A Moray farming family was left celebrating yesterday after achieving their best price ever at the Stirling Bull Sales.
The Green family, who run the Corskie herd of Simmentals, achieved 25,000gn when the overall pre-sale show champion went under the hammer.
January-2015 born Corskie Gingersnap is no stranger to success, landing the Green family and herdsman Robert Taylor a string of rosettes this summer including champion of champions at Echt, junior interbreed at the Highland, and breed champion at Nairn, New Deer, Turriff, Keith and Grantown.
A son of the record-priced 45,000gn Bel Dhu Capercaillie, which was bred by the Macpherson family at Croy, near Inverness, he sold to the pre-sale show judge Vikki Wood for her Popes herd at Preston.
Another Bel Dhu Capercaillie son – May-2015 born Corskie Griffin – landed the Greens 12,000gn when he sold to C. Thomson, Wester Tulloch, Midmar. The same buyer snapped up Corskie Green, also by Capercaillie, for 9,000gn.
The Greens also achieved 9,500gn for Capercaillie son Corskie Goldbar, which stood reserve senior champion in the show before selling to John Wilkie, Braigiewell, Echt.
The Stronach family, who run the Islavale herd at Berryleys Farm, Grange, Keith, also had a successful day selling to a top of 12,000gn and achieving the reserve overall champion title.
Their sale topper, which placed reserve intermediate champion, was April-2015 born Islavale Galahad, which is the first son to be sold from the 15,000gn Atlow Dixon. He sold to A.D. Sutherland, Connachie, Elgin.
Next best for Islavale at 10,000gn was Islavale Gaelic, by Curaheen Bandit, selling to A. and J. Craig, Craigton, Castle Douglas.
Their reserve overall champion – Islavale Granite by Popes Laird – sold for 6,800gn to A.H. Smith, Low Arkland Farm, Kirkcudbrightshire.
Another north breeder enjoying success was the Macpherson family at Croy, selling two lots for 11,000gn and one at 10,500gn.
First at 11,000gn was a full brother to the 45,000gn Bel Dhu Capercaillie – Blackford Grouse, by Hockenhull Waterloo. He sold to John and Hamish Dykes, South Slipperfield, West Linton.
The other at 11,000gn was Blackford Glen Affric, by Kilbride Farm Doubleaction and out of the same dam as Blackford Findhorn which sold for 18,000gn. He sold to K. Matheson, Milton of Aberarder, Inverness.
The last Blackford bull in the ring – another Doubleaction son called Gulliver – sold for 10,500gn to Gordon Nicolson of Househill Mains, near Nairn.
The only other entry to achieve a five-figure price was the reserve junior champion from the McIlwaine family’s Corrick herd in Newtonstewart, Northern Ireland.
Corrick Gareth, by Carbery Caribbean, sold to T.C. and G. Greenhill, Craighill Farm, Duntrune, Angus..
In all, 82 bulls sold to a clearance rate of 79% and an average of £5,393. This is back £576 on last year’s sale when 66 sold to average £5,969.
Simmental females, outwith those sold in the Woodhall sale, topped at 5,800gn for a cow and calf outfit from AJ Wilson’s Cairnview herd in Kilwinning.