (muscling, fat cover etc), calving traits and milk traits in cattle are controlled by MANY genes. Myostatin is only one of them and, as such, it is not an absolute predictor of an animal’s performance.

A Myostatin genotype is a further bit of information that may help your decision, but it should be used in conjunction with wider information such as Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), which bring together information of actual performance from the animal itself, its herdmates and its relatives to predict genetic merit, and your own judgment on type and pedigree.

From this October, the Myostatin genotypes of all bulls sold at Society sales will be published in the sale catalogues and made available through the Limsale app. Additionally, results for all animals where they exist are published on the Limousin database (‘www.taurusdata.co.uk).

The aim of providing this information to industry is to further enhance all Limousin breeders’ and buyers’ knowledge of the potential performance of the stock they are selecting. Coupled with the wealth of wider performance information available, particularly in the form of genomic breeding values (GEBVs), it demonstrates the commitment by the Society and its members to providing the market with animals that will produce fast growing, quality carcases that are easily born with heifer replacements that make quality suckler cows – now and in the future.

30 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

www.limousin.co.uk

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Stock Bull -

Goldies Jackpot S3104

Semen available from Progressive Genetics T:1 850 20 20 50 and Munster AI T: +353 224 3228 Tom Bailey +353 87 255 3195 Email: tom@bgh.ie UK Distribution contact: Owain Llyr Livestock - Owain Llyr 0044 7970 481 956 Northern Ireland Distribution contact: Progressive Genetics, Bernard McKenna m: 0044 7494 422137

TECHNICAL CORNER

TAURUS LIMOUSIN PERFORMANCE RECORDING

THE UK’S LEADING LIMOUSINS There are many traits that could be used to identify leading Limousin cattle.

The following tables report on bulls and young sires only.

The ‘Top 10’s’ in this issue: • Leading Carcase Trait Stock Sires • Leading Maternal Trait Stock Sires • Leading Gestation Length Young Bulls

To choose your own criteria, please go to www.taurusdata.co.uk, click on ‘Beef Search’ then ‘EBV Search’.

Leading Stock Sires for Carcase Traits

Which Carcase Traits to Choose?

It is important to note that the new breeding values for the six primal cuts are adjusted to a standard carcase weight of 350kgs…

•

In other words, animals with high GEBVs for these traits are animals with the genetics to produce higher weights of prime cut as a proportion of a 350kg carcase.

•

The Carcase Weight breeding values will identify animals with the genetics to produce heavier carcase weights.

•

And Age at Slaughter will identify the animals that get there quickly!

The GEBVs available for Limousin cover a range of eight Carcase Traits (Carcase Weight, Age at Slaughter and six primal cuts) and are based on weekly downloads of VIA measurements from Limousin-bred cattle in five of ABP Food Group’s abattoirs in combination with individual animal DNA. A Retail Yield index is also produced; this is an economically weighted index comprising the breeding values of the six primal cuts (Fillet, Striploin, Rump, Silverside, Topside and Knuckle).

FILLET GEBV/EBV (KG) STRIPLOIN GEBV/EBV (KG) RUMP GEBV/EBV (KG) SILVERSIDE GEBV/EBV (KG) TOPSIDE GEBV/EBV (KG) KNUCKLE GEBV/EBV (KG)

RETAIL VALUE

All of this means that producers of pedigree and commercially-bred Limousin cattle have breeding values at their disposal to identify animals with the genetics to not only perform well for the traditionally-measured traits, such as growth to 400 days of age, but that will also go on and perform well through to slaughter. Irrespective of end market, the value of stock that can do this is considerable.

32 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

All three elements in combination are therefore important to most types of beef enterprise

www.limousin.co.uk

TECHNICAL CORNER The following table details the leading Limousin stock bulls for Age to Slaughter GEBV/EBV1 that also meet the following criteria: • • •

All bulls’ breeding values are published on the Limousin database (www.taurusdata.co.uk) All bulls have sired a registered calf within the last three years (since 28 Feb 2015) All bulls’ Carcase Weight and Retail Breeding Values are equal to and above the 2018 Breed Average of 4.7kg and LM27R respectively.

Animals are listed by their Age at Slaughter breeding value in descending order. The Calving Ease EBV for each animal is included as a point of reference only. Accuracy values are shown as % alongside each breeding value.

1 Carcase Trait EBVs are made available as part of the process that produces the GEBVs. (The GEBVs use information from the animal’s DNA in their calculation. The EBVs do not, but both use the same slaughter records obtained from the abattoir). Where an animal’s accuracy % for the EBVs is greater than 50%, the values are automatically published for that animal on the Limousin database. The way in which both types of value should be interpreted and used is the same.

Details

Bred By

Owned By

Slaughter Age (Days)

Sl Age Acc%

Carcase Wt (Kg)

Car. Wt. Acc%

Retail Value

Ret. Value Acc%

Calv. Ease Ebv

C. Ease Acc%

1 NEW

LOOSEBEARE GREENDAY Eartag UK 361282/101179 Date of Birth: 02/09/2011 No. Calves: 43 Sire: HALTCLIFFE ANZAC

Messrs E W Quick & Sons, LOOSEBEARE herd, Devon

Carolyn Runnalls, TORVELD herd, Devon

-30

61

8.8

66

LM41R

65

-3

62

2

NEWHOUSE HARTLEY Eartag: UK 540209/301069 Date of Birth: 07/07/2012 No. Calves: 44 Sire: ROSECROFT DUKE

Messrs Robert M Adam And Son, NEWHOUSE herd, Forfar

Mrs P Blair, LITTLEINCH herd, Scotland

-29

70

34.2

76

LM35R

75

-2.1

80

3

DAVLIN ERIC Eartag: UK 166104/400656 Date of Birth: 15/05/2009 No. Calves: 8 Sire: MANORHOUSE BONUS

Mr D & Mrs L Critchlow, DAVLIN herd, Derbyshire

Mr & Mrs J Gibbs, WOLFSCOTEGRANGE herd, Derbyshire

-26

74

17.3

80

LM37R

79

-1.8

54

4 NEW

DYFRI CASANOVA Eartag: UK 741618/500563 Date of Birth: 02/08/2007 No. Calves: 20 Sire: NECTAR

D G & M J Edwards & Son, DYFRI herd, Dyfed

R I Owen & Co, CWMFFYNNON herd, Powys

-22

69

18.5

75

LM35R

74

-4.4

61

5 NEW

WILODGE GEEZER Eartag: UK 305117/601022 Date of Birth: 15/03/2011 No. Calves: 20 Sire: MILBROOK TANKO

Wilodge, WILODGE herd, Shropshire

Sezincote Farms, SEZINCOTE herd, Gloucestershire

-22

56

23.8

60

LM39R

59

-4

76

6 NEW

VAINQUEUR Eartag: 19-32-058-408 Date of Birth: 13/10/2004 No. Calves: 15 Sire: NECTAR

Earl Champeval J. Pierre, Seilhac, France

Mr D W Jordon, LONGHIRST herd, Northumberland

-18

67

11.8

72

LM32R

71

-4.9

60

7 NEW

COWIN GOLDENGUN Eartag: UK 740180/300359 Date of Birth: 10/08/2011 No. Calves: 1 Sire: MILBROOK TANKO

W D D & C James, COWIN herd, Dyfed

Mr R.F.W. Cottle, ASHTON herd, Wiltshire

-18

64

7.2

70

LM40R

69

-0.2

65

8 NEW

DOMINO Eartag: 19-88-001-780 Date of Birth: 06/02/1988 No. Calves: 148 Sire: VELINO

Semen import

Semen import

-15

61

6.8

65

LM39R

64

-0.8

94

9 NEW

NETHERHALL CHANCER Eartag: UK 103719/301255 Date of Birth: 15/11/2007 No. Calves: 152 Sire: ROCKY

Nether Hall Farm Ltd, NETHERHALL herd, Lancashire

Messrs Ellis & Gottschalk, BOWTELLS herd, Essex

-14

51

12.2

54

LM40R

53

-1.2

82

10 NEW

BROADHEAD IRONMAN Eartag: UK 125536/601142 Date of Birth: 03/12/2013 No. Calves: 13 Sire: GOLDIES FANDANGO

Turner Farms Ltd, BROADHEAD herd, West Yorkshire

Messrs A & G J Ogg, CONFLUENCE herd, Lincolnshire

-14

62

17

68

LM39R

67

-1.2

71

Practical one-stop Limousin semen shop www.semenstore.co.uk

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BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

| 33

TECHNICAL CORNER

Leading Stock Sires for Maternal Traits In 2017 the Limousin Society launched EBVs and GEBVs for Female Fertility and Calf Survival Traits. These differ from EBVs previously available in that they are derived from the records of all commercial Limousin-bred dams recorded in the UK on BCMS, as well as animal DNA in the case of the GEBVs. These larger pools of information have led to breeding values that are significantly more robust than was previously possible, with greater commercial relevance: Age at First Calving: indicates genetic potential for heifers to hold to first service opportunity. Negative values (ie less days) indicate superior genetics for this trait.

Calving Interval: indicates genetic potential for the time that cows take to get back in calf. Look for negative values (ie less days) for cows that get back in calf on time.

Longevity: indicates genetic potential for the relative number of calves born in 6.5 years. Look for positive values for females that are likely to be more productive in the herd for a longer time.

Calf Survival: indicates genetic potential for calves to survive between 3 weeks and 10 months of age. Look for high positives to indicate a higher probability of survival.

The league table below identifies the current Top 10 Maternal Stock Sires according to the following criteria: • • • •

All All All All

bulls bulls bulls bulls

have sired a registered calf within the last three years (since 28 February 2015) have the youngest Age at First Calving EBV/GEBV recorded in the March 2018 EBV Update with an accuracy greater than or equal to 40% have EBVs/GEBVs above average for Calving Interval, Longevity and Calf Survival also have EBVs/GEBVs above average for 200 Day Milk, Maternal Calving Ease and Beef Value.

Animals are listed by their Age at First Calving breeding value in descending order (shortest to longest). Accuracy values are shown as % alongside each breeding value.

Details

Bred By

Owned By

Age First Calv (Days)

Age First Calv Acc%

Calving Interval (Days)

Calv.

Int. Acc%

Longevity (Rel No. Calves)

Longevity Acc%

Calf Survival (Probability)

Calf Surv Acc%

1

COACHHOUSE EEBYGUM Eartag: UK 141994/401093 Date of Birth: 30/04/2009 No. Calves: 138 Sire: COACHHOUSE VIRGIL

Messrs Heald & Co, COACHHOUSE herd, Nottinghamshire

Messrs Heald & Co, COACHHOUSE herd, Nottinghamshire

-7

68

-4.2

45

0.1

36

0

63

2

CLOUGHHEAD ANCHOR Eartag: UK 101983/600355 Date of Birth: 12/06/2005 No. Calves: 114 Sire: 5941 SAIGA

G.L. Hutton, CLOUGHHEAD herd, Cumbria

Mr J & Mrs J C M Carroll, CARSMOOR herd, Somerset

-2

73

-4.7

43

0.1

43

0

46

3 NEW

COWIN ELITOR Eartag: UK 740180/300282 Date of Birth: 10/10/2009 No. Calves: 22 Sire: RUTABAGA

W D Dyfan & Carol James, COWIN herd, Dyfed

Non-Member Owner

2

55

-5.2

33

0

28

0

29

4 NEW

AMPERTAINE ELDORADO Eartag: UK 9564385/544-5 Date of Birth: 03/01/2009 No. Calves: 7 Sire: AMPERTAINE ABRACADABRA

Messrs W J & James McKay, AMPERTAINE herd, Northern Ireland

Messrs C & R Mulholland, DEERPARK herd, Northern Ireland

8

51

-7.1

40

0.1

37

0

47

5 NEW

CARGACLOUGHER IMPRESSIVE Eartag: UK 9184398/235-1 Date of Birth: 20/06/2013 No. Calves: 1 Sire: GREENWELL FIELDMASTER

Mr J McKee, CARGACLOUGHER herd, Northern Ireland

Mr J McKee, CARGACLOUGHER herd, Northern Ireland

10

47

-0.9

29

0

26

0

34

6 NEW

OVERTHWAITE DODGER Eartag: UK 103322/201083 Date of Birth: 05/10/2008 No. Calves: 10 Sire: 6272 SYMPA

Mr R S Harker, OVERTHWAITE herd, Lancashire

Non-Member Owner

10

55

-5.8

48

0

46

0

50

7 NEW

TWEEDDALE HARRIER Eartag: UK 107511/601380 Date of Birth: 31/05/2012 No. Calves: 3 Sire: NEWHOUSE CYCLONE

Mr J Watson, TWEEDDALE herd, Northumberland

J M Strother & Son, TRICKLEY herd, Northumberland

13

55

-4.7

29

0

25

0

59

8 NEW

ROUNDHILL ISOTOPE Eartag: IE 241280271485 Date of Birth: 30/09/2013 No. Calves: 16 Sire: VIVALDI

Mr Timothy Corridan, Co. Limerick, Ireland

Mr & Mrs G W Hollow, CHYTODDEN herd, Cornwall

15

50

-4.8

36

0

35

0

42

9 NEW

DYFRI DAVINCI Eartag: UK 741618/100601 Date of Birth: 18/01/2008 No. Calves: 141 Sire: 6739 SENATEUR

D G & M J Edwards & Son, DYFRI herd, Dyfed

Mrs S Andrew, HALDON herd, Devon

16

51

-6.6

35

0

35

0

39

10 NEW

AMPERTAINE DOMINO Eartag: UK 9564385/532-7 Date of Birth: 01/10/2008 No. Calves: 105 Sire: AMPERTAINE ABRACADABRA

Messrs W J & James McKay, AMPERTAINE herd, Northern Ireland

Messrs W J & James McKay, AMPERTAINE herd, Northern Ireland

16

72

-4.4

46

0.1

38

0

49

34 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

www.limousin.co.uk

TECHNICAL CORNER

Leading Young Bulls for Gestation Length The following identifies the current Top 10 Limousin Young Bulls for Gestation Length EBV according to the following criteria: •

All bulls are born since 28 February 2015 (ie are younger than 3 years of age at time of update), are live, pedigree registered and are performance recorded.

All bulls have the shortest Gestation Length EBV recorded in the March 2018 EBV Update All bulls have Calving Ease EBVs and Beef Values greater than or equal to the 2018 breed average

• •

Animals are listed by their Gestation Length breeding value in descending order (shortest to longest). Accuracy values are shown as % alongside each breeding value.

Details

Bred By

Owned By

Gest. Length (Days)

Gest Length Acc%

Beef Value

Beef Value Acc%

Calv. Ease (%)

Calv.

Ease Acc%

1

GOLDIES NIMBLE Eartag: UK 581575/301740 Date of Birth: 30/05/2017 No. Calves: 0 Sire: GOLDIES JUGGLER

Bruce T Goldie, GOLDIES herd, Dumfries and Galloway

Bruce T Goldie, GOLDIES herd, Dumfries and Galloway

-7

75

LM56

71

-0.4

62

2 NEW

GOLDIES NIVEN Eartag: UK 581575/701779 Date of Birth: 13/11/2017 No. Calves: 0 Sire: GOLDIES JUGGLER

Bruce T Goldie, GOLDIES herd, Dumfries and Galloway

Bruce T Goldie, GOLDIES herd, Dumfries and Galloway

-7

75

LM51

64

-1.2

62

3

AMPERTAINE METRIC Eartag: UK 9564385/1127-7 Date of Birth: 22/08/2016 No. Calves: 0 Sire: AMPERTAINE JAMBOREE

Messrs W J & James McKay, AMPERTAINE herd, Northern Ireland

Messrs W J & James McKay, AMPERTAINE herd, Northern Ireland

-7

76

LM36

75

0.9

63

4

GOLDIES NORTH Eartag: UK 581575/201739 Date of Birth: 30/05/2017 No. Calves: 0 Sire: GOLDIES JUGGLER

Bruce T Goldie, GOLDIES herd, Dumfries and Galloway

Bruce T Goldie, GOLDIES herd, Dumfries and Galloway

-6

75

LM48

71

0

62

5

GREENHAUGH LUSTY Eartag: UK 521765/602467 Date of Birth: 02/07/2015 No. Calves: 3 Sire: GREENSONS HOWLETT

K Stewart & Sons, GREENHAUGH herd, Aberdeenshire

K Stewart & Sons, GREENHAUGH herd, Aberdeenshire

-6

73

LM33

72

0.1

64

6

TOMSCHOICE MONTY Eartag: UK 124148/500388 Date of Birth: 08/05/2016 No. Calves: 0 Sire: KAPRICO ERAVELLE

J M & S P Cooper, TOMSCHOICE herd, North Yorkshire

Mrs D B Davies, TIERSTON herd, Dyfed

-6

76

LM43

72

-1.6

66

7 NEW

TOMSCHOICE NISSAN Eartag: UK 124148/300442 Date of Birth: 02/11/2017 No. Calves: 0 Sire: KAPRICO ERAVELLE

J M & S P Cooper, TOMSCHOICE herd, North Yorkshire

J M & S P Cooper, TOMSCHOICE herd, North Yorkshire

-6

76

LM29

64

1.7

64

8

TOMSCHOICE MIRAGE Eartag: UK 124148/700390 Date of Birth: 08/10/2016 No. Calves: 0 Sire: KAPRICO ERAVELLE

J M & S P Cooper, TOMSCHOICE herd, North Yorkshire

Non-Member Owner

-6

75

LM42

74

-0.5

64

9 NEW

GOLDIES NICHOLAS Eartag: UK 581575/401706 Date of Birth: 11/01/2017 No. Calves: 0 Sire: GOLDIES JUGGLER

Bruce T Goldie, GOLDIES herd, Dumfries and Galloway

J M & S P Cooper, TOMSCHOICE herd, North Yorkshire

-6

74

LM57

73

-1.6

61

10 NEW

WALKERS NANVIER Eartag: UK 523060/600759 Date of Birth: 05/06/2017 No. Calves: 0 Sire: ALLANFAULD GAZZA

Mr P A Walker, WALKERS herd, Aberdeenshire

Mr P A Walker, WALKERS herd, Aberdeenshire

-5

75

LM34

70

-0.3

62

To view pedigree and performance information for all registered Limousins go to www.limousin.co.uk and click on the ‘Taurus Online Herdbook’ button.

You can then search by animal, by breeder, by EBVs and by GEBVs.

www.taurusdata.co.uk

www.limousin.co.uk

BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

| 35

FEATURE

‘SPOILT FOR CHOICE’

LIMOUSINS AS THE PERFECT FIT IN LOCKERBIE COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE In this feature we see how the commercial attributes of Limousins fit the bill perfectly for first generation farmer Gary Bell in his commercial enterprise at Haas Side Farms in Lockerbie.

F

irst generation farmer Gary Bell’s breed of choice when starting his farming enterprise was Limousin, which he believes ticks all the boxes when it comes to producing top quality calves and productive cows.

Gary is first and foremost a businessman and admits the farm is his relaxation, but even though it is a hobby, he runs a tight ship at Haas Side Farms, Lockerbie, with the help of his stockman, Andy Johnstone. He has invested hugely in a state of the art steading which caters for his 165 suckler cows.

