A well-known family of Aberdeen-Angus breeders from the north-east has sold a 50% share in one of its top bulls to a herd south of the border.
Father and son duo Neil and Graeme Massie, who farm at Blelack, Dinnet, near Aboyne, have sold a half share in Blelack Dynamite to Paul Westaway’s Melview herd in Dumock, Gloucestershire.
The family held a major reduction sale of their Angus herd in October last year setting a new breed record price when Blelack Lady Eraline went under the hammer for 35,000gn selling to the Balavil sporting estate near Kingussie.
The sale of Dynamite, which is by the famous Netherallan Peter Pershore and out of Ballyheather Dolly, includes semen marketing rights. Neither breeder would confirm the value of the deal but said it was a “five-figure share price”.
Mr Westaway plans to take Dynamite to a number of shows this summer including the breed’s national summer show at the Royal Three Counties and the Royal Highland Show – both of which coincide with the World Angus Forum.
He said: “I have been a great admirer of this bull since the first time I saw him and I am delighted to be working with Neil and Graeme as partners in bringing his genetics to the world. His pedigree, EBVs and phenotype make him an ideal candidate to join our breeding programme.”
Graeme Massie said: “We are really looking forward to working with Paul and the team at Melview to make Dynamite’s genetics available to breeders both here in the UK and globally. The bull is a fantastic animal himself and is a great representative of our breeding goals and objectives at Blelack.”
Semen from Dynamite will be available from the middle of next month.