Readily admitting to learning as he goes along, Gary was convinced from the start that Limousin bulls would produce the type of calves he was going to like to sell. He said, “It is my ambition to breed top show calves, which will be bought by successful commercial show producers and I think the Limousin has the quality and style to achieve that.”

Gary Bell

36 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

www.limousin.co.uk

FEATURE

Brought up in a nonfarming family; father Jim was general manager of a dairy manufacturing plant in Scotland. Gary picked up his farming genes from his grandfather and remembers sitting on his knee as he drove a tractor at weekends.

In 1997 Jim set up Haas Tek Services Ltd, a company which relocates and installs food processing plant and machinery, while a few years

later Gary founded PPM Limited, a business which reconditions the machinery and sells it all round the world.

He said, “I spend a lot of time abroad with work, and all day in front of a computer or on my phone, so getting back to the farm at weekends always comes as light relief.”

The original purchase was Haas Side Farm on the outskirts of Lockerbie and Gary introduced 35 cows onto the

60 acres there, however the enterprise really got going three years ago when he bought the 140 acre Old Walls Farm a couple of miles away, followed by a further 100 acres from a neighbour last year.

He set about demolishing the steading at Old Walls and has constructed a purposebuilt steading complete with cattle courts, bull pens, covered silage pit and 60,000 tonnes of underground slurry storage.

Gary said, “I spent a lot of time visiting farms around the country to get ideas of what I wanted and so far the system has worked. During the week, Andy has to be able to safely work with the cattle on his own, so the handling systems and sheds are all designed for easily moving cattle around.”

He also bought more cows choosing Limousin and Belgian Blue crosses with a good bit of shape and length about them. He travelled many miles to find the right type of stock eventually buying 10 foundation in-calf heifers from Bill and Ilona Thomson at Nether Glasslaw, Aberdeenshire. He said, “I was prepared to spend a decent amount on good heifers with calves at foot to get established, with the most expensive being one from Craig Malone at £5,100, however the plan now is to breed my own replacements.”

Apart from producing quality calves, another advantage of keeping long, good shaped cows is the cast cow trade and at the time of visiting, he had taken three to Carlisle which averaged over £1,300 each, while the previous week one made £1,800.

Bull and bulling heifers

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BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

| 37

FEATURE Cows are spring calving and the aim is to have them all calving within a 12-week period from March. Despite Belgian Blue blood in many of the cows, there are few calving problems with only one caesarean section last year and Gary says that is something he particularly likes about the Limousin cross calves. He said, “They tend to be smaller at birth but are very active, they get up and suck quickly.”

He and Andy work closely with the local vet, Fiona Dalgliesh, who checks all the cows pelvises among many other things. Gary said it was important, especially when buying in heifers, to ensure health problems are kept to a minimum. He is working towards a closed herd with high health status, he also utilises the services of SAC Consulting and has Acoura Farm Assurance accreditation.

He has recently purchased three pure Limousin heifers and says that if he breeds a bull good enough to use on his herd it will be a bonus, but he is not going down

the embryo transfer route.

He firmly reckons that he is a “commercial man at heart” and that the pure cows will probably end up running with the herd.

The main stock bull at the moment is Hartlaw Indigo, bought at Stirling for 6,500gns and Gary has been delighted with his calves. He also has a Lodge Hamlet son, Pabo Mr Muscle, which cost 10,500gns at Carlisle, Elrick Jackal, Briarlea Jai and Ickle Joker make up the bull stock. The latter having been bought privately from Adam and Fional Dalgliesh. His most recent purchase was Redrock Mallard at 5,000gns from the Redrock Herd Dispersal Sale of

Steadman Dodd.

Gary said he takes EBV’s into account when buying bulls, especially ease of calving, however it is the carcase elements of length, level topline and tight bellies that he really looks for, and as he says in his own words he is “spoilt for choice” with the Limousin breed.

Producing top quality calves is Gary’s aim and they are creep fed from three to four months and sold as weaned calves in October.

Although calves are weighed regularly, the plan is to start electronically recording weights and calculating daily liveweight gains.

The system is fairly versatile

and at the time of visiting in September, Gary had just housed a batch of 60 cows and calves because it has been such a wet summer and they were making a mess and not thriving outside as much as he would have liked.

Straw is purchased from Aberdeenshire for bedding and also for feeding. This year he plans to ammonia treat the straw and mix it with homegrown silage and minerals to provide a complete diet for the cows.

Each year he draws off about 25 of the best calves with their mothers and they are destined for the Young Farmers sale at Dumfries, where he has sold to a top

It is the carcase elements of length, level topline and tight bellies that he really looks for, ..... he is “spoilt for choice” with the Limousin breed.

A typical Haas Side calf

38 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

www.limousin.co.uk

FEATURE of £3,400. While this sale regularly attracts some serious commercial show producers, it is aimed at the local young farmers’ calf competition.

Purchasers buy in October and sell in the spring, winning prizes for the most money made, the most weight gained and best in show.

Gary said, “I get a real buzz from seeing my calves go through the ring, and then checking on their progress in April. I think it is important to support young farmers because, after all, they are the farmers of the future.”

The remainder of the calves are sold at Carlisle and Lockerbie and are starting to be noticed by some of the show men by the ring.

Last year all his calves sold averaged £1,200 and he has had good feedback from some of the buyers.

Although new to the business, Gary absolutely loves his cattle and is keen to learn more and produce the best he can. He is joined in his enthusiasm by his threeyear-old daughter Gabriella,

www.limousin.co.uk

who likes nothing better than checking the cows on the gator with her dad. Gary is married to Melanie and they also have an 18 month-old daughter Melissa, together with 11 yearold Camryn, 13 year-old Lucas and 16 year-old Alyssia.

His evenings and weekends

on the farm are precious to Gary and a welcome break from the fast-paced world of business. He said, “It may sound strange, but I like nothing better than a couple of hours hosing down the handling pens and walking round my cows and calves when I have

time.”

While Gary has a lot going on in the corporate world fundamental to achieving his goals in the cattle business is his focus on Limousins. He is certain that he has the right breed for producing top quality commercial cattle.

BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

| 39

NEWS

BREEDERS’ SALES & GENERAL ROUND-UP

For full sale reports please visit www.limousin.co.uk

BIDS FLY AS 22,000GNS IRONSTONE DUMANDY LEADS LIMOUSIN HERD DISPERSAL SALE • Four animals make five figures and more

Ironstone Dumandy, 22,000gns

• 133 lots gross £371,135

A

22,000gns top call and three further five figure bids were the significant highlights of the dispersal of the Ironstone herd of pedigree Limousins on behalf of Messrs Smiths of Bloxham, Newlands Farm, Bloxham, Banbury at Newark on Saturday (19 May). The sale brought to an end some forty years of breeding Limousins for this noted herd.

Fittingly and leading the trade was one of the herd’s most famous cows, Ironstone Dumandy, a former double interbreed winner at the Royal Welsh Show and prolific winner of various major shows around the United Kingdom.

Bred from Bailea Umandy, a Requin daughter, she is by the herd’s former stock bull in the shape of Wilodge Vantastic and was sold with a Procters Commander-sired heifer calf, Ironstone Olivia, at foot. Purchasing the top lot was Robert Graham for his Grahams herd, at Airthrey Kerse, Bridge Of Allan, Stirling.

Early in the sale Mr. Graham also purchased Bailea Umelia for 7,000gns. This 2003-born cow, bred by MT Jones, Sennybrdige, is another sired

by Requin and is out of Bailea Melia, an Imposant daughter.

She was sold as having run with the herd’s stock bull Ballinloan Jericho.

Speaking after the sale Mr Graham commented on his purchases: “These animals are top bloodlines that don’t often come available. I very much

hope that they will add to the quality of Limousin genetics in the Grahams herd. Both are cows with a proven record and are really good breeders.”

Selling at 18,000gns was one of the herd’s current stock bulls, Ballinloan Jericho, a 2014-born son of Ampertaine Foreman out of Ballinloan Beauty, an Anside Struss daughter. This bull which featured in breeding throughout the catalogue was bought by Kedzlie Farm, Blainsie, Lauderdale for their Swalesmoor herd.

Breeders were picking out the bloodlines on offer and making 17,000gns was Ironstone Lavender, a 2015born heifer by Wilodge Vantastic and out of the aforementioned Bailea Umelia.

Sold PD’d in calf to Ballinloan Jericho this heifer was purchased by Messrs Jenkinson for their Whinfellpark herd at Clifton Moor, Clifton, Penrith, Cumbria. Mr Jenkinson also paid 14,000gns for Ironstone Laura, a full ET sister to the sale topper Ironstone Dumandy.

Another that is 2015-born Ironstone Laura sold with her January 2018 bull calf at foot

by Ballinloan Jericho, Ironstone Otis.

Ballinloan Jerricho, 18,000gns

Ironstone Lavender, 17,000gns

Averages: 47 cows and calves £3,323.48 33 maiden heifers £1,784.47 5 in-calf heifers £1,323.00 17 yearling bulls £980.41 19 cows £3,691.58 12 stock bulls £5,218.54 (Newark Livestock Sales)

40 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

www.limousin.co.uk

NEWS

26,000GNS GRAHAMS NIKITA LEADS DEMAND FOR LIMOUSIN FEMALES AT CARLISLE • 76 lots sell to a clearance rate of 92% • 10 animals make 5,000gns and more Grahams Nikita 26,000gns

T

Foxhillfarm Natalie 9,000gns

he ongoing robust demand for pedigree Limousin females was in full view at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s spring female sale at Borderway Mart on the early evening of Friday 4th May. A sale ring packed to the rafters saw 14 served heifers average £3,307.50, 59 maiden heifers average £3,691.02 and an overall sale average of £3,628.80. An impressive clearance rate saw 92% of all animals sold; they are heading to a combination of both pedigree and commercial buyers looking to invest in quality genetics Taking the high spot on the day at 26,000gns was the classy March 2017 born maiden heifer Grahams Nikita from Robert and Jean Graham, Bridge of Allan, Stirling. By the Wilodge Vantastic sired Claragh Franco and out of Grahams Coffee, Nikita is full sister to 40,000gns Grahams Lorenzo, 32,000gns Grahams Lilly, 38,000gns Grahams Natalie, 20,000gns Grahams Nashville and 16,500gns Grahams Lizzie. The super stylish and correct heifer was knocked down to R & A White and Son, Two Thorns Fields, Hope Valley for their Ladybowers herd. Nikita has been entered into the Royal Highland, Royal Welsh and Great Yorkshire Shows where she will be shown by the Grahams team before making her way to her new home.

Speaking after the sale, a delighted Robert Graham said “I am very happy with the outcome of today’s sale; Nikita is a fabulous, correct heifer with super breeding behind her. She will without doubt be a great addition to her new owners herd”.

The Graham family, which runs well-known dairy processing business Graham’s The Family Dairy, also achieved 5,500gns when they sold the rising 20-month-old heifer Grahams Marigold.

By Kilcor Iceman, and out of Grahams Eureka, she sold to an undisclosed buyer.

The Foxhillfarm stable of Mike and Melanie Alford, Cullompton, Devon brought a super cohort of Trueman Jagger daughters to Carlisle and took the run of the leading prices following Grahams

Nikita. Leading their trade, and taking the second highest price on the day at 9,000gns, was Foxhillfarm Natalie. May 2017 born Natalie is out of Foxhillfarm Isla who was a member of the Interbreed Group successful at the Royal Highland Show in 2015.

Natalie is full sister to Foxhillfarm Naomi, Reserve Junior Female Champion at last year’s Stars of the Future fixture. Taking her home, with 12 other purchases for his Dutch Limousin Company, Cowporation BV, was Mr Teus Dekker.

At 8,000gns came Foxhillfarm Nancy, a January 2017 born heifer out of Bankdale Elizabeth, a cow with a fantastic breeding reputation. Nancy is full sister to Foxhillfarm Madonna, Senior Heifer Champion and Reserve Senior Overall Champion at Stars of the Future last year and a member of the Foxillfarm show team for 2018. She was knocked down to M & JC Gould, Grange Farm, Shrewsbury. Another Isla daughter, Foxhillfarm Nicola made the same money. The May 2017 heifer is full sister to Foxhillfarm Naomi, Reserve Junior Female Champion at Stars of the Future at just seven months of age last year and also destined for the 2018 show team. She was another purchase for Mr Decker.

Making 7,000gns was the Bankdale Alice daughter Foxhillfarm Nextmillion. The rising 12-month old was knocked down to Helen Wilson, Bankdale Farm, Carlisle. Selling at the same price was the next lot in the ring, this time in the shape of Foxhillfarm Nellie. The May 2017 born heifer, the same way bred as 9,000gns Foxhillfarm Natalie, is another heading to The Netherlands with Mr Dekker.

Averages 1 Cow 14 Served Heifers 59 Maiden Heifers

£2,310.00 £3,307.50 £3,391.02

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BREEDERS’ SALES & GENERAL ROUND-UP

NEWS

8,000GNS HALTCLIFFE MARIA LEADS AT MAJOR REDUCTION SALE

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he major reduction sale from the Haltcliffe Limousin herd of Craig Ridley, Wigton, Cumbria on Friday 26th January didn’t disappoint the crowd who packed into Borderway Mart, Carlisle.

Heading up the sale at 8,000gns was the first in-calf heifer to come into the ring, a very smart lot from the Romany family in the shape of Haltcliffe Maria. Born January 2016 she is by Haltcliffe Hitec out of one of the herd’s top cows, the Sympa daughter Haltcliffe Bianca. Maria is in-calf to the prize winning bull Grahams Michael who Craig purchased from R & J Graham, Stirling, in a two way split with E W Quick & Sons at Carlisle in October last year for 20,000gns. Making the successful bid was Richard Bartle, Hereford. The deal will see the classy heifer shared between the Absolute Herd he runs in conjunction with Mary Cormack, and the Dinmore Herd of Paul Dawes.

Commenting on his purchase Richard said “I like the bloodline of this heifer very much. She came into the ring with a great outlook, stylish, long and clean, just our type of animal” he went onto say “She was the only beast in the sale PD’d in calf to Grahams Michael, a bull I particularly like, so I had to be sure I was taking her home” Demonstrating the quality of the females in the sale, and the robust demand buyers are continuing to show for the breed, a third of all females finding new homes fetched 4,000gns or more. Following on two lots fetched 6,500gns. First to sell at this price, to an undisclosed buyer, was a tidy cow and calf outfit, the Sympa daughter Haltcliffe Gina and her eight month old heifer calf by Ballyrobin Joop, Haltcliffe Nellie. Later in the sale was the January 2016 born in-calf heifer Haltcliffe Mel, knocked down to K & S Williamson for their Blackwater Herd in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Mel, whose dam Haltcliffe Fate is a very muscly Haltcliffe Vermount daughter, is PD’d in calf to Ampertaine Elgin.

Averages 31 cows & heifers served and/or suckling 26 served heifers 22 maiden heifers

Haltcliffe Maria, 8,000gns

Haltcliffe Gina, 6,500gns

£4,223.71 £3,497.31 £2,920.91

4,600GNS THORNTONTOWER MONTY TO THE FORE AT HEXHAM

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4,600gns Thorntontower Monty

exham and Northern Marts held their third Annual Limousin Bull and Female Show and Sale on behalf of the North Eastern Limousin Breeders Club on Wednesday 16th May. A much larger entry of bulls this year still met with solid demand, 21 bulls (4 more than last year) sold to an average of £3,350.

Topping the sale at 4,600gns was Thorntontower Monty, a two year old son of Lodge Hydro from J S Gibson and Son, Newbrough, Hexham. Making the winning bid was Messrs D A and M A Teasdale, Grindon Hill, Haydon Bridge. Two bulls hit the 4,000gns mark. First up came Cornsay Marquis from Messrs W I Suddes and Sons, Cornsay Village, County Durham.

Second placed in his class in the pre-sale show, Judged by Mr Ian Sedgewick of the Gallaber herd, Lancashire, Marquis is a

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BREEDERS’ SALES & GENERAL ROUND-UP

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3,800gns Reserve Champion Naby Mirauder

November 2016 born Goldies Comet son out of Cornsay Audrey.

He was purchased by W and P F Walton, Penpeugh, Bardon Mill. Goldies Nestor, from Bruce and Jim Goldie, Mouswald, Dumfries and Galloway, made the same price. This January 2017 born bull is by Ampertaine Foreman out of Goldies Fragrance. Messrs W Rutherford & Sons, East Mill Hills, Haydon Bridge were the successful bidders.

The Male Reserve Champion Naby Mirauder came next at 3,800gns. From Messrs J W Dent and Sons, Barnard Castle, County Durham, Mirauder is by Naby Jaguar and out of Naby Farah. He made his way home with J Dixon and Sons, Stainton Manor, Richmond.

7,800GNS ESMORS BLACK MINNOW TOPS AT WELSHPOOL • 29 bulls average £4,225.34 (up by £264) • Clearance rate of 90%

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opping the sale at the North West Midlands & North Wales Limousin Club spring show and sale at Welshpool mart on Thursday 17th May at 7,800gns was Esmors Black Minnow from D E Evans, Mold, Flintshire.

The September 2016 born black-coated natural calf, a twin to another male, is by Knock Glencoe, Male Champion at the Royal Welsh Show back in 2013 and out of Knock Fanfare. Black Minnow, a class winner in the pre-sale show judged by Mr G Roberts of the Myfyrian herd, Gaerwen, Anglesey, was bought by M Sailsbury, Ashers farm, Hayfield, Highpeak.

Next best at 6,200gns was the Supreme Champion in the shape of Dyfri Morgan from D G & M J Edwards, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire. By the well-known Fenomen and out of the Wilodge Cerberus daughter Dyfir Hermine the July 2016 born bull was knocked down to Red House Farm, Newton, Powys.

Not far behind at 5,600gns was the Reserve Supreme Champion Pabo Maximus from W P Hughes & Sons, Rhosgoch, Anglesey. Also born July 2016, Maximus is by Foxhillfarm Impecabull and out of Pabo Greta. Impecabull was Overall Champion at Carlisle in May 2014 and has a strong breeding line, being a Vantastic son, out of the 15,000gns Bankdale Alice. Maximus was purchased

by A Rees & Sons, Llanfair, Welshpool.

At 5,400gns came a class winner, and last bull in the ring, Underwood Navigator from I & W Jones, Builth Wells, Powys. The youngest bull in the sale, Navigator was born March 2017 and is

by Ballinloan Jaegerbomb and out of Underwood Ebony. He was purchased by A & A Williams, Corwen, Averages 29 bulls 1 heifer with calf at foot 6 maiden heifers

www.limousin.co.uk

Dyfri Morgan, 6,200gns

Pabo Maximus, 5,600gns

£4,225.34 £2,625.00 £1,592.50

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GARROWBY SIBLINGS SHINE AT NORTHERN LIMOUSIN EXTRAVAGANZA

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brother and sister from Garrowby Farms, which forms part of the Garrowby Estate at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds east of York, secured a pedigree championship double for breeder Clive Rowland at the 2018 Northern Limousin Extravaganza (NLE), the opening day of Skipton Auction Mart’s annual two-day breed showcase on Tuesday 8th May. The young, up-and-coming duo, born within two days of each other in March last year and the only two entries from Garrowby Farms, were both by the Irish AI bull, Lynderg Hero.

The heifer, Garrowby Nymph, out of the Plumtree Fantastic daughter, Gunnerfleet Ilocks, bred by the Handley family in North Craven, first won her class, before progressing to first become Female Champion, Pedigree Champion and then Overall Supreme Champion. She really caught the eye of show judge Andrew Ewing, who runs the Fairywater pedigree Limousin herd in Dumfriesshire, and noted: “She was an easy winner. In fact, she could have won any show in the UK with her lovely temperament showing all the qualities of the Limousin with style.”

The Garrowby Farms herd was established almost two decades ago and the Supreme Champion’s full brother, Garrowby Ninja, first won his show class, before clinching the pedigree Male Championship.

Mr Rowland said his two frontrunners – they also came together to land the pedigree pairs show class - might well be paraded on the show circuit this summer, with the heifer then likely to be used for breeding later in the year and the bull put to work on Blue-cross cows.

The judge nominated his Commercial Champion, a January, 2017, Limousin-sired heifer from Gordon and Julie Sedgewick, of Ricknall Grange, Aycliffe, near Darlington, as his NLE Overall Reserve Champion. The home-bred Luna, by Confluence Fadell, a 4,500gns acquisition by the Sedgewicks, out of a British Blue-cross-Limousin cow, had already shone in the show arena as a ‘baby,’ winning her show class at Peterborough last year and finishing runner-up to the champion at Agri Expo. The Sedgewicks currently run 80 commercial cows, which are all put to Limousin bulls.

“The Reserve Supreme Luna, had all meat in the right place for today’s market - just what retail butchers are looking for,” said Mr Ewing The Reserve Commercial Championship was awarded to the first prize July-born Limousin-sired heifer from Rachel Mudd and Craig Bentley, who run a dairy herd at The Gables, Kepwick, near Thirsk. Their first-time shown Imogen, expertly handled by their ten-year-old son Matthew, who was also among the prizes last year, is a daughter of Lodge Hamlet, acquired as a calf from Northumberland breeders, Malcolm Telfer and Helen Claxton, out of a pure British Blue cow.

The annual show-only fixture attracted a 74 head entry and offered £1,500 in prize money. It was again supported by the North East Limousin Breeders Club, who presented a new silver salver to the Supreme Champion, with multiple sponsors, including the NFU branch in Skipton, also offering support.

Garrowby Nymph

Luna

Imogen

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8,500GNS GUNNERFLEET NEPTUNE ON ANOTHER PLANET SETTING CENTRE RECORD AT SKIPTON LIMOUSIN ANNUAL HIGHLIGHT

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unnerfleet Neptune from the celebrated North Craven Gunnerfleet pedigree Limousin herd of father and son, Jim and Ian Handley, secured the top price of 8,500gns at Skipton Auction Mart’s premier breed highlight of the year, the annual spring show and sale of pedigree bulls and females on Wednesday 9th May 2018.

In the process, the January, 2017 Neptune proved to be on a different planet when setting a new centre record high price for a pedigree animal. And it was not hard to see why, as the junior bull arrived with impeccable breeding credentials, being a naturally born calf by the Wilodge Vantastic son, Plumtree Fantastic. The sire, a 40,000gns acquisition by the Handley’s five or so years ago from Nottinghamshire breeder Paul Cairns, has truly lived up to his name. Fantastic sons have sold to 35,000gns, while one of his daughters produced Gunnerfleet Mongo who realised 30,000gns at Carlisle in February this year.

Neptune, winner of his show class and later Junior Male Champion, is out of the Tango-bred Gunnerfleet Fullrose. A full brother also sold in 2014 for 8,000gns, a price surpassed by the 8,500gns Neptune, who was claimed by specialist beef producers, Calderdale farming twins David and Stephen Hollings, of Spinkshill Farm, Pecket Well, Hebden Bridge.

“We waited for Neptune and were determined to have him,” said David, who has been farming with his twin brother Stephen, who is just 20 minutes older, for almost four decades. Neptune was specifically bought as a replacement for an older stock bull and will be put to work on the family’s Limousin-cross-British Blue commercial herd, with a view to improving their 12-monthold stores and hopefully producing some more prize winners in the show arena.

The Craven Limousin Day showcase attracted a record 119-strong entry, comprising 73 bulls and 46 females, it proved to be one of the best sales to date. There was a total clearance of intermediate bulls ranging in price from 2,700gns to 5,000gns.

Senior bulls reflected the same demand from buyers for strong

Gunnerfleet Neptune, 8,500gns

bulls ready for work, with a price range of 2,300gns to 5,000gns and just one failing to find a new home. With four junior bull classes, a large contingent of 25 cattle buyers enjoyed plenty of choice and the section returned an 85% clearance rate, with prices ranging from 1,500gns to the record setting 8,500gns.

Heading up the female section on price at 4,200gns was the Reserve Champion from James and Sarah Cooper’s Tomschoice herd at Hill Top Farm, Dacre, Harrogate. Their eight-year-old Tomschoice Fiesta, by the Priestley family-bred bull, Brontemoor Aceofspades, used to great effect before being sold to the Swale herd near Thirsk, is out of Tomschoice Allegro.

Averages 4 Senior bulls 19 Intermediate bulls 22 Junior bulls 27 maiden heifers 4 cows in-calf or with cows at foot Auctioneers: CCM Auctions

£3,648 £3,686 £2,803 £1,666 £2,887

HOLSWORTHY SALE SEES KILLERTON MELLOW LEAD AT 3,400GNS • Five bulls average £3,087

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imousin bulls met with a steady trade at the South West Limousin Club Spring Show and Sale held at Holsworthy Market on Wednesday 25 April. In all five bulls sold to an average of £3,087.

The days top price was 3,400gns for Killerton Mellow from Mr and Mrs PW and SM Greed, Columbjohn Farm Ltd, Rewe, Exeter, Devon. This November 2016 born bull is by Goldies Jeff and is out of Killerton Gellen. Paying the top price was PL Heard, Oakhampton, Devon.

At 3,100gns came Loosebeare Mrbump from Messrs EW Quick and Sons, Credition, Devon. Sired by the Sympa son Aghadolgan Emperor, who sired the Champion at last years fixture, and is out of Loosebeare Canna. He was knocked down to DJ Ward, Winkleigh, Devon.

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Killerton Mellow, 3,400gns

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BREEDERS’ SALES & GENERAL ROUND-UP

7,000GNS TRUEMAN MIRANDA LEADS 92% CLEARANCE OF LIMOUSIN FEMALES AT CARLISLE • 56 females sell to gross £107,257

Trueman Miranda, 7,000gns

• Clearance rate of 92%

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he rising two year old Trueman Miranda from Henry Savage & Sons, Altnamackin, Newry, Co Down, sold for 7,000gns top price at the sale of Limousin females held on Friday 16th February at Carlisle’s Borderway Mart and preceding the sale of bulls the following day.

An embryo calf born in May 2016 Trueman Miranda carried a depth of pedigree being by the 140,000gns Limousin world record holder Trueman Jagger and out of Trueman Honey.

Trueman Honey was herself the Reserve Female Champion at the 2014 RUAS Balmoral Show and is a full sister to Trueman Euphonium who won the British Limousin Cattle Society’s 40th Anniversary National Show in 2011. Purchasing the top price was M&JC Gould for their establishing Woodmarsh herd at Grange Farm, Bomere Heath, Shrewsbury.

LIMOUSIN CROSS HEIFER SETS NEW CENTRE RECORD OF £8,000 AT CARLISLE SPRING SALE

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Heifer Champion at Carlisle

t was a record smashing day at the annual Spring Show and Sale of continental cross steers and heifers at Borderway Mart, Carlisle on 21st March with a new centre record of £8,000 achieved. Setting the record was a stylish black Limousin cross heifer from John and Mandy Smith-Jackson of Hightown, Haltwhistle. Judge Mark Harryman had selected the heifer as his Supreme Champion in the pre-sale show. The 11 month old is sired by the home-bred Limousin bull, Hightown Jacko and is out of an ex-show herd cow. This eye catching heifer was purchased over the phone by Mr Mike Scott of Besthorpe.

The Reserve Champion, at £4,500 was the winning baby beef heifer shown by Kilnstown Farm, Roweltown. This time by Glangwden Downtown it sold to Mike Kirby, Holsworthy, Devon.

£8,000 LIMOUSIN HEIFER SETS RECORD AT LEYBURN

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classy black coated Limousin heifer from Garrowby Estate Farm, York, set a new record price of £8,000 at the Leyburn Spring Spectacular for show potential cattle held on Saturday 10th March. Judge Donald Morrison of Sutherland was the successful bidder for the 10 month old heifer, who is by Gunnerfleet Hicks and out of a Glenrock Ventura cross cow. He had tapped her out as his Supreme Champion in the pre-show sale earlier in the day.

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LIMOUSIN SETS £6,000 CENTRE RECORD AT KIRKBY STEPHEN

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he Overall Champion, an eight month old Limousin cross heifer by Plumtree Fantastic consigned by D&CE Marston, Easegill Head, Kirkby Stephen, sold for £6,000 to set a new centre record at Kirkby Stephen in March. The purchasers were Christine Williams and Paul Tippets, Shifnal. In all 671 store and potential show cattle were forward with averages for both steers and heifers reaching over £1,000.

£8,000 LIMOUSIN CALF A RECORD BREAKER AT DUNGANNON

Dungannon heifer

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n February the NBA’s Northern Ireland Beef Expo played host to the Stars of the Future Calf Show and Sale. A very smart 10-month old Limousin cross heifer from Alan Veitch, Lisbellaw, Fermanagh stormed to a superb price £8,000, a record price for any crossbred animal of any breed sold in Northern Ireland. By the well-known sire Lodge Hamlet the heifer is the first calf to be sold out of the record priced 2012 Welsh Winter Fare £8,200 heifer calf from Brian Jones, Bailea, Sennybridge.

EIGHT MONTH OLD LIMOUSIN HEIFER ‘MEGHAN MARKLE’ TOPS BRECON POTENTIALS AT £6,700

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he 10th Anniversary of the Brecon Show Potentials Sale held with McCartneys on Saturday 9 February saw an eight month old Limousin cross heifer from locals Dai Brute and family, Gwndwnwal, Talyllyn, top the trade at a £6,700 when going under the hammer to J M & S M Rowlands, Dolwen Farm, Llanidloes.

This year’s Judge, winner of last year’s Royal Welsh Winter Fair, Mr Phil Price, Hay on Wye, had earlier in the day placed the smart heifer, by Cwmlimo Hercules out of a Limousin cross dam as his Overall Champion in the pre-sale show.

Having stood as Reserve Heifer to Dai’s winning beast, Reserve Overall Champion was the August 2017 born Little Mix, from R W and L A Jones, Lower Argoed Farm, Erwood, Builth Wells.

This classy youngster is by Emslies Galileo and out of a British

Blue dam. She was knocked down for £4,700 to S and A May, Sheltwood Farm, Bromsgrove.

The Champion Steer again featured Limousin genetics this time in the shape of Tyisaf Nailer from P J and T A Jones, Tyisaf, Erwood, Builth Wells. By the Ampertaine Elgin son Sheehills Jet and out of Richland Bubbles, Mike Rowlands also secured this smart lot with the hammer going down at £3,400.

The Brute family had more success on the day, taking the Reserve Steer Championship with a May 2017 born Limousin cross. This stylish steer sold at £3,200 to C J Harris, Little Lambert, Torrington. The family achieved another solid price for a Limousin cross heifer of the same age, making £3,400 when selling to M Wynne, Hall Farm House, Matlock.

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BREEDERS’ SALES & GENERAL ROUND-UP

NEWTON OF LOGIRERAIT LEAD ROYAL NORTHERN AT £7,800 Commercial Heifer Champion

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t was another cracking day for John and Craig Robertson, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry who won the show of exhibition cattle at Aberdeen & Northern Marts Royal Northern Spring Show in February for the second consecutive year and for the sixth time since 2010. To boot they went on to secure the four highest prices in the sale! The Champion and top price of £7,800 was a 376kg 11-month-old homebred

Commercial Steer Champion

daughter of Powerhouse Harlequin and out of a Limousin cross cow by Cloughhead Rattle. She was purchased by well-known Sutherland showman Donald Morrison, Kinlochbervie. The judge, Mark Harryman, Pickering said: “The Champion is a lovely sweet heifer. She’s not too big and has the potential to go on and do well at the summer shows”.

BRUTUS LIMOUSIN SUCCESS AT RUTHIN Brutus Top Man, £2,800

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he annual show and sale of Show Potential Cattle on behalf of the North Wales Potentials was held on Saturday 24 February 2018 at Ruthin Mart. The event has a reputation of producing regular winners of shows around the UK during the year and with this in mind the sale attracted a strong crowd of perspective buyers from the length and breadth of the country. The day turned out well for Dai Brute, who runs the Brutus Limousin herd in Brecon, as he was amongst the prizes.

His nine-month old Limousin Brutus Top Man was tapped out as Champion Steer and then Overall Reserve Champion. By Brutus Cracker, Top Man sold to the Judge Aled Roberts for £2,800.

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Brutus Naughty But Nice, £3,100

The Judges settled on a nine-month old Limousin cross heifer, Brutus Naughty But Nice, a Cwmlimo Hercules daughter from Dai as their winning Limousin sired heifer and Reserve Heifer Champion. The smart heifer, went onto make £3,100 in the post-show sale in selling to Blair Dufton, Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

A stylish Limousin heifer, Jets Little Gem, from P J & T A Jones who run the Tyisaf herd in Builth Wells took the honours in the Future Showman Heifer class. This four-month old heifer then went onto make £3,250 in the sale selling to Phil & Sharon Sellers, Lincolnshire for the second highest price on the day.

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PITCAIRN LIMOUSIN CROSS HEIFER WITH CALF AT FOOT MAKES £5,200

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raig Malone and his wife Katreen of Pitcairn Farm, Cardenden, Lochgelly, enjoyed a fantastic day’s trading when they clinched the Commercial Champion and Reserve Champion titles with Limousin bred animals at Thainstone Centre’s annual show and sale of commercial beef breeding cattle on 1 May 2018.

The event saw 280 adult entries of cross heifers with their spring born calves at foot. Picking up the Championship prizes, from the judges Brian and David Barclay, Tullo of Garvock, were Limousin cross heifers with calves. It was his Limousin sired heifer with male calf at foot which took the Championship honours, later selling for £3,100 to the judges. Mr Malone’s heifer with female calf at foot took the Reserve spot. This pair went onto make the top price of the day, a super £5,200 when selling to G Cameron, Argyll. *STOP PRESS: PITCAIRN SETS £7,100 RECORD AT STIRLING At the time of going to press Craig and Katreen Malone sold a Limousin heifer with a Limousin cross heifer calf at foot, by Ronick Jojo, for £7,100 at a sale of commercial beef breeding cattle at Caledonian Mart, Stirling. The figure is a centre record and is being claimed as a UK record for beef breeding cattle. The couple also sold the second top price for a similar outfit for £6,400. Purchasing both animals was Gordon Cameron, Acharacle, Argyll.

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Thainstone Reserve Champion, Limousin cross and female calf, £5,200

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YOUNG LIMOUSIN

Check out the YLBC Facebook page or www.limousin.co.uk for reports and future events. YOUNG LIMOUSIN BREEDERS http://www.facebook.com/groups/311318061854 CURRENT YLBC OFFICIALS Chairman

Stephanie Dick, Mains of Throsk, Stirling

Vice Chairman

Tom Illingworth, Howgillside, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie

Sponsorship Co-ordinator

John Graham, Mains of Burnbank, Stirling

Hon President

Mrs Kay Adam, Newhouse of Glamis, Angus

YLBC Co-ordinator

Natalie Cormack - ylbc@limousin.co.uk

YLBC MEMBERSHIP OPENS THE DOOR TO SUPERB OPPORTUNITIES

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f you are between the ages of 12 and 28 and are not a member of the Young Limousin Breeders Club yet…. why not?

Membership, just £10 each year, offers some great opportunities for learning and development while having fun at the same time.

With a range of events and activities held during the year there is bound to be something for everyone.

Around 20 club members have just returned from the Balmoral Show on the annual club trip, which took in visiting a couple of herds. A similar number have recently participated in the National Stockjudging Competition at the Bath and West Show.

One of the highlights for club members is the chance to win the BLCS Bursary funded trip to Western Canada. Andrew Adam’s account of his trip in November 2017 was published in the winter edition of the Limousin Magazine. Amy Lindsay, who was announced as the 2017 winner of the Bursary prize will complete her trip later this year. Both Andrew and Amy received this

YLBC Syllabus

fantastic opportunity because they participated, and scored highly, in the most YLBC events over the course of a year. Membership means you too could have a go at winning a Bursary award, Andrew will tell you it really is a once in a lifetime experience!

There are active Young Limousin breeders from all regions of the United

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Kingdom. Under the national structure of the YLBC and its office bearers, events are organised at national and local level with the assistance of the British Limousin Cattle Society and its nine associated regional clubs.

Under the heading of ‘Today’s Youth – Tomorrow’s Breeders’ the YLBC is the foundation around which the

UK’s number one beef breed will continue to develop. So if you want to get involved, or know someone who does then please download the YLBC Membership Form from http://limousin.co.uk/ the-society/young-breeders/ ylbc-membership/, email natalie.cormack@btconnect. com or contact the BLCS office on 02476 696500.

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YOUNG LIMOUSIN

YOUNG LIMOUSIN BREEDERS SHINE AT CARLISLE AGAIN

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nce again members of the Young Limousin Breeders Club have had the chance to shadow the judge at the show preceding the bull sales at Borderway Mart, Carlisle in February and May. The participants in February, Adam McGiookin, Isla Soutter, Isy Mackley and Darryl Geary all gained superb experience from the judge, Mr Colin Phillips of the Powerhouse Herd, Herefordshire. In May it fell to judge Mr Dougie McBeath of the Springsett herd, Stirling, to lead the way for Rachel Graham, Emma Rathbone, Iona Smith, Kyle Cruickshank and brother and sister team Phillipa and Stephen DaleSunley.

On both occasions the young breeders, were in the ring observing the process during the course of the Limousin classes and Championships. The groups were able to interact with the judge, exhibitors and stewards in front of a large crowd of spectators, daunting for even the experienced stockman.

Both judges provided a first-rate display of judging, giving the groups valuable experience in individual inspection and short list selection. These crucial skills take time to learn and opportunities to be in the ring are few and far between, especially on the scale of a premier Limousin pre-sale show.

All the young breeders put on a great show of concentration throughout what is always a long day of judging. Hats off to them all for their focus during the events, they did themselves and the Society proud with their performances in the ring.

www.limousin.co.uk

YLBC Members & Colin Phillips

A thank you is extended to Mr Phillips and Mr McBeath for their efforts in engaging the young members, explaining their decisions for all the classes and after making their Championship selections.

Also, gratitude is extended to Neil Lloyd and YLBC Honorary President James Callion for their mentoring at the events.

A number of YLBC members have had the chance to shadow judge at Carlisle over the last 12 months or so. It has been a great opportunity for them to learn the mechanics of judging a large line-up of classes efficiently, and to participate in the whole judging process. There will be more opportunities in the future, so please let us know if you would like to participate in this tremendous activity.

YLBC Members & Dougie McBeath

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YOUNG LIMOUSIN

YOUNG LIMOUSIN BREEDERS LEARN THEIR CRAFT AT WORKSHOP IN NORTHERN IRELAND

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.I. Young Limousin Breeders from all over the province attended a training workshop on Saturday 7 April at the home of Michael McKeefry and family of the Eniver Herd, Garvagh.

The afternoon kicked off with a masterclass in hoof trimming

by Leslie Hood. With all his equipment to hand, Leslie undertook a practical demonstration of this skill on a Limousin cow and answered lots of questions on this very important aspect of animal welfare.

The young breeders were then given the opportunity to handle and lead an animal, as they would be required to do in the show ring. Thanks to Kile Diamond for his help and advice because for some this was their first time getting this kind of hands-on experience. The advice they received on how to hold the nose rope, halter and show stick will no doubt prove to be invaluable.

This workshop was also an opportunity for the young Limousin breeders to show their stockjudging skills. Selection for the team to represent Northern Ireland at the National Stockjudging competition at the Royal Bath and West Show, Somerset on Thursday 31 May 2018 was up for grabs. With five places available, it was a competitive day. The young breeders were asked to judge a class of four bulls and four females. They had to prepare a concise description of the female class and explain their reasons for their placing selections by describing and comparing them.

Each young breeder presented their reasons to the Master Judge, Cahir McAuley, Chairman of the N.I. Limousin Cattle Club.

They were marked on their placing of the two classes, accuracy of statement, fluency, manner and appearance.

Cahir congratulated all the participants on the extremely high standard they had achieved and with great anticipation

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announced the team. Representing N.I. on the Senior Team will be Phillip Williamson, Ballymoney and William Donaghy, Rasharkin. The Junior Team will be made up of Serena Murphy, Newry and Andrew Hamill, Dunmurry. Representing N.I in the individual competition will be Thomas Callion, Dromore. Hats off to these super young Limousin breeders, all Northern Irish eyes will be on them at the Bath and West Show.

Special thanks are extended to the McKeefry family for hosting this event, Briege Diamond and her fantastic assistants for the slick organisation and to McAtamneys butchers for the delicious burgers and sausages enjoyed by all.

NI team for National Stockjudging

www.limousin.co.uk

YOUNG LIMOUSIN

YLBC MEMBERS ON FIRE

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oung Limousin Breeders Club members have been celebrating their successes at some of this year’s early spring shows and sales.

In March, YLBC Chair Stephanie Dick, Mains of Throsk, was in triumphant mood when she took the Championship spot at the Clyde and Central Young Farmers Open Spring Show at Caledonian Marts Ltd with her Limousin cross heifer Little Mojito. Stephanie purchased the smart 11 month old, who is out of a Limousin cross cow, at Oban Mart back in December for just £780. In the post-show sale she went onto sell for a fantastic £4,500 to Keith Commercials, Heads of Auchinderran, Keith.

In the same month, at the Young Farmers Overwintering Show at Thainstone, Kyle Cruickshank, Clury Farm, Grantown on Spey took first place in the haltered purchased intermediate class. Now in its 26th year, the annual 2-day event provides young farmers with hands-on practice in the art of stockmanship. The Calludrum Cup was introduced to the competition in 2017 to emphasise the commercial aspects of livestock production and is awarded to the exhibitor with the highest feeders margin, daily live weight gain and best presented, paraded and quality animal. Kyle claimed the top position in both the novice and junior section with his 11-month old steer that went onto sell for £1,560 to Backmuir Trading, Keith.

Then it was Robbie Willis’s turn for the limelight when his Limousin cross heifer was tapped out as Champion by Judge, Gordon McConachie, Culfoich, Grantown on Spey, at the Overwintering Competition held at Lawrie and Symington’s Forfar mart. Bred at Osborne Farms, Balmadies, Forfar, and bought in November for £1,030, the 530kg heifer was knocked down to David Peters, West Bog, Kirriemuir at a sale topping £1,470. James Adam from Newhouse of Glamis, Glamis, Forfar, picked up the reserve ticket with a bullock bought in November from the Houstons at Glenkilrie for £950.

Into April and it fell to David Moir of Cairness Home Farm to continue the winning form. He secured the Championship in the overwintered competition at United Auctions Huntley mart. His Champion, picked out by Judge David Sandham, was a 390kg bullock which he later sold at a sale high of £2,500.

www.limousin.co.uk

Little Mojito £4,500

Robbie Willis Limousin cross heifer

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YOUNG LIMOUSIN

LIMOUSIN YOUNG BREEDERS AT THE FORE IN 2018 BALMORAL YOUNG HANDLERS CONTEST

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Winning young handlers, Judges and Stewards

he final day of the 150th Anniversary Balmoral Show saw the beef Young Handlers Contest take place.

Judges Carlene Mackey and Hazel McNee had the hard task of judging the young breeders on

Kile Diamond, Young Handler Champion

their handling skills. The competition, which is split into two sections, junior and senior, saw a great turnout of participants who all delivered a fantastic show of stockmanship ability and potential for the future. As usual the competition was

very stiff, but in a fantastic turn of events all the top placed young handlers showed Limousins.

The junior class winner was Kile Diamond with Andrew Hamill placed in second place. Taking the senior honours was Jack O’Brien,

with James McComb in second place. Well known on the stockjudging circuit Kile, from the Pointhouse Limousin herd, Garvagh, Co Derry, went onto be selected as the Overall Champion Young Handler.

YLBC TRIP TO BALMORAL SHOW

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f you are young and interested in Limousins, then you definitely should join the Young Limousin Breeders Club, where you will get the chance to enjoy trips like the one the club just took to Balmoral Show. What a great time we had, not only making great friends but seeing some fantastic cattle as well.

A total of 20 young breeders flew over from Scotland, England and Wales to Balmoral Show on Wednesday 16th May. Meeting and greeting everyone at the airport we headed to the show where the first order of the day was to watch some tremendous Limousin cattle being shown in the ring. Whilst these kinds of trips have a strong social element, they are also an opportunity for learning.

Club Chairperson Stephanie Dick says “I think it’s vital for club members to network at these kinds of events, meet breeders, other members and build relationships that can be beneficial for years to come. It was great to see everyone on the trip bond so quickly and the members really were a credit to the Limousin society. We explored the show on the Wednesday afternoon before having a few beverages and everyone got to know each other a little better! The Irish hospitality was second to none and we were all very grateful

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for the warm welcome” Thursday morning saw the group back at the show and watching the intense commercial judging, where it was great to see a Limousin sired heifer from Dermott Small being tapped out Champion. On Thursday evening we went into Belfast and went on a beer bike. We got a tour of the city whilst stopping at a few pubs along the way.

The highlight of the trip for most members was on Friday morning.

James McKay, of the renowned Ampertaine herd, opened up his farm for us to visit. We were blown away by the quality of his cattle, they are a credit to him! We all went home with some top tips onto how to produce the quality bulls that James does. Friday afternoon saw us back at the show watching the Interbreed Championships, where once again a fine Limousin was tapped out champion!

Friday evening saw the whole group get together for a final night of fun before flying home on the Saturday.

Stephanie went onto say “I am truly proud of all the Young Breeders that came along on the trip, they make the future of the club look very bright. It is great to see so many friendships blossoming from different parts of the country, and so many keen young breeders!”

www.limousin.co.uk

YOUNG LIMOUSIN

ANDREW HAMILL, 14, WINS YLBC NATIONAL STOCKJUDGING COMPETITION AT ROYAL BATH AND WEST SHOW

Overall Winner, Andrew Hamill and Judge Harry Parker

Overall Reserve, Josh Naggs and Judge Harry Parker

Pairs winners, Lottie Hill and Kerris Richards

Emily Wilson and Josh Naggs

Philip Williamson and Andrew Hamill

Andrew Hamill, Josh Naggs and Judge Harry Parker

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he Young Limousin Breeders Club held their annual National Stockjudging competition at the Royal Bath and West Show on Thursday 31st May. Seventeen competitors travelled to Shepton Mallet, Somerset where they judged a class of purebred Limousin heifers, and a class of commercial steers and heifers. Each competitor gave reasons on the purebred heifer class. The master judge for the competition was Harry Parker of the Stourhead herd; he took and scored all the reasons. The competitors represented five different regions and ranged in age from nine to 26.

The overall reasons winner was the junior section winner Andrew Hamill, from Northern Ireland, who very kindly recited his winning set of reasons for the audience who had gathered at the prize giving. Harry Parker commented that Andrew’s set of reasons was tremendous, and described the class

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exactly as he pictured it, however, the judge also commended all the top reason scorers. Best reasons scores in the seniors went to Josh Naggs from the North East, who went onto take the overall reserve position.

The excellent reasons scores contributed to the keenly contested individual scores and it was a North East clean sweep in the senior competition with Josh Naggs in first position, Joseph Mackley in second and Emily Wilson third.

The junior individual section was won by Andrew Hamill, with the overall top score, in second place was Lottie Hill from the South West Club, and in third was Kerris Richards, also from the South West Club.

Best in the regional team section went to the South West junior pairing of Lottie Hill and Kerris Richards while the North East pair of Emily Wilson and Josh Naggs took second place. Philip Williamson and Andrew Hamill from Northern Ireland took third place.

A huge thank you is extended to the Southwest Limousin Club for their hospitality during the day and for providing such a fantastic welcome to all the visiting competitors and their parents. Thanks are also extended to Nick Hill for helping to pick and get the classes out for judging, and to Harry Parker for so ably judging the competition. Also, a thank you is extended to all the parents who took the time to transport and accompany all the competitors to the venue.

The Young Limousin Breeders Club express their thanks to Show Winners, the main sponsor of the competition, their support is appreciated.

Very much the future of the breed, the Young Breeders represented themselves well on the day and the event was a high profile and vibrant part of a memorable show at Shepton Mallet.

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SHOWS | 2018 BALMORAL SHOW

TRUEMAN LIMOUSINS SECOND SUPREME IN A ROW FOR

AT 2018 BALMORAL SHOW

Trueman Noreen

• Trueman Limousin team dominate the breed section and overall interbreed titles for second year in a row • Trueman Noreen crowned as Individual Interbreed Champion • Limousin sired cattle win Commercial Championship

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he 2018 summer show ‘major’ season kicked off in spectacular style at the 150th anniversary Balmoral Show on Wednesday 16th May. Having waited years to win their first Interbreed title in 2017, the good luck continued for the Savage family of Altnamackin, Newry, Co Down. Their stylish 13-month old Limousin heifer Trueman Noreen secured the Trueman team their second Interbreed title in a row having won with Trueman Lute in 2017.

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SHOWS | 2018 BALMORAL SHOW

Day one of the show saw the Limousin judging in front of Mrs Mary Reynolds of Bordon, Hampshire. From amidst some fine competition on a warm and sunny day Trueman Noreen, came through the field after winning the first class of the day. A true poster girl for the breed, she could be seen on enormous posters displayed in the showground by the thousands of visitors to the show. She followed up her Limousin Championship win with the Junior Interbreed Championship before being tapped out at the top of the beef lines after strutting her stuff against fellow beef champions

by Scottish based Judge Liz Vance, of Bridgehouse, Whithorn.

Paraded by Jack O’Brien, 13-monthold Noreen boasts the best of breeding, being by the 45th Anniversary National Show Champion and breed record holder, 147,000gns Trueman Jagger, and out of the 40th National Show Champion, Trueman Euphonium, a cow Henry Savage describes as his “pride and joy”.

Of his winner a clearly delighted Henry Snr said “I have always known that she was a special heifer, but in recent weeks she has really blossomed into something remarkable. Euphonium has excelled herself, I have a feeling Noreen could well go onto be our best ever” Henry went onto say “To win our home show for the second year in a row is really something special. Our philosophy at home is to concentrate on a handful of the best cows in the herd and produce the best quality calves we can; Euphonium is one of those cows and Noreen one of those calves” For the record Trueman Noreen won, Limousin Female Champion; Limousin Supreme Overall Champion; Interbreed Supreme Champion and Best Continental Beef Recorded Heifer. She was part of Interbreed Champion Pair Team, the Interbreed Team of Three Champions and the Reserve Interbreed Team of Five.

Henry Snr said “She will be going home with the team and back to the grass at the end of the weekend, she deserves it” Both Judges had nothing but praise for Noreen, firstly following the Limousin judging Mary Reynolds commented “She is something special, very correct, a great top on her and a beautiful sweet Limousin head. There is huge potential in her, I am sure she will go onto make a fantastic cow”. Then, sharing a similar sentiment, after judging the Interbreed Championship Liz Vance said “She’s so stylish and correct and it’s all there for her age, you can just imagine what she’s going to turn out like when she’s older” Of the Limousin show in general, which Mary judged in the basking sunshine, she said “It was a super show of cattle, the top ends of the cattle in the ring

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Jalex Notorious

Clinton Lollopop

were fantastic all round. It is obvious why Limousins are the number one beef breed in the UK, meat on legs, they have such great appeal” In the Limouisn judging it was a 1-2 for the Savage team in the Junior Female Championships as Mary tapped out Trueman Nadine as her Reserve to Noreen. The class winner, born January 2017, is the same way bred as Noreen being by Trueman Jagger and out of Trueman Euphonium.

Standing as the Reserve Overall Champion Limousin to Noreen was the Male Champion Jalex Notorious from James Alexander, Randalstown, Co Antrim. The February 2017 home bred young bull by Bassingfield Hobama out of Haltcliffe Hester had come through the field to take the Junior Male Championship and then the Overall Male Championship, both times ahead of the April 2017 Norman Ely

son Derriaghy Noddy from D G Green and Sons, Lisburn, Co Antrim. Notorious then paired up with a stable mate Jalex Nini, a smart 14-month old heifer also

by Bassingfield Hobama but this time out of the Ampertaine Cannon daughter Hudscales Gigi, to take the exhibitor bred Limousin Pairs Championship ahead of a duo from the Savage team in the shape of Trueman Marrianne and Trueman Marley.

Both September 2016 born, the Trueman heifers are the same way bred as Noreen and Nadine, by Trueman Jagger and out of Trueman Euphonium.

The Savage team of Henry Snr, Henry Jnr, Phelim, Benedict and Dermot had more to celebrate when they took the Herbert Lusby Memorial Perpetual Challenge Cup for the Best Group of Three Limousin animals owned by one exhibitor.

The Pairs Reserve duo of Marrianne and Marley were joined by yet another Jagger daughter, January 2017 born Trueman

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Interbreed Pairs Team

"Trueman Noreen is something special, very correct, a great top on her and a beautiful sweet Limousin head. There is huge potential in her," Limousin judge, Mary Reynolds Derriaghy Noddy

Trueman Marianne

Flo Jo, Commercial Champion

Trueman Nadine

Interbreed Team of Three Champions

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Nadine. Reserve spot went to the team from Michael and Kile Diamond who run the Pointhouse herd in Garvagh, Co Londonderry. Their threesome was made up of Pointhouse NJ, an April 2017 born Ballinloan Jaegerbomb daughter out of Pointhouse Jewel, Pointhouse Numberone, a September 2017 born Sympa heifer out of the same dam and Pointhouse Nintynine, a Plumtree Fatastic son out of Ampertaine Ingrid.

Nipping in to take the Reserve Champion Female spot on day one in the Limousin Judging was Clontown Lollipop from Stephen Williamson and Tara O’Brien who run the Blackwater Limousin herd in Benburb, Co Tyrone as Reserve Champion Female to Noreen. The two year old Irish heifer is by Elite Forever Brill and out of Millgate Heather.

Over the following three days, going head to head with the best in show of other breeds, a handful of other interbreed titles came the Limousin way.

The Overall Limousin Champion Trueman Noreen and Reserve Jalex Notorious paired up to take on the best pairs teams from all the other breeds under the watchful eye of Sharon Bothwell. As the sun beamed down on the Balmoral showground she tapped the impressive Limousin pair out as Interbreed Pairs Champions. Standing Reserve was a pair of Commercial winners, one of the pair in the shape of Posh Spice, from JCB Commercials, Newtownards, Co Down, is a Carmorn Cantona son.

The pair’s team, with the addition of Trueman Nadine, paraded into the ring as an imposing Group of Three. Seeing off the competition from a tidy Charolais team they emerged victorious. The Interbreed Team of Five came next, a new competition within the four-day format Judged this year by Kay Adams of the Newhouse Limousin herd. The Limousin team consisted of the four Trueman heifers, Noreen, Nadine, Marianne and Marley, plus the Limousin Male Champion Jalex Notorious. Just falling short of a clean sweep, the striking team were tapped out as Reserves.

In the keenly contested Commercial Beef Championships held on the Thursday morning it was another win for Limousin sired cattle before the Judge Julie Sedgewick. Flo Jo, the July 2017 born heifer by Trueman Idol, from Dermot Small, Kilkeel, Co Down won the Medallion Plaque for Best Commercial Beef Heifer, Junior Commercial Beef Champion, Supreme Champion Commercial Beef Animal and Best Commercial Animal Bred by an Exhibitor. To round off her haul, she also stood as Reserve in the Overall Interbreed Championship to Trueman Noreen.

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FEATURE

HUGH BLACK & SONS BUTCHERS LIMOUSIN AT THE HEART OF THE HIGH STREET BUTCHERS SUCCESS STORY Hugh Black & Sons is a Lanarkshire success story, expanding from the late Wiston farmer Hugh Black’s single shop in 1987 to the string of independent high street butchers it is today under the management of Hugh’s sons Craig and Hugh Junior.

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heir beef is proudly sourced from top-end Scottish farms via live auction markets at Lanark, St Boswells and Stirling. Quality and yield are their drivers of choice when buying in the ring and as Hugh says “it is always easy to choose Limousin’s as there really isn’t much competition”

The success of the business, which now includes a licenced cutting plant and 12 high street shops, is particularly impressive given the challenges of the industry over the past three decades. Not only has the UK been through one of its worst economic periods in recent history, but the meat industry has had to

Hugh outside lanark

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www.limousin.co.uk

FEATURE deal with issues that, at times, have been extremely negative and on top of that the retail landscape has fundamentally changed.

It was a bold, brave decision just over 30 years ago when Hugh Senior, armed with no butchery experience, bought a butchers shop in Armadale, West Lothian from the proceeds of selling a 300 acre farm near Lanark. Burnhouse Farm had been a beef farm for generations with Hugh latterly specialising in finishing. Both Hugh’s sons Craig and Hugh went straight into the business when they left Biggar High School, taking over when their father died in 2002.

Hugh says that starting from scratch was no bad thing “It was a particular strength of ours, because as farmers we are good at adapting to what the day is going to throw at us, whether it is calving a cow or fixing a fence” He went on “when our father started he had no traditional butchery knowledge, but he questioned things, always asking is this the best way to do this and why?”

When Mowats fish shop became available in Lanark in 1991, the second shop was founded and although 20 miles away from Armadale it was like going home. The family moved back to the outskirts of Lanark and found themselves doing business with a community they already knew well. Nine years passed until the third shop was opened in Bathgate and a former meat factory in the town was also taken on. The factory created processing capacity and over the next decade a string of shops followed and in the last three years the company has expanded into Fife and Stirlingshire.

While there is no doubt the brothers took the opportunities to expand when they emerged their success is always attributed to honest hard work and consistently giving their customers what they want, at a fair price. Hugh stresses that when farming is your life, working hard is the norm and they never forgot that philosophy as the

ambition grew.

“We worked seven days a week on the farm, we never thought of having a day off, so when we moved into the butchery business time off wasn’t in the repertoire either.

This business had to work and if we had to give it 100 hours a week each, then that is what we’d give it” said Craig.

Brought up by a father who always bought from auction marts and was passionate

HUGH BLACK CARLUKE

www.limousin.co.uk

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FEATURE about quality, Craig recalls his father’s ethos “we always believed that business would be easy if the product was that good that your customer wanted it because it was better than everybody else’s.

They will come to you if you are the best in the area”.

Limousin cross heifer beef is the preference for the brothers with Hugh now buying around 18 animals each week direct from auction, nothing is purchased on the wholesale market. He is always looking for a well-finished carcase ‘full of meat’ which is going to deliver on yield and consistent eating quality. Hugh says he is regularly “spoilt for choice with the Limousin’s on offer” and “while carcases are heavier than they were 20 years ago it’s all muscle, these modern Limousins have the right amount of muscle in all the right places and deliver a carcase balance which works for us”.

The Blacks now operate the cutting room at Wishaw abattoir (previously occupied for many years by Jimmy Whannel) where all their beef forequarters are boned, vac packed and sent to the Bathgate factory from where all the shops are serviced.

Hugh explained “by boning and packing everything into barcoded bags we have less waste, greater control and crucially full traceability”.

However, the investment at Wishaw, a small local butcher co-operative is about more than just the development of an efficient processing tool. It is indicative of their commitment to the local community and the importance they place on the signals they send out to their customers on another crucial aspect for business success, provenance.

Provenance has been one of the buzz words in the meat industry for some time, particularly since the horsegate debacle which raised issues of consumer trust.

More than supermarkets, high street butchers tend to build up a regular clientele who like to know where their meat has come from and expect it to match their quality standards

“We are always looking for a well-finished carcase ‘full of meat’ which is going to deliver on yield and consistent eating quality.” week in week out.

Hugh is passionate about being connected to the farming community, and believes that buying at market and forging relationships with his suppliers gives him a unique selling point and advantage over his competitors. His father was always of the belief that the tradition of farmer-marketbutcher had served the industry well over the years and should continue to do so. Hugh says “Sometimes I struggle to relate to how many butchers can be so passionate about their products but yet sell beef from a cardboard box, trusting a pre-printed label over a whole side of beef traced to a farm of their own choice” However, while Craig and Hugh realise that times have changed for many in the industry, they know that their farm to fork ‘story’ is a powerful tool, so much so they proudly display the name of the week’s supplier in the shops for customers to see.

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This integration in the farming community sees the business getting involved in a range of other activities.

Having grown up on the farm Hugh and Craig know how important encouraging the next generation of beef

producers is, without them the butchers have no product to sell. In 2017 they added their financial support to the Limousin Leaders Team competing in the National Young Stars event at Malvern.

Craig Black

www.limousin.co.uk

FEATURE

A regular supplier to Hugh Black Butchers is Limousin breeder and commercial finisher Archie Lindsay (pictured right with his family) from Kepscaith Farm, Longridge, West Lothian.

Archie runs 70 Limousin cows on his farm, half of which are pedigree. He is taking most of his own calves onto finish, aiming to have them ready for the market at around 18 months of age. He consistently brings forward a medium sized beast, which produces a carcase which he believes is perfect for the butchery trade; he is sure it is one of the reasons why the Black’s consistently buy his cattle out of the ring. He said “the cattle grow well on grass and then finish on just haylage and a blended finishing ration. I find it relatively straightforward to get the right level of cover on my Limousins” Archie went onto say “there is no better breed than the Limousin on which to build my business at home, it is known as the carcase breed and I would wholeheartedly agree with that description”. He added, “The consistent demand for my cattle shows that when it comes right down to it, it is the go to breed of choice for high quality butchers just like Hugh Black & Sons”

Embracing technology is another driver of the success story for the Black brothers, and sitting behind his desk in Bathgate Craig looks like he is in control of a space station, scanning the orbit of the shops to ensure everything is running as it should. CCTV

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allows Craig to see what’s happening in every shop and the IT system tells him what is selling and when it is selling.

He can be virtually ‘in’ all the shops simultaneously and can even see if the stock rotation is correct.

Craig said “The stock levels

are all managed by our IT systems. Everything is linked back from the tills within the shops. All the sales figures are dragged back to Bathgate and analysed by our bespoke EPOS system”.

Despite lots of innovation Hugh Black & Sons remains a family-run business with Craig and Hugh hands on in the business every day. A positive attitude and good staff set the Blacks off on the path of expansion and those attributes are still very evident today.

Stepping inside any one of the shops reveals what isn’t visible on any of the screens in Craig’s office. A fresh welcoming atmosphere matched with a fantastic display of quality products with Limousin beef at its core. Housekeeping is second to none and the staff and customers engage in a warm friendly relationship.

Craig, Hugh and the team which now extends to over 140 make the job look so easy.

Looking toward the future,

the brothers think that while there are some challenges to be overcome the traditional high street butcher’s shop still offers a positive experience for many consumers. While it is true that they have seen their customers become more price conscious in recent years, because they haven’t lost sight of what is fundamental to the success of their business they have weathered the storm well. The butchery is able to offer a far wider variety of cheaper cuts than most supermarkets ever could, and combining that with the consistent eating quality of Limousin beef is a winning formula.

As Hugh said “Limousins are smart, fleshy cattle with a great meat yield which can importantly include a quality finish. When handled correctly they provide the fantastic eating experience our customers keep coming back for, and, that’s exactly what we want”.

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CARLISLE | FEBRUARY 2018

CARLISLE

FEB

2018

AULTSIDE MEANMACHINE STORMS TO 65,000GNS AND LEADS SPECTACULAR DEMAND FOR LIMOUSIN BULLS AT CARLISLE • 104 bulls average £7,540, up £871 on the year • Juniors average £10,834, a record section average.

• 87% clearance rate as 104 bulls of the 120 forward sell • 20 bulls make five figures and over • 59 bulls in all make 5,000gns and over • Bulls and females gross £891,398

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imousin bulls met with spectacular demand and a storming trade at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s early spring sale held at Borderway Mart on Saturday 17th February. Commercial producers were out in force, clearly in the market to buy the bulls of their choice, and the trade was bolstered by a super selection of breeder’s bulls. The sale again saw buyers looking for strong calving ease and all-round performance figures.

On a day where a remarkable 20 bulls

Aultside Meanmachine, 65,000gns

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Sales

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CARLISLE | FEBRUARY 2018 Ridley said: “I have had my eye on this bull ever since I saw him at the Turriff Show and then judging him at the Stars of the Future Show last year, where I thought he was outstanding. He is a great bull with tremendous length and displaying width and power on tremendous legs. I have never seen him stand wrong. He carries a lot of style about him and has a deep quality pedigree” Gary Swindlehurst added “The bull was a standout Champion with great presence and met you really well from the front. He had a tremendous width of top from his shoulders right through his loin to his plates. In this respect he reminded me very much of Haltcliffe Vermount.”

Moving forward some semen will be taken for own use and the bull used thereafter. At present the Procters herd comprises of eighty pedigree cows.

In front of a sizeable crowd the day

Gunnerfleet Mongo, 30,000gns

made five figure prices and above, and 59 in all sold for 5,000gns and over, the overall average was a mighty £7,540 for the 104 bulls sold, up £871 on the year.

Showcasing just how firm the demand was the sale delivered a clearance rate of 87%. In the particularly strong junior section, which included the pre-sale show Champion and Reserve, the average for the 28 bulls was an outstanding £10,834, a record section average for the Limousin breed at Carlisle.

Leading the day’s trade was the crowd pleaser Aultside Meanmachine from Garry Patterson, Upper Forgie, Aultmore, Keith.

This smart bull came to Carlisle in top form, visually, and in terms of his breeding credentials, carrying good calving figures and two copies of the F94L ‘profit gene’.

No stranger to success, Meanmachine won the Senior Limousin Championship and Overall Senior Continental Championship at Stirling’s Stars of the Future Calf Show held in the backend of last year and which had added to his pre-sale attraction. An embryo calf by Wilodge Cerberus and out of Spittalton Flush the August 2016 born bull is a full brother to the 55,000gns Aultside Hulk, the Intermediate Champion and top priced Limousin bull at Carlisle back in May 2014. He is also a full brother to the 18,000gns Aultside Mystique, who had stood the Reserve Female Champion at aforementioned Stars of the Future Show in 2017.

A pair of noted breeders made the winning bid in a split deal, Matt and Craig Ridley from the Haltcliffe Herd at Hesket New Market, Wigton, Cumbria and Lancashire based Procters Farm Ltd, Slaidburn, Nr Clitheroe, managed by Gary Swindlehurst.

Speaking at the close of the sale Craig

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Lenagh Morpheus, 28,000gns

Bernish Memphis, 22,000gns

www.limousin.co.uk

Sales earlier Colin Phillips, who runs the noted Powerhouse herd at The Batch, Sarnesfield, Weobley, Herefordshire had placed Meanmachine as his Junior Champion and then Overall Supreme Champion in the pre-sale show.

Commenting on his Champion Colin said: “Amid a fine display of Limousins, as soon as he walked in the ring he caught my eye, he showed so correctly every time I looked at him. With super width and meat in all the right places, he was perfect on his legs, demonstrating great mobility. He is an outstanding Limousin, a credit to the breeder and a clear choice for Champion”.

On what was a day to remember for Garry Patterson, who runs a small herd of pedigree Limousins, Meanmachine produced him a personal best sale price to date. After the sale a clearly delighted Garry said “As a calf he was always a stand Telfers Munster, 20,000gns

Westpit Macgregor, 15,000gns

www.limousin.co.uk

out beast, I knew he was something special. While I had some confidence that he would do well, you never really know how things will turn out. The 65,000gns price tag is still beyond my wildest expectation and I am over the moon, he certainly lived up-to his name.”

Four other bulls sold for 20,000gns or more, with an internet bid of 30,000gns securing Ian Handley’s Gunnerfleet Mongo, from his Gunnerfleet herd based at Ingleton, Lancashire. A first prize junior bull on the day, and an embryo calf, Mongo is bred from the herd’s top cow Gunnerfleet Ilocks, a Plumtree Fantastic daughter that also bred the 22,000gns Gunnerfleet Lion and 14,000gns Gunnerfleet Landmart.

Gunnerfleet Mongo, born September 2016, is by the AI sire Ampertaine Gigolo.

This second top priced bull was knocked down to pedigree breeders A Renton & H

Redden, Berwick upon Tweed. Speaking about his purchase from his home in Spain, Anthony Renton said “I was very impressed with the bull’s growth and width, and being heavily muscled he will complement the cows at Meadowrig very well. His dam line was another big factor in choosing the bull - going back to the Una line which needs no introduction” Next up at 28,000gns was another junior class winner Lenagh Morpheus from Mark Stewart, Randalstown, Co Antrim. The September 2016 born embryo calf is bred from the Broadmeadows Cannon sired Lenagh Chanel and by the AI sire Plumtree Fantastic, a bull that has bred numerous five-figure sales for his owner Ian Handley.

Morpheus is just as well-bred on his dam side; Chanel is daughter of Kype Ulay, who Mark purchased privately as a maiden heifer from the Kype Herd of Rona and Aileen Cruickshank. Lenagh Morpheus was purchased by the noted Wilodge Herd, Shifnal, Shropshire.

In another good day for Northern Irish breeders Co-Tyrone based Kieran McCroy received 22,000gns for his September 2016 born embryo calf Bernish Memphis who stood second to Lenagh Morpheus in class fourteen. Memphis is bred from the show heifer Bernish Julifortune, an Ampertain Elgin daughter who was the Female Champion at the NI calf show in 2015 and a winner at Balmoral Show in the same year. He is by the 23,000gns Fairywater Haig and also sold in a twoway split, this time to A H and K J Booth, Hardwick Hall Farm, Sheffield for their Sevengun Herd and along with G J Lee & C M Lloyd, Calogale Beef Semen Sales, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire.

At 20,000gns came Telfers Munster, the Reserve Intermediate Champion, from Malcolm Telfer and Helen Claxton, a freelance stock partnership selling their first Limousin bull at auction.

Munster, is a natural born calf by the AI sire Lodge Hamlet and bred from Telfers Imagination, the first home-bred female from their small herd who is out of their foundation female Goldies Florist. The bull sold in another two way arrangement, this time to Henry Savage and Sons, Newry, Co Down for their Trueman herd and Dan Tynan, Co Laois, Eire who runs the Ardlea and Elite pedigree herds.

Next up came the Reserve Junior Champion and Reserve Overall Champion Westpit MacGregor from A & J Gammie, Drumforber, Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire, at 15,000gns. The youngest bull in the catalogue was knocked down to T W Oliver who runs the Cawfield Herd at Haltwhistle, Northumberland. Another sired by Ampertaine Gigolo but this time bred out of the Fieldson Alfy daughter

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CARLISLE | FEBRUARY 2018

Carnew Millreef, 14,500gns

Norman Marley, 14,000gns

Westpit Florence, one of the herd’s top cows. MacGregor, who won Reserve Junior Male Champion at Stirling’s Stars of the Future 2017 at 12 months old, carried a beef value of LM+51 which places him well into the top 1% of the breed.

Carnew Millreef came in at 14,500gns when selling to Aileen Ritchie, Burnside, Aberdeenshire. Consigned by J & J Aiken, Dromore, Co Down, this calf which stood second in class ten, is by Lyndberg Hero whose progeny includes the 20,000gns Lyndberg James, and is out of the Wilodge Vantastic daughter Carnew Erica.

Two lots made 14,000gns. First at this price was class three winner in the shape of Norman Marley from E & E Norman, Little Orton, Carlisle. A natural calf born in April 2016, Marley is by the 13,000gns

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Whinfellpark Iago and out of the Claragh Franco daughter Norman Izzy. He was purchased by J W and M E Fieldson, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire for their Fieldson Herd. Making the same money was Kinniside Mejestic from G and A E Marrs and Sons, Cathow Farm, Cleator, Cumbria. This bull, who stood second in his class to the Supreme Champion, is by Dylans Irnbru and out of Kinniside Gracious, one of the herds’s best milking cows. He was bought for the Widdrington herd of H and H Annett, Morpeth, Northumberland.

In a fact worthy of note, the presale show on Friday had turned into something of a ‘Scots Wha Hae’ with bulls from Scotland taking all three of the section championships. One of these

bulls was next up in the price order.

At 13,000gns came the Overall Senior Champion Anside Mexican from Anside Pedigree Livestock, Braehead Farm, By Keith, Banffs. This May 2016 born calf, by the herd stock bull Powerful Irish and out of Anside Endora went to the South West of Scotland when selling to W and T Nelson, High Kilphin Farm, Ballantrae, Girvan, Ayrshire.

The Intermediate Champion and the winner of class eight came in the shape of Ballinloan Messi from Stuart Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld, Perthshire. This bull, who again carried tremendous performance figures, sold for 12,000gns when purchased by Richard Jones for his Montgomery herd at Llwynobin Farm, Montgomery, Powys.

The July 2016 born Ballinloan Messi is one of the first calves to be offered for sale sired by the herd’s 29,000gns Foxhillfarm Jupiter and is out of Ballinloan Glitter, a Millgate Caesar daughter. Another strong day of trading for the Ballinloan herd saw Ballinloan Mickle sell for 10,000gns to John Galbraith & Son, Upper Kinneil, Linlithgow. Standing third in the same class as the Intermediate Champion this bull is another son of Foxhillfarm Jupiter and is out of Ballinloan Gucci.

Also at 12,000gns was Eniver Maybe from Michael McKeefry, Garvagh, Coleraine, Co Londonderry. By the prolific AI sire Ampertaine Foreman, and out of the Ronick Hawk daughter Eniver Alice, this was another bull with good calving figures and a Beef Value of LM+48. Buying this July 2016 born bull was Andrew Clark and family for their Mayfields pedigree herd at Hangram Lane Farm, Ringinglow, Sheffield. Three lots earlier the Eniver herd sold its other entry, Eniver Monk, for 9,000gns to the Garmon herd of Mrs S. Lloyd Jones, Pant-Y-Coed, Chwilog, Pwllheli.

The only black bull in the catalogue, Esmors Black Mellor, from Esmor Evans, Monfa, Mold, Flintshire, was one of four bulls to make 11,000gns when selling to Andrew Beattie for his Tulliewhanland pedigree herd at Tullywhanland Farm, Aberlemno, Forfar, Angus. Born in May 2016, Esmors Black Mellor is by Knock Glencoe and is out of the full French cow Fourmi.

Another senior bull to make 11,000gns was the May 2016 born Saunders Master from A & W Watson, Slaggyford, Brampton, Cumbria who had stood third in class four. Sired by Wilodge Inspector this bull is out of Saunders Classylassie and a prolific dam line in the herd.

Taking this bull home was the Lowardley herd of Gemma Common, Low Ardley, Hexham.

The very next lot saw the Reserve

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Sales Kinniside Mejestic, 14,000gns

Anside Mexican, 13,000gns

Eniver Maybe, 12,000gns

Ballinloan Messi, 12,000gns

Saunders Master, 11,000gns

Esmors Black Mellor, 11,000gns

www.limousin.co.uk

Senior Champion Burndale Milan from JE Henderson, Burn Tongues, Hexham, Northumberland make another 11,000gns price when selling to the noted commercial producers J Hunter & Sons, Steel Farm, Bellingham, Northumberland.

Another May 2016 born calf, Burndale Milan is by the AI sire Huntershall Gladiator and is out of the Haltcliffe Vermount daughter Burndale Gemma.

The final bull to make 11,000gns was Loosebeare Masterfull from EW Quick & Sons, Loosebeare Manor, Crediton, Devon. Entirely homebred this first prize winner from class six is by the herd stock sire Loosebeare Fantastic and is out of the Haltcliffe Anzac daughter Loosebeare Dewdrop. Sporting terrific calving and all-round performance figures this June 2016 born bull went to the commercial producers J Leiper & Sons, Black Heddon, Ponteland, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Standing third in the same class was the similarly bred Loosebeare Mertesacker. Another by Loosebeare Fantastic, and out of another Haltcliffe Anzac daughter, Loosebeare Georgia, this bull made 9,000gns. Again carrying some strong calving figures this bull was bought

by D&DW Prickett, Farleton, Carnforth, Lancashire.

Clive Knox, Cragside, Kelso made 10,500gns when selling the June 2016 born Beachmount Major. Described as long and clean with plenty of width this calf, which stood second in class seven, is by the noted AI sire Sympa and is out of Liscarn Goldengirl. Again continuing the pattern of bulls with strong performance and calving figures Beachmount Major was purchased by Andrew Cowx for his Hudscales pedigree herd at Hesket New Market, Wigton, Cumbria.

A first prize winner in class nine of the strong Intermediate section was Goldies Muskateer from Bruce Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries. This July 2016 born bull is by Foxhillfarm Irishlad and is out of Goldies Honeycombe. Carrying a huge Beef Value of LM+65 this bull was sold for 10,000gns to the Longhirst pedigree herd of JE Jordon & Son, Longhirst, Morpeth, Northumberland.

Eagleside Mustang from Thomas Illingworth, Howgillside, Lockerbie, Dumfries made 10,000gns when being purchased by J Thompson for their Hartsideanew herd at Townfoot, Melmerby, Penrith, Cumbria. The first prize bull in class eleven, Eagleside Mustang is by the AI sire Ameprtaine Gigolo and is out of Glenrock Jewel.

At the close of the sale the British Limousin Cattle Society’s Chief Executive Iain Kerr said: “It’s been a fantastic sale and there’s such a strong demand from the commercial sector with buyers readily

Burndale Milan, 11,000gns

Beachmount Major, 10,500gns

Eagleside Mustang, 10,000gns

Goldies Muskateer, 10,000gns

competing with pedigree breeders for the bulls of their choice. Buyers are looking for bulls with the carcase traits that the breed is renowned for and coupled with good calving ease and all-round performance figures. Today we’ve seen fifteen new commercial buyers purchase along with pedigree breeders and repeat commercial buyers. The combination of age to slaughter, meeting target weights and grades, and high killing out and beef yield, the breed is meeting market requirements and driving a profit for producers and right through the supply chain.”

AVERAGES: 36 Senior Bulls £5,670.00 40 Intermediate Bulls £6,916.88 28 Junior Bulls £10,833.75 104 Bull Overall £7,539.81 (+£871.39)

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STIRLING | FEBRUARY 2018

STIRLING

FEB

2018

13,000GNS DYKE MACBETH TAKES THE LIMOUSIN CROWN AT STIRLING • 62 bulls average £5,814 up by £712 • 81% clearance • 3 bulls make five figures • 31 bulls make 5,000gns or more

S

trong and steadfast demand highlighted the sale of Limousin bulls held at United Auctions Stirling market on Monday 5th February.

The opening major British Limousin Cattle Society sale of the year saw some competitive bidding by the ring with averages well up on the year, by over £700, to £5,814 for the 62 bulls sold. A clearance rate of 81% demonstrated the depth of support for the breed which has clearly turned into the new-year

with the healthy momentum generated throughout 2017. A particular feature across the Society sales during the autumn 2017 was the demand for easy calving genetics; this was still very evident as the sale at Stirling progressed. Three bulls made over five figures with 31 in all selling at 5,000gns and more.

Leading the way, and making the top price of 13,000gns, was Dyke Macbeth from the prolific Dyke Limousin Herd of Jimmy and Donald MacGregor, Milton

Dyke MacBeth, 13,000gns

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www.limousin.co.uk

Sales

www.limousin.co.uk

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STIRLING | FEBRUARY 2018 of Campsie, Glasgow. This May 2016 born bull had earlier in the day secured the Intermediate Championship in the pre-sale show in front of the judge Ian Nimmo from the noted Maraiscote Herd at Bogside Farm, Newmains, Wishaw. A natural calf, Dyke Macbeth is sired by Netherhall Gilbert, a Haltcliffe DJ son, and out of Dyke Florette.

Purchasing the top price was R Dunlop & Son for their 130 head commercial suckler enterprise at Pinvalley Farm, Girvan, Ayrshire. Commenting Rodger Dunlop said: “He was the stand out bull on the day for me; he caught my eye as soon as I saw him. He has tremendous muscle, an all-round very good bull”. Not new to buying Limousin bulls for his herd at home Robert went onto say that he is certain Macbeth will give him “exactly the kind of calves he is looking for” With a comprehensive track record at Stirling, the Dyke herd arrived at the mart with a strong line-up of bulls for sale. Earlier in the sale, the May 2016 born natural calf Dyke Magical had made 8,500gns in selling to commercial buyers A & R Paton, Avonbridge, Falkirk.

Magical is by the Fieldson Alfy son Dyke Gandalf and out of Dyke Hermione. Two other bulls from the Dyke stable made over 5,000gns resulting in a solid day of trading for the MacGregor family that saw six bulls in all sell to an average of almost 7,000gns.

Speaking about the day Jimmy MacGregor said “We are delighted with the outcome of the sale. We knew we had a good team at home, and they didn’t disappoint on the day. We had a great deal of interest by the pens after the judging and were pleased this translated into strong demand for our cattle and secured us our highest Limousin sale price to date at Stirling”.

Two bulls sold at 10,000gns, the first, and highlighting a ready demand for some quality black Limousin bulls on offer, was Goldies Black Manhattan from Bruce Goldie, Townfoot Farm, Mouswald, Dumfries. This April 2016 born bull had earlier in the day secured the Overall and Senior Championships in the pre-sale show. A natural calf, Goldies Black Manhattan is entirely homebred being sired by Goldies Fortress, the Wilodge Vantastic son and out of Goldies Dalmation. In securing the Overall Championship Black Manhattan delivered a first for the Limousin breed.

While black coated bulls have topped previous Stirling sales, this is the first time one has taken the Overall Champion position. He was knocked down to pedigree breeder John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso.

Described by Bruce Goldie as a “small

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Judge Ian Nimmo

Creran Mourinho, 10,000gns

Goldies Black Manhattan, 10,000gns

www.limousin.co.uk

Sales Hollyberry Marius, 9,500gns

Burnbank McCoy, 9,000gns

Walkers Mandit, 9,000gns

www.limousin.co.uk

calf at birth” Black Manhattan is the same way bred as Goldies Black Jonah who was Reserve Junior Champion at Stirling back in February 2016. No stranger to success at Stirling, Bruce Goldie commented “While it is fantastic to secure the Overall Champion position here at Stirling for the second year in a row, it is made even more special by the fact that this it is also a first for the breed” Next up at 10,000gns was the winner of the youngest class Creran Mourinho from Ewen MacGillivray, Home Farm, Barcaldine, Oban who was bringing his first Limousin bull for sale to Stirling.

This August 2016 born natural calf is by Powerful Irish and out of Lodge Iccolo.

He was knocked down to another commercial buyer, Fisher Contracting Ltd, Groan Farm, Perth.

Selling at 9,500gns was Ronick Material, from Mr R Dick, Mains of Throsk Farm, Stirling. He had stood second in his class to the Champion Goldies Black Manhattan. This April 2016 born bull is by the Ronick Gains son Stephick Hero and out of Ronick Fatella. Again going to a commercial herd, this time further afield, he sold to regular Limousin purchasers at Stirling, L D Carr & Partner, Upper Higham Lane, Rushden, Northants. Also at this price came the Ronick Hawk son Hollyberry Marius from A & V Brown and Sons, Swallow Cottage, Foggathorpe, Selby. The June 2016 born bull is out of the Wilodge Cerberus daughter Whinfellpark Gazeful. Another bull staying in Scotland, he sold to T Lang, Parduvine, Mid Lothian.

Two lots made 9,000gns. The first Walkers Mandit came from Mr P A Walker, Dunnottar, Stonehaven. This June 2016 born bull is by Allanfauld Gazza and out of Walkers Hereclissa. The purchaser was yet another commercial buyer in the shape of Huntlyhill Farms, Lanark.

Just a few lots later came the class winner Burnbank Mccoy from Messrs D & L Graham, Mains of Burnbank Farm, Blairdrummond, Stirling. Also born June 2016, this Cloughhead Umpire son is out of Burnbank Clover. He was knocked down to A & E Grant, Blairgowrie, Perthshire.

The Scottish Government Bull Stud made a total of four purchases on the day. Included within the Bull Stud’s purchases, was Glamis Black Magic from A & J Adam, Newhouse of Glamis, Glamis, Forfar. This black coated July 2016 born bull by Millington Ferrari and out of Westhall Jemima was their top priced purchase at 6,500gns. Another first for the breed it is the first black coated Limousin to be heading to the Bull stud at Inverness.

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DUNGANNON | FEBRUARY 2018

DUNGANNON 2018 FEB

6,000GNS GLENEAGLE MASTER LEADS DUNGANNON LIMOUSIN SALE Gleneagle Master, 6,000gns

• 91% clearance rate for bulls • 20 bulls average £2,855 • 6 Females average £1,917

T

here was solid demand for Limousin bulls at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s (BLCS) Bull & Female sale at Dungannon on Monday 12th February. Despite heavy snow showers overnight the sale attracted an impressive number of buyers and achieved a clearance rate of 91% with 20 bulls heading to new homes

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throughout Northern Ireland. As 2018 gets underway and the seasonal round of pedigree sales is in motion, following on from a great day at Stirling recently, the sale provided yet more evidence of the sustained demand for the traits the breed consistently delivers to the market place.

Gleneagle Master led the way when going under the hammer for 6,000gns.

At this price it meant that the sale topped out 1,000gns ahead of last year.

The August 2016 born bull, an embryo calf, came to the sale with a Beef Value of LM+43, well into the top 10% of the breed. He combines the notable breeding of Sympa with Ampertaine Ikea, a strong Ampertaine Foreman cow.

His dams breeding line goes back to the notable Sharon family which has bred numerous five figure bulls. Gleneagle Master, who had been tapped out as the Intermediate Male Champion in the pre-sale show by Judge Richard Law from Ballinamallard, Co Fermanagh, was consigned by Mr J B O’Kane, Coleraine, Co Derry, and was knocked down to M & M Robinson, Richhill, Armagh.

The Gleneagle herd also sold Gleneagle Maverick at 4,800gns, the second highest price of the day. Maverick had taken the Junior Male Championship, Overall Male Champion and then Supreme Championship in the pre-sale show, so attracted keen attention from buyers. This

www.limousin.co.uk

Sales Gleneagle Maverick, 4,800gns

Rahoney Mordecai, 3,700gns

Kilclass Maestro, 3,200gns

www.limousin.co.uk

October 2016 born bull, another embryo calf, is sired by Gerrygullinane Glen and also out of the Ampertaine dam Ikea.

Maverick was purchased by P Broome, Ballynahinch.

Reserve Overall Supreme Champion and Reserve Junior Champion, Rahoney Mordecai realised 3,700gns for Messrs H & D McFarland, Trillick, Co Tyrone. This November 2016 born bull, also with a Beef Value in the top 10% of the breed, is by the Wilodge Vantastic son Moloskey Ger and out of the dam Rahoney Gospel.

He went home with Marshall Wright, Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh.

Newhillfarm Mike, a Kaprico Eravelle son, sold for 3,600gns. Homebred by M & A McPolin, Cabra, Newry, Co Down, this December 2016 born bull is out of the dam Newhillfarm Jordan. He was purchased by Sean McConvey, Ardglass, Co Down.

The Reserve Intermediate Champion in the pre-sale show Kilclass Maestro sold for 3,200gns. Bred by Dermot McCusker, Castlewellan, Co Down this July 216 born bull is by Norman Ely and out of the dam Larkhill Ida. Maestro now heads to E D Sherrard, Aughnabrack Rd, Belfast.

Casey Monty, a Loosebeare Fantastic son, from Owen Casey, Newry, Co Down was knocked down for 3,100gns to A McNeice, Keady, Co Armagh. The June 2016 born bull is out of the dam Slieve Gem. At the same price came Carnew Maverick an August 2106 born bull by the noted Lynderg Hero and out of Carnew Uptowngirl. Consigned by Messrs J & J Aiken, Dromore, Co Down, Maverick now heads to David Foster, Derrylin, Co Fermanagh.

Top priced female at 2,400gns came in the form of the oldest catalogued entry and the first female into the ring, Mountscott Kristina owned and exhibited

by G N Martin, Dromore Co Down. This October 2015 born female, bred by Mr M Sexton, Aheybridge, Co Clare, is sired by the Objat son Emerson and out of the dam Mountscott Guna. She now heads to a new home with Derek Johnston, Fivemiletown, Co Tyrone.

Second top female price of 2,200gns went to Rahoney Mandy from Messrs H & D McFarland. The July 2016 born heifer is by Rahoney Hosea and out of the dam Rahoney Damaris. Mandy, full sister to the Champion Female and Reserve Overall Champion at Ballymena in May 2017, now heads to F Tannahill, Macosquin, Coleraine.

Rahoney Mary, also from the McFarland stable, sold for 2,000gns. April 2016 born she is by Rahoney Jethro and out of the dam Rahoney Indiana. She was bought

by Robert Matthewson, Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone.

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ABERDEEN | FEBRUARY 2018

ABERDEEN 2018 FEB

6,500GNS EMSLIES MESSI LEADS THAINSTONE LIMOUSIN TRADE • 14 out of 17 bulls sold to average £4,101

T

he March 2016 born Emslies Messie from Harry Emslie, Mintlaw, Peterhead sold for 6,500gns and led another strong trade for Limousin bulls at Aberdeen & Northern Marts Spring Show, Inverurie, on Wednesday 28th February.

Sired by Emslies Gladiator and out of the Procters Cavalier daughter Emslies Ingrid, this 23-month-old bull had earlier picked up the Limousin Supreme Championship and the Overall Supreme Championship in the pre-sale show judged by Alan Lawson, South Farm, Hallington, Newcastle. Purchasing the top price was J A Cruickshank, Coleburn Farm, Elgin.

Taking the second top price at Aberdeen was Fodderletter Maestro at 5,000gns from Mr W Robertson & Son, Tomintoul, Ballindalloch. July 2016 born, this bull is by Spittalton Gold and is out of the Kype Vine daughter Vaenol Gina.

Maestro was bought by D M McCallum, Culbokie, Dingwall.

Selling at 4,800gns was Knock Maverick from Mr A G Howie, West Knock, Stuartfield, Peterhead. This March 2016 born bull is by the Wilodge Vantastic son Goldies Goldfinger and is out of the Jockey daughter Knock Ailsa.

Buying Maverick was G Ramsay & Son, Auchindoun, Keith.

Next up was Shannas Macallan from Mr and Mrs J Penny, Shannas, Clola, Peterhead, at 4,200gns. This April 2016 bull is by the Ampertaine Bravo son Goldies Emperor and out of Shannas Gin. Macallan makes his way to Orkney with M Delday, Quoy Belloch, Deerness.

John and Margaret Penny followed this with 4,000gns for Shannas Mormond.

This April 2016 bull, by the Haltcliffe Underwriter son Craigatoke Bart and out of Shannas Dolly was bought by G M Barclay & Sons who run the Tullo Limousin Herd at Garvock, Laurencekirk.

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Emslies Messi, 6,500gns

At 3,950gns came Lettoch Max from Colin Stuart, Braes of Glenlivet, Banffshire.

First in the ring and the oldest bull in the sale at two years of age this bull is by Ballinloan Geronimo and out of Lettoch Fern. Buying Max was D Whyte, Hindstones, Fraserburgh.

The Overall Reserve Limousin Championship in the pre-sale show went to Westpit Milton from Messrs A & J Gammie, Drumforber. The June 2016 born bull is by the Swardland Eddie son Jalex Itsallgood, and out of the Vagabond daughter Greenwell Dior. Milton, who is full brother to last year’s Spring Show Limousin Champion Westpit Lampard, went onto make 3,800gns in selling to W S L Muir, who run the Corrigall Limousin

herd at Upper Onston, Stenness, Orkney.

Class winner Elrick Max, from Mr M J Massie, Mains of Elrick, Auchnagatt, followed at the same price of 3,800gns.

This 22-month old Foxhillfarm Impecabull son is out of Elrick Dignity was another purchased by W S L Muir, Stenness. Mr Massie followed two lots later with 4,000gns for the April 2016 born Elrick Maestro, another by Foxhillfarm Impecabull but this time out of Elrick Dame.

Despite the weather providing a severe challenge to both vendors and purchasers, in all fourteen out of the seventeen bulls forward sold to average a solid £4,101.

www.limousin.co.uk

MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

MATERNAL QUALITIES, SEMEN AND EMBRYOS AVAILABLE

CONFORMATION, DOCILITY, TOP FRENCH GENETICS

DATES TO REMEMBER IN 2018: Lanaud bulls auction sales June 13rd and 14th November 14th and 15th

HIROHITO, qualified Espoir in Lanaud

MACK, qualified RJ in Lanaud

LASER, son of HAMAC RJ TOP PRICE GRAND CRU Auction Sale 2017 Buyer: George SMITH - England

GRAND CRU Auction Sale 2017 Buyer: Neil BLENKHORN - England

Beefy type + Easy calving Semen Available

GRAND CRU Auction Sale 2017 Buyer: Aled EDWARDS – Wales

Females of Lanaud auction sale June 14th

SPACE Limousin Show in Rennes (Brittany) Septembre 11th to 14th

Limousin National Show in Chateauroux (Indre - 36) September 21st to 23rd

Grand Cru auction sale Saturday, 22nd

INTERLIM GÉNÉTIQUE SERVICE Pôle de Lanaud - 87220 Boisseuil - FRANCE Tel: 00.335.55.06.46.46 - Fax: 00.335.55.06.46.30 interlim@limousine.org

LIMACE

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GOLDIES Goldies Juggler- first outstanding progeny available

Wilodge L.J. Semen for sale

Goldies Heifers

Bernish Memphis, 22,000gns - Carlisle Feb 18 - dam a

daughter of Goldies Fortune

Telfers Munster, 20,000gns Carlisle Feb 18 - dam a

daughter of Goldies Florist

Goldies Black ManhattenChampion Stirling Feb 2018

STOP PRESS - Heifers from the same lines as the above for sale privately - come and take your pick! BRED TO BREED! Bulls for pedigree and crossing and a few stock cows also available.

Top 1%, Great conformation, easy calving, TB4 and Johnes Level 1.

Tel: 07712 435 408 / 01387 830105 bruce@goldietownfoot.co.uk www.goldietownfoot.co.uk

www.limousin.co.uk

Bruce Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries, DG1 4LX

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LIMSALE

THE ALL NEW MOBILE SALE APP

üü All Society sale catalogues available to view on your mobile device üü Filter pages to find catalogued animals meeting your criteria üü Create your own catalogue from saved results

Download the LimSale App The LimSale app is supported by minimum platforms iOS8 Apple, Windows 10 and Android 4.0.3.

For further information contact the British Limousin Cattle Society, info@limousin.co.uk, t elephone 02476 696500

BRECON | FEBRUARY 2018

BRECON

Sales FEB

2017

3,850GNS KILLERTON MANU LEADS THE WAY AT BRECON LIMOUSIN BULL SALE • 9 bulls sell to average £3,348.33

Killerton Manu 3,850gns

• 2 maiden heifers average £2,362.50 • 1 cow & calf £2,835.00

K

illerton Manu from Mr & Mrs P W & S M Greed, Columbjohn Farm, Rewe, Exeter, Devon sold for 3850gns to lead the prices at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s (BLCS) early Spring Show & Sale held at Brecon Livestock Market on Saturday 3rd February 2018.

This May 2016 born bull is sired by the herd stock sire Emslies Horny, who was purchased for 12,500gns at Carlisle in 2013, and is out of Killerton Georgia. With a Beef Value of LM+52 Manu is in the top 1% of the breed, and carried appeal to commercial and pedigree buyers alike.

Buying the top price was P J Haynes & Sons, Meadow Farm, Thorp Lacton, Market Harborough who run the Langton Limousin herd. In 2017 the Killerton Herd was judged to be the runner up in the Extra Large section of the South West regional Limousin herd competition In what is only the fourth staging of this new and establishing early spring sale fixture at Brecon, nine bulls sold to average a solid £3,348.

The second top price of 3,700gns went to Nealford Master from Mr J H Neal & Son, Wilkie Down, Launceston, Cornwall.

Again with a Beef Value well above breed average this August 2016 bull is a son of the well-known Wilodge Cerberus sired Ampertaine Foreman, and is out of one of the Nealford Herds top brood cows Nealford Tracy. A long clean wellmuscled young bull with solid EBV’s he

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was bought by A S L & D Lewis, Llanbister, Llandrindod Wells, Powys.

Two consecutive lots from the Loosebeare herd of E W Quick & Sons, Crediton, Devon, followed at 3,500gns.

First was Loosebeare Miami, a May 2016 born bull by Loosebeare Jeeves and out of Loosebeare Impulse. His grand dam is full sister to the noted Loosebeare Fantastic.

He was knocked down to G & A Williams & Son, Treddiog Fawr, Pembrokeshire.

Next up was Loosebeare Manchester, who had placed as the pre-sale show Senior and Overall Champion. By Rocky, out of Loosebeare Evilla, he made his way home with Mr J R Norejko, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire.

Following the sale of bulls two maiden heifers from Messrs W D D & C James, Carmarthenshire sold to average £2,362.50, and a cow and calf outfit from Mr G Morris, Brecon made 2,700gns.

Nealford Master 3,700gns

Loosebeare Manchester, 3,500gns

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NEWARK | APRIL 2018

NEWARK 2018 APRIL

6,000GNS ABSOLUTE JUSTESSE LEADS NEWARK LIMOUSIN DAY SALE • 98% clearance rate across the sale • 41 Bulls average £3,949.62, up £163.01 • 57 Maiden heifers average £2,011.23, up £293.94

Judge, Mr Llyr Hughes

A

n exceptional demand for both bulls and females saw a near total clearance at the Newark Limousin Day sale on Saturday 21 April 2018, with 98% of the 161 cattle coming forward finding new homes. With pedigree and commercial buyers out in force, averages were up notably compared to the same fixture last year. The female trade peaked at 6,000gns while the bulls sold to a top of 5,800gns under the hammer of auctioneer Paul Gentry.

Mr Gentry said that the packed ringside of buyers ensured a swift trade throughout the sale. “Every class of stock was well sought after, with buyers keen to source new genetics to move their herds forward in these uncertain times.”

Leading the sale was a 6,000gns call for Absolute Justesse, a 2014-born Diamante daughter from Richard Bartle and Mary Cormack, Upper Dinmore, Hereford.

Justesse is out of the noted show cow Newstart Upsydaisy, the Interbreed Champion from the Royal Show 2007.

She sold with her Dinmore Lionheart sired seven-month old heifer calf at foot and

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Absolute Justesse, 6,000gns

was the pick of H D and P J Cranfield, Edneham, Lincolnshire for their Copylawn Limousin herd.

The bull trade was led at 5,800gns by the October 2016 born McInnes Machine from Ashley and Emma McInnes, East Cowick, Nr Goole. By the 27,000gns Loosebeare Iain, Overall Champion at Carlisle in October 2014, he is out of McInnes Jasmine, a Corridan Hakka daughter. He was bought by C E Hardcastle, Grantham, Lincolnshire.

Following this at 5,200gns was another bull the same age also from Ashley and Emma in the shape of McInnes Michelin.

Again by Loosebeare Iain, only time out of McInnes Grace, a Netherhall Chancer daughter, he was knocked down to J D Leavesley, Needwood, Burton on Trent.

Following that came four bulls at 5,000gns. The first of these being the shapely Croxtonheath Mufasa from M D Copley, Grantham, Linconshire. An embryo calf, the April 2016 born Wilodge Cerberus son is out of Mereside Celine, a Vagabond daughter who has consistently bred well in both the Croxctonheath and

Mereside herds. He found a new home with J Gowthorpe and Son, North Cliff, York. Second at this price was the Male and Overall Champion in the pre-sale show, September 2016 born Foxhillfarm Masterbull from Michael and Melanie Alford, Cullompton, Devon. By the 125,000gns Trueman Jagger and out of noted brood cow Bankdale Elizabeth, Masterbull made his way home with T A Vickers and Son, Tow Law, Co Durham.

Messrs Heald, Retford, Nottinghamshire, sold Coachhouse Munster at the same money. This September 2016 born bull is by the homebred Coachhouse Eebygum and out of Coachhouse Ureveller, a Haltcliffe Picasso daughter. Buying this one was P T Makin, Great Ayton, Middlesborough. The final 5,000gns call came for McInnes Mrbond, another from Ashley and Emma McInnes. Also sired

by Loosebeare Iain, this 18-month old is out of Greenwell Daisy, a Vagabond daughter and was the choice of C D C Farm and Machinery, Holbeach St Johns, Lincolnshire.

Close behind at 4,800gns was July 2016

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Sales Coachhouse Munster, 5,000gns

McInnes Machine, 5,800gns

Croxtonheath Mufasa, 5,000gns

born Calogale Mourinho from Messrs Lee and Lloyd, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire.

Mourinho is by the homebred Objat son Calogale Irresistable and is out of one of the herd’s best cows Dinmore Helebore, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter. Irresistable is breeding well for Logierait Commercials, his first two daughters sold for a record breaking 9,000gns and 6,100gns at the Royal Northern Spring Show last year.

He also sired the steer Champion at the Borderway Beef Expo in November 2017.

Mourinho was bought by Luke Colbourne, Newdigate, Dorking.

Two bulls followed at 4,500gns, the first being the two-year old Gascoines Maybetheone from Gascoines Group Ltd, Southwell, Notts. He is by Fieldson Beefy and out of Pasturefields Iamtheone, an Anside Flint daughter. He sold to E Wood and Son, Bramley, Rotherham. The second at 4,500gns was the September 2016 born McInnes MrMotivator another from Ashley and Emma. Also by Loosebeare Iain he is out of McInnes Harrogate, a Strattons Donis daughter. MrMotivatior went home with M A Piper and Son, Tenterden, Kent.

Following Justesse in the female sale was a 5,800gns call for the November 2014 born McInnes Jean again from Ashley and Emma McInnes. This Corridan Hakka daughter, maternal sister to the 9,000gns Greenwell Annette, is out of Greenwell Lenette, an Igolo daughter and sold with her bull calf at foot by Loosebeare Iain. In-calf to Procters Logan she headed home with J and T Waring, Everingham, York for their Everpark herd.

Following that at 4,800gns was the four-year old Dinmore Jouvence from Paul Dawes, Dinmore Manor, Hereford. Another by the French sire Diamant, but this time out of the Wilodge Vantastic daughter and great show cow Dinmore Elegance. She sold with a bull calf at foot by Dinmore Lionheart to Messrs Brown who run the Hollyberry herd at Foggathorpe, Selby.

At the same money was the October

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2014 born Absolute Jadore, another from Messrs Bartle and Cormack. This one is also by Diamant, but out of the Rivermead Judge daughter, Rivermead Rosebud who is the dam of Newstart Upsydaisy.

Also with her Dinmore Lionheart bull calf at foot, she was bought by Adrian Clark and Sons, Great Dunmow, Essex for their Gallowscourt herd.

Making 4,500gns came the September 2015 born in-calf heifer Calogale Leyla, another from Messrs Lee and Lloyd. With a tremendous back pedigree, she is due towards the end of May so offered an exciting prospect for an almost immediate return. Sired by Dinmore Goldeneye and out of Callogale Hollyberry, a Wilodge Cerberus daughter, she is in-calf to Goldies Comet and was the third purchase of the day for the Waring family.

A brace then followed at 4,200gns, with the first being Dinmore Josephine from Paul Dawes. Born August 2014 she is by Diamant and out of Carmorn Voney, a Rubis daughter who was three times Interbreed Champion at the Balmoral Show. With a bull calf at foot by Dinmore Lionheart she sold to Grant Farming who run the Wildmore herd in Boston.

The other at this level was the pre-sale show Female Champion McInnes Majestic from Ashley and Emma McInnes. Sired

by Corridan Hakka this January 2016 born heifer is out of the Strattons Donis daughter McInnes Insatiable and was knocked down to the pre-sale Judge Llyr Hughes on behalf of the Pabo herd of W P Hughes and Son, Llanddeusnt, Anglesey.

At 4,100gns was the Reserve Female Champion Frogmore Lavender from Chris White, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.

The July 2015 born in-calf heifer is sired by Wilodge Cerberus and is out of Ironstone Frangelica, a Clown daughter, making her a full sister to Frogmore Helen, the 2015 Royal Welsh interbreed champion. She was taken by William Tomlinson, Retford, Nottinghamshire for his Tomlinson herd.

Foxhillfarm Masterbull, 5,000gns

McInnes Majestic, 4,200gns

Frogmore Lavender, 4,100gns

Averages 41 bulls £3,949.62 (+£163.01) 48 cows and calves £ 2,776.91 (£-34.66) 57 maiden heifers £2,011.23 (+£293.94) 5 in-calf heifers £2,898 (+£955.50) 10 in-calf cows £2,152.50 (+£451.50) Auctioneers: Newark Livestock Sales

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CARLISLE | MAY 2018

CARLISLE

MAY

2018

AMPERTAINE MAJESTIC RULES CARLISLE LIMOUSINS AT 35,000GNS • 117 bulls average £6,523.46 • 80% clearance rate • 16 bulls make five figures and over • 65 bulls make between 4,000gns and 9,000gns • 192 Limousin bulls and females gross £1,035,404

I

t wasn’t only the weather that hit a high spot over the early May Bank holiday weekend. The bumper fortnight of British Limousin Cattle Society sales also reached a peak on Saturday 5th May at Borderway Mart, Carlisle with a total of 117 bulls selling to average £6,523.46 with a solid clearance rate of 80%.

It was a sale that again saw robust demand from commercial producers,

Ampertaine Majestic, 35,000gns

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www.limousin.co.uk

Sales

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BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

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CARLISLE | MAY 2018

Judge Dougie McBeath

having turned up in numbers, clearly in the market to buy; they were willing to pay top prices for their bulls of choice.

The sale provided further confirmation of the Limousin breed continuing to deliver for the market and solidifying its position as the ‘go-to’ breed for commercial producers. The sale saw buyers honing in on bulls with strong calving ease and all round performance figures. Trade was given a boost by some stylish breeder’s bull’s which caught the eye of the pedigree audience. While an impressive 16 bulls made into five figures, highlighting the depth of the trade 65 bulls made between 4,000gns and 9,000gns and offering all round great value for commercial and pedigree buyers alike.

The bull sale came hard on the heels of the Limousin female sale the previous evening that had seen a top price of 26,000gns and near full clearance with 75 lots selling to gross over £272,000. The two sales together saw 192 Limousin animals sell to gross £1,035,404.

Leading the day’s trade at 35,000gns was the Intermediate and Overall Champion in the pre-sale Show, which was judged by Dougie McBeath, Springsett Herd, in the shape of Ampertaine Majestic from WJ & J McKay, Co Derry. The December 2016 born bull is by the Wilodge Vantastic son Plumtree Fantastic and out of Ampertaine Joy, maternal sister to 13,000gns Ampertaine Interest. Joy is proving to be one of the best looking breeding cows in the Ampertaine herd. Majestic is Joy’s first calf, his breeding of Plumtree Fantastic and Ampertaine Abracadabra bred grand dam combining muscle, style, milk and calving ease. He was knocked down to Gareth Corrie, Newtownards, Northern Ireland.

Speaking after the sale a happy James McKay said “We are delighted with today’s sale; this is a bull which we have always thought a lot about at home, he is full of style and class in every way. Gareth has got a great bull which I have no doubt wll go onto serve him well”.

This is the second year in a row that the

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Twemlows Morpeth, 20,000gns

Newtack Malster, 19,000gns

Gunnerfleet Merving, 18,000gns

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Sales McKay family have led the trade at this fixture at Carlisle, having sold Ampertaine Mozart at the sale top of 100,000gns last year. The 120 cow Ampertaine herd is run on a commercial basis, selling around 50 plus bulls each year for breeding, the majority are sold privately.

The concentration is very much on easy calving bulls that can manage in all conditions, perfect for the market.

Commenting on his purchase Gareth Corrie who runs Drumhilla Farm on the Ards peninsula said “Majestic is a real breeder’s bull. I had been out to see him at home and was very impressed with him even in his working clothes. This is third time lucky for me; I tried to buy a couple of other bulls from James back in October but was unsuccessful, so am delighted to have the positive outcome this time.” Gareth runs a small pedigree herd at home, and will use Majestic on his own cows; however his intention is to offer Majestic’s semen for sale as soon as possible.

Commenting on the two days of sales the British Limousin Cattle Society’s Chief executive Iain Kerr said “The momentum for the Limousin breed maintains its traction across the country and these sales, for both bulls and females are reflective of that. The industry wants versatility and efficiency more than ever and easy calving, cheap to keep, feed efficient Limousin cattle provide the full packet. It is the breed fit for the market now, and crucially, in the uncertain industry, with the premium built in for farmers and the whole supply chain” Selling at 20,000gns was the Swardland Eddie son Twemlows Morpeth from Will and Jackie Forrester, Whitchurch, Shropshire. Second in his class in the pre-sale show the September 2016 born bull, a natural calf out of Twemlows Hilda, came to Carlisle looking his best having been beautifully managed at home by stockman Jonathan Lunn. Morpeth was purchased by George Hutton, Setmabanning, Keswick, Cumbria, for his Cloughhead Limousin herd.

Close behind at 19,000gns was Newtack Maltster from Grant Morrison, Grange, Keith who was selling at Carlisle for the first time. The November 2016 born bull, which was third in his class in the pre-sale show, is a natural calf by the Ampertaine Foreman son Artnagullion Jaggerbomb and out of Emslies Insi.

He was knocked down to H Annett and Son, Widdrington, Morpeth for their Widdrington Limousin herd.

Winner of class 8 Gunnerfleet Merving from Ian Handley, Ingleton, Lancashire made the next best price of 18,000gns. October 2016 born, Merving is by Ballinloan Jagerbomb and out of

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Loosebeare Nelson, 17,000gns

Glenrock Memphis, 16,000gns

Gunnerfleet Mars, 15,000gns

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CARLISLE | MAY 2018 Gunnerfleet Jenie, who goes back to the herd’s best cow Enchantress whose bulls have grossed over £75,000. He was knocked down Proctors Farm Ltd, Clitheroe.

The Reserve Junior Male Champion Loosebeare Nelson from EW Quick and Sons, Devon came in next at 17,000gns.

The January 2017 born bull by the Plumtree Fantastic son Ampertaine Jeronimo is out of Loosebeare Inky.

Nelson made the long trip back to the South West having been purchased by J H Neale & Son for their Nealford Limousin herd at Wilkie Down, Launceston, Cornwall.

Selling at 16,000gns was Glenrock Memphis from Stephen Illingworth, Lockerbie. The November 2016 born bull stood second in his class to the Overall Champion Ampertaine Majestic. Maternal brother to the 15,000gns Glenrock Northernstar he is by the Ampertaine Commander son Ampertaine Gigolo and out of Glenrock Fantastic. He was knocked down to G & AE Mars & Son for their Kinniside Herd at Cathow Farm, Cleator, Cumbria.

A brace of bulls came in at 15,000gns, both from Ian Handley. The first came in the shape of Gunnerfleet Mars. The October 2016 born bull, second in his class in the pre-sale show, is another by Ballinloan Jagerbomb but this time out of Gunnerfleet Genny. He was purchased by ES & E Norman, Little Orton Farm, Carlisle for their Norman Limousin herd. Ian sold seven bulls in all to a very respectable average of over 8,700gns.

The second was the winner of class 16 Gunnerfleet Nato. The January 2017 born bull is by Gunnerfleet Hicks and out of Gunnerfleet Ilocks which makes him a full brother to 22,000gns Gunnerfleet Lion and 30,000gns Gunnerfleet Mongo.

He made the trip home to Moffat, Dumfriesshire to the Breconside herd of the Breconside Farm Partnership.

Three bulls followed at 14,000gns. First at this price was another from Stephen Illingworth in the shape of Glenrock Matrix. The November 2016 born bull is the same way bred as the 125,000gns Glenrock Illusion and 24,000gns Glenrock Impulse, by Goldies Comet and out of Glenrock Spangle, the herd matriarch who has sold progeny to gross over £410,000 to date. Martix was bought by W F Cruickshank & Sons, Grantown-onSpey, Morayshire. Next at this price was Mereside Mckay from RM Hazard & Sons, Grantham, Lincolnshire. The December 2016 born bull was knocked down to Stephen Wilson, Corby Hill, Carlisle. Mckay was judged to be the best young calf in the East Midlands Herd Competition last year. He is by Lodge Hamlet and out of

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Gunnerfleet Nato, 15,000gns

Mereside Mckay, 14,000gns

the Carmorn Copilot sired cow Mereside Goddess. The last bull at this price came in the shape of Goldies Nicholas from Bruce Goldie, Townfoot. The January 2017 born bull is a Goldies Juggler son with super calving and beef values. Nicholas is out of Goldies Ina, a Goldies Foxtrot granddaughter who consistently breeds very well and bred the high beef value bull Goldies Lookout. Buying Nicholas was JM & SP Cooper, Hill Top farm, Harrogate for their Tomschoice Limousin herd.

Not far behind at 13,500gns was another from the Illingworth stable Glenrock Nemo. This rounded off what had been a spectacular day for Stephen, he sold four bulls to an average of 11,625gns.The February 2017 born bull is also by Ampertaine Gigolo but this time out of Glenrock Spangle. Nemo carries one copy of the F94L and one copy of the

NT821 myostatin genes. He was knocked down to G & S Gilleard who run the Thorninghurst herd at Sour Lane, Thorn, Doncaster.

Class 12 winner and Reserve Intermediate Champion Goldies Maverick from Bruce Goldie sold for 11,000gns. The stylish, shapey November 2016 born bull is another from Bruce by Goldies Juggler but this time out of Goldies Izzy, an outstanding daughter of Haltcliffe Doctor.

He was knocked down to J & F Hartley & Sons, Hamsterley, Bishop Auckland for their Lowshipley Limousin herd.

Another group of three made the same price, this time 10,000gns. The first being a second placed exhibit from Henry Savage & Sons in the shape of Trueman Major. The November 2016 born bull is the unique crossing of the last two National Limousin Champions, Trueman

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Sales Trueman Major, 10,000gns

Glenrock Matrix, 14,000gns

Goldies Nicholas, 14,000gns

Glenrock Nemo, 13,500gns

Trueman Newton, 9,000gns

Goldies Maverick, 11,000gns

Knock Msport, 10,000gns

Euphonium and the 147,000gns Trueman Jagger. Euphonium is the best cow in the Trueman herd; her progeny include Trueman Idol and Trueman Iglesias. He was purchased by Gary Lloyd Howells who runs the Shadog herd at Landysul, Carmarthenshire. A G Howie, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, sold Knock Msport at the same money. December 2016 born class winner Msport, who has a beef value in the top 1% for the breed, is by Goldies Goldfinger and out of Knock Izzy. He was sold to the Priestley family for their Brontemoor herd at Brampton, Cumbria. Lastly, the hammer went down at this price for Haltcliffe Nadal from Craig Ridley, Wigton, Cumbria. February 2017 born Nadal is by Wanthwaite Jackal and out of Haltcliffe Imogen, Stuart Fotheringham made the final bid for his Ballinloan herd at Dunkeld, Perth.

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Dougie McBeath tapped out Trueman Newton from Hanry Savage & Sons as Junior Male Champion and Reserve Overall Champion in the pre-sale show.

Another Trueman Jagger son but out of the milkiest cow in the herd and granddaughter of Ronick Hawk Trueman Foxtrot, Newton is maternal brother to Trueman Lute, Overall Interbreed Champion at the 2017 RUAS Balmoral Show. He was knocked down to TH Harrison & Son, Shap, Penrith.

Haltcliffe Nadal,10,000gns

Averages: 33 senior bulls average £5,256.30 47 Intermediate bulls average £7,372.34 37 Junior bulls average £6,575.27 Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

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STIRLING | MAY 2018

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www.limousin.co.uk

Sales Anside Magneto, 12,000gns

STIRLING

MAY

2018

12,000GNS ANSIDE MAGNETO SETS CENTRE RECORD AT MAY STIRLING SALE AND LEADS STRONG LIMOUSIN TRADE • 12,000gns top price sets new all-breeds centre record at May Stirling Sale • 92% clearance as 44 bulls sell out of the 48 forward • Bulls average £4,928, up by £903 on the year • Six Anside bulls gross £43,890

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A

great weekend of trading Limousin bulls continued in fine style at United Auctions Stirling Agricultural Centre on Monday May 7th when 44 out of 48 bulls forward (a 92% clearance) sold to average £4,928, up by £903 on the year.

Leading the way at this multi-breed fixture, and with a new all-breeds centre record for this May fixture, was the 12,000gns Anside Magneto from the Anside herd of Mr & Mrs S Irvine, Braehead Farm, Drummuir, Keith.

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STIRLING | MAY 2018

Brims Murphy, 9,000gns

Westhall Blackman, 8,000gns

Anside Murphy, 7,200gns

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This stylish October 2016 born bull is by the herd’s stock sire Powerful Irish and is out of Normande Bouquet. Purchasing the top price was Ian Wilkinson, Balgay Farm Cottages, Inchture, Perthshire who runs the Redstroke pedigree herd.

Earlier in the day Anside Magneto had been placed as the Limousin Supreme Champion at the pre-sale show by John Duncan the well-known stockman at Dyke Farm, Milton of Campsie. Speaking after the show Mr Duncan said: “This was a really modern Limousin bull. He was a long clean bull, very well muscled, and walked extremely well. He carried a lot of style and is a bull both suited for pedigree and commercial use.” The Championship and top price sealed a fine day for the Anside herd who sold six bulls in all to gross a mighty £43,890. The herd stock sire Powerful Irish has previously had calves up to 13,000gns and his first ten sons have averaged 7,200gns. Anside’s further bulls sold for 7,500, 7,200, 5,500, 5,200, and 4,400gns respectively.

Standing Reserve to the Champion, and second in the same class, was Brims Murphy from Messrs W&A Oag, Achiebeg, Shebster near Thurso who went on to sell for the second top price of 9,000gns to the commercial producer G McCormick, Claggan Farm, Isle of Islay.

This Ampertaine Gigolo son, November 2016 born, is the fifth bull calf to be sold at United Auctions sales out of the dam Brims Allover, a Ronick Iceman son.

Commenting after the sale the Society’s Chief Executive Iain Kerr said: “The demand for bulls was again strong and I’m delighted for the breeders that there was such a high clearance rate and a big lift in averages. Over the course of three days, some 190 Limousin bulls have sold at Society sales, and including females, to a total gross of £1,358,000. The breed is combining easy calving, ideal weights and age to slaughter, and feed efficiency. Add in marketability at any age and stage and it is an attractive package for commercial producers.”

Selling at 8,000gns was the black coated Limousin bull Westhall Blackman from M Fotheringham & H McNee, Over Finlarg Farm, Tealing, Dundee. A third prize bull, Westhall Blackman is by Westhall Jammy and out of Westhall Dancer, a Tamarvalley Boscastle daughter.

Homozygous polled and black, and carrying excellent performance figures, this bull was purchased by W&M Patrick Ballikinrain Farm, Balfron, Glasgow.

At 7,500gns was Anside Mercury, another Powerful Irish son from the Irvine family. From the same show class as the Champion, this November 2016 bull is out of the Pacha daughter Hudscales Eartha.

A full brother to Mercury sold from the

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Sales herd in October 2016 for 8,200gns. Taking this bull home was TL Stirling, Auchterblair Farm, Carrbridge, Inverness-shire. Carrying on their strong day’s trading the Irvine’s first prize winning Anside Murphy made 7,200gns when selling to A Sime & Son, Bruceland, Elgin, Moray. Another Powerful Irish son this October 2016 bull is out of the Frewstown Breakdance daughter Anside Gale.

Following on from a terrific sale at Carlisle some 48 hours earlier, the Goldies herd of Bruce Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries followed that up at Stirling when selling a further six bulls to gross £31,395.

Heading their consignment at 6,500gns was the second prize winner Goldies Mighty. Another October 2016 born calf, Goldies Mighty is by Goldies Fortress and is out of Goldies Betty whose full brother previously sold for 11,000gns. Goldies Mighty was one of five purchases on the day by the Scottish Government Bull Stud, Longman Road, Inverness.

Having judged the Limousin show of bulls at Carlisle on 4th May Dougie McBeath, along with Sarah Jane Jessop, Lower Greenyards Farm, Bannockburn, got back to selling bulls when receiving 6,500gns for their October 2016 born bull Springsett Marbles. Carrying plenty of breeding this bull is by Woodroad James, the Reserve Overall European bull of the year in 2016, and is out of the dam Majestic June who is a son of Ardglasson Highlander a previous Scottish Limousin Grand Prix Champion. Springsett Marbles was bought by R&D Farquhar, Tewel Farm, Stonehaven, Kincardineshire.

Two bulls from the Whinfellpark herd of Messrs Jenkinson, Clifton Moor, Penrith, made 6,000gns. The first of these was the third prize winner Whinfellpark Mozart.

This calf was got by the world record breaking bull Trueman Jagger and is out of the Ultimatum cow Whinfellpark Diane. Taking this one home was Thomas Meiklem & Sons, Lochram Farm, Kelty, Fife.

A few lots later Whinfellpark Macdonald also made 6,000gns when selling to W Steele & Co, Cumberhead, Lesmahagow, Lanark. December 2016 born this bull, a full brother to the 13,000gns Whinfellpark Iago, is by the herd sire Lowerffrydd Empire and is out of the Wilodge Cerberus daughter Whinfellpark Flair.

The first prize winner in the final class was Maraiscote Nibbler from Mr J Nimmo, Bogside Farm, Newmains, Wishaw. By the Irish sire Corlea Jetset, this January 2017 born bull is out of Maraiscote Jarre.

Purchasing this bull was AM Bell & Co, Towie Farm, New Aberdour, Fraserburgh.

AVERAGES: 44 Bulls

www.limousin.co.uk

Goldies Mighty, 6,500gns

Springsett Marbles, 6,500gns

Whinfellpark MacDonald, 6,000gns

£4,928 (+£903).

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BALLYMENA | MAY 2018

BALLYMENA 2018 MAY

5,300GNS CARMORN NUTCRACKER LEADS THE LIMOUSIN MAY DAY SALE IN BALLYMENA • Clearance rate of 83% for bulls and 82% for females

Carmorn Nutcracker, 5,300gns, Supreme Champion

• Bull average up £286 on the year • Female average up £520 on the year

T

he British Limousin Cattle Society’s Show and Sale was held on Monday 7 May 2018 at Ballymena Livestock Mart. With buyers present from all over Northern Ireland, 29 bulls found new homes at a healthy clearance rate of 83% and to an average of £3,038, up £286 on the same time last year. Nine females also sold at a clearance rate of 82% and to an average of £2,022, up £520 on last year’s May Day sale.

Realising the top price of 5,300gns was Carmorn Nutcracker bred by C & F McAuley, Toomebridge, Co Antrim. This February 2017 born embryo calf is sired

by Trueman Jagger and out of the home bred dam Carmorn Gucci. He had caught the eye of Judge Blair Duffton from Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the pre-sale show and was awarded Overall Supreme Champion, Overall Male Champion and Junior Male Champion accolades.

The Judge commented “Carmorn Nutcracker is a modern bull with a tremendous top line and back end. I believe he will do well with cross bred cows and will produce superior calves.” Come the sale and Blair followed through with this sentiment as he went onto be the successful bidder. Carmorn Nutcracker now heads home to Aberdeenshire with him.

Gaining the second top price of 5,000gns was Ballyrickard Mrbean bred by I N Davidson, Larne, Co Antrim. This November

92 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

Ballyrickard Mrbean, 5,000gns

www.limousin.co.uk

Sales 2016 born bull is by Norman Ely and out of the dam Ballyrickard Judy. Mrbean is also heading to Scotland having been purchased by G Yarr from Angus.

Selling for 4,400gns was Archies Maximus bred by McKenna Bros, Bellaghy, Co Derry. This November 2016 born bull is sired by Archies Jazzyjeff and out of the dam Goldies Interflora. Maximus now heads to a new home with Ross Millar, Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone.

Intermediate Male Champion Aghadolgan Miles bred by R A G Savage, Drumahoe, Co Londonderry sold for 4,200gns. This November 2016 born bull is by Virginia Andy and out of the dam Aghadolgan Ismerelda. Miles was purchased by E English, Lisburn, Co Antrim.

Rahoney Marshall, an Ampertaine Gigolo son sold for 3,900gns. Bred by H & D McFarland, Trillick, Co Tyrone, this November 2016 born embryo calf is out of the dam Rahoney Jerusha and now heads to V & D Sommerville, Co Fermanagh.

Senior Male Champion Rathcarn Mandela sold for 3,800gns and was bred by S & D O’Kane, Maghera, Co Derry. This June 2016 born embryo calf is by Ampertaine Elgin and out of the dam Ampertaine Ikea. Mandela was purchased by A Birt, Newtownards Co Down.

In the female sale fetching the top price of 3,400gns was the pre-sale show Female Champion Rahoney Natasha bred by H & D McFarland, Trillick Co Tyrone. This April 2017 born embryo calf is by Ampertaine Gigolo and out of the dam Rahoney Hazel.

Natasha was purchased by Limousin breeder Mel Lucas, Antrim, Co Antrim.

Rahoney Natalie another female from H & D McFarland took second top price at 3,100gns. A March 2017 born embryo calf

by Ampertaine Gigolo and out of Rahoney Hazel, Natalie now heads to J P McAlister, Coleraine, Co Londonderry.

Averages: 29 Bulls 9 Females

Aghadolgan Miles, 4,200gns, Intermediate Male Champion

£3,038 £2,022

Rathcarn Mandela, 3,800gns, Senior Male Champion

www.limousin.co.uk

Archies Maximus, 4,400gns

Rahoney Natasha, 3,400gns, Female Champion

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BRECON | MAY 2018

BRECON

MAY

2018

6,700GNS KILLERTON MCCOY HEADS UP BULL TRADE AT BRECON LIMOUSIN SALE • 36 bulls sell to an average of £3,971.04

Killerton Mccoy, 6,700gns

• 15 bulls make 4,000gns and more • 92% clearance

M

r and Mrs PW and SM Greed, Columbjohn Farm Ltd, Columbjohn Farm, Rewe, Exeter took the 6,700gns top price with Killerton Mccoy at the British Limousin Society’s May sale held at Brecon Market on Saturday 12th May. For good measure their bull had also picked up the Supreme Championship in the pre-sale show under the Judge Paul Tippetts of the Wilodge herd, Shifnal, Shropshire.

Home-bred Killerton Mccoy is a natural calf by Crossdykes Goliath and out of Killerton Icebucket. Purchasing the Champion and the top prices animal was WI and J Adams, Tir Canol Farm, Cwmtwrch, Swansea.

Commenting on his Champion the Judge Paul Tippets said “Against a lineup of good bulls Mccoy stood out on the day, correct and well grown he was my clear Champion” The day saw a good level show of commercial type bulls and the solid trade in the ring reflected this, which is very much continuing the trend seen at markets across the UK in previous days and weeks. The sale at Brecon brought to conclusion a very successful ‘bumper fortnight’ of Limousin fixtures that have seen robust demand for bulls and females, fantastic clearances and strong averages. The 92% clearance of the 39 bulls forward seeing an average of £3,971.04 demonstrates the continued

94 | BRITISH LIMOUSIN CATTLE SOCIETY

Ashledge Newark, 6,300gns

www.limousin.co.uk

Sales Foxhillfarm Nottonight, 5,200gns

Killerton Muddy, 5,000gns

Twemlows Mighty, 5,000gns

Twemlows McCoy, 4,600gns

Bringewood Memphis, 4,800gns

www.limousin.co.uk

support from the marketplace for the easy calving, feed efficient, cheap to keep, Limousin genetics.

At 6,300gns came Ashledge Newark from Messrs AG Kirton and Son, Severn Lodge Farm, Kinlet, Bewdley. The last bull in the ring, March 2017 born Newark is by the Cloughhead Umpire son Haltcliffe Iceman and out of Ashledge Honesty. A well grown bull with great length and width he came to Brecon sporting good performance figures including a caving value and beef value in the top 10% of the breed. He was knocked down to JT Lewis and Co, Dolfor Hall, Dolfor, Newtown, Powys.

At 5,200gns came Foxhillfarm Nottonight from Mike and Melanie Alford, Foxhillfarm, Cullompton, Devon. Placed second in his class in the pre-sale show the January 2017 born embryo calf, by Neuf out of Foxhillfarm Izzy carries a beef value of LM+44. His dam Izzy is one of the Foxhillfarm herd’s most successful ETbred full sisters to Foxhillfarm Gracie, with a string of show accolades to her name.

Nottonight was purchased by Morgan and Jones, Morfa, Aberystwyth.

Carrying on their successful run of sales in recent weeks, Mike and Melanie also realised 5,000gns for Foxhillfarm Notachance, a January 2017 born son of Ampertaine Gigolo out of one of the herds foundation females 35,000gns Bankdale Elizabeth. He was bought by JJ Comer, Barn Cottage, Water Hay, Swindon, Wiltshire. Foxhillfarm Nivana made 4,600gns. A class winner in the pre-sale show the February 2017 born Nivana is by the 147,000gns Trueman Jagger and also out of Bankdale Elizabeth, which makes him full brother to 8,000gns Foxhillfarm Nancy, who sold at Carlisle earlier in the month. Nivana, who carries a beef value of LM+52, was knocked down to S Jones, Garth, Llangammarch Wells, Powys.

Also at 5,000gns came Twemlows Mighty from Will and Jackie Forrester, Higher Heath, Whitchurch, Shropshire.

The October 2016 born class winner had been placed as Reserve Senior Champion in the pre-sale show. By the Sympa son Twemlows Dynamite and out of Twemlows Indigo he was sold to Nempnett Farm Ltd, Blagdon, Bristol.

Will and Jackie also achieved 4,600gns for Twemlows Mccoy, a September 2016 born bull by the well-known Ampertaine Gigolo and out of Twemlows Jackie.

He was bought by G and M Davies, Hafodarthen Farm, Abertillery, Gwent.

Three lots later and the hammer went down at the same price for Killerton Muddy, another from the Greed family. He had been tapped out as Reserve Overall Champion in the pre-sale show which made it a 1-2 for the Greed stable. The

November 2016 born bull by Emslies Horny and out of Killerton Eartha was purchased by R P Morgan and Son, The Farm, Lloyney, Knighton, Powys.

At 4,800gns came Bringewood Memphis from Mr A W Smith, Burrington Farm, Burrington, Ludlow. Placed second in his class the September 2016 born natural calf is a son of Objat and out of Bringewood Emily. He was purchased by J Porter, Moor House Farm, Southwick Road, Highbridge, Somerset.

Coming from Mr J H Neale and Son, Launceston, Cornwall, Nealford Norfolk realised 4,700gns. By the Ampertaine Elgin son Ampertaine Inferno, who the Neale family purchased for 16,000gns at Carlisle back in May 2015, the January 2017 born bull is out of Nealford Jellybean. He made his way home with EJ Jenkins, Black Bush, Abbeydore, Hereford.

At 4,500gns came Dyfri Mascot from Messrs D G and M J Edwards, Cilycwm, Llandovery, Camarthenshire. The Septermber 2016 born natural calf is by the renowned Fenomen and out of the Wilodge Cerberus daughter Dyfri Mascot.

Bred from an easy calving line he came to Brecon carrying an exceptional beef value of LM+58 and two copies of the F94L myostatin gene. Mascot as purchased by M and R Day, Manor Farm, Winchcombe, Cheltenham.

Leading the sale of females at 2,000gns was a cow and calf outfit from Mr C Jones, Llanarth, Dyfed. The August 2015 born cow Cletwr Lisa and her Foxhillfarm Madman calf at foot was knocked down to E & S Thomas, Tanygroes. Cardigan.

The small cohort of maiden heifers all sold very easily, the top price of 1,600gns went to Underwood Nadia from Messrs I and W Jones, Builth Wells, Powys. The March 2017 heifer, by Eves Joseph and out of Underwood Elas, was the second purchase for K Tanner, Gellimarch Farm, Cadoxton, Neath. He had bought the preceding lot, from the same vendor, Underwood Minx, for 1580gns.

Averages 36 Bulls £3,971.04 1 Cow & Calf £2,100.00 6 Maiden Heifers £1,177.75

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5|

Mereside

LORENZO

SIRE: JACOT DAM: MERESIDE DAWNMARIE

GERRYGULLINANE GLEN SIRE: MACHERMORE AUGUSTUS DAM: DERRYGULLINANE DAISY

NETHERHALL JACKPOT SIRE: REQUIN DAM: CLOUGHHEAD AINSI

WILODGE GOLDCARD SIRE: WILODGE CERBERUS DAM: SARKLEY BELLOLA

Our Limousin range brings together highly respected bloodlines and breed-leading sires, to deliver our customers with world class genetics.

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