Stirling Bull Sales: Top awards in Simmentals go to Northern Ireland and the north

By Katrina Macarthur

February 19 2023, 4:04 pm

The supreme winners from Bannhill and Blackford with sponsors and judge Colin Fordyce.

An intermediate bull from Northern Ireland led the way in a strong show of Simmentals at Stirling Bull Sales today.

The top six awards in the breed’s championships went home to herds across the water and up north to Keith and Inverness.

Tapped out as the supreme winner by judge Colin Fordyce, from Islabank Farm, Blairgowrie, who is herd manager for Strathisla Farms, was Bannhill Farm Masterpiece, from Alan Wilson’s herd from County Down.

Bannhill Farm Masterpiece stood intermediate and overall champion. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson.

He is a June 2021-born son of the 12,000gns Kilbride Farm Bantry, out of Ballinalare Farm Evita, and his full brother sold for 10,000gns at Stirling in February 2021.

Bannhill Farm Masterpiece stood overall champion

Anne MacPherson, from Blackford, Croy, near Inverness, stood reserve overall champion with her senior winner, Blackford Mars.

This one is a May 2021-born AI son of Heathbrow Important, which the MacPherson family bought privately after Anne tapped him out as reserve champion at the Simmental national show in Norfolk in 2019.

Blackford Mars stood senior and reserve overall champion. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

His dam is Blackford Honey, a daughter of Hockenhull Waterloo.

The Simmers brothers – Reece and Andrew – from Backmuir, Keith, stood reserve senior champion with a bull from the second class, Backmuir Moonshine.

This April 2021-born bull is a son of the 18,000gns Wolfstar Jackaroo, which stood overall champion at Stirling in February 2020.

His dam is the Skerrington Wardlord-sired, Starline Orlane.

Backmuir Moonshine won the reserve senior championship. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Another Keith-based herd ruled supreme champion in the juniors, this time Islavale Mufasa, from the Stronach family, who run the Islavale herd at Berryleys and Maisley.

Two herds from Keith feature in top awards

Mufasa is an October 2021-born son by the privately purchased Corskie Highlander, an EX92-classified bull by the EX93 Dirnanean Bradley, which has been breeding a number of five-figure bulls for the family.

The dam is Islavale Amanda, by Clonagh A Superstar.

The junior championship winner was Islavale Mufasa. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Reserve champion in the intermediate section went to the Robson family’s Kilbride Farm Morikawa, from Ballyclare, Northern Ireland.

He is a July 2021-born polled son of the 16,000gns Islavale Harvest, which already has several cows scanned in calf.

His dam is a Curaheen Gunshot daughter, Kilbride Farm Eunice.

Richard and Rhys Rodgers, from Portglenone, Northern Ireland, stood reserve junior champion with the September, 2021-born Hiltonstown Matrix.

Another with cows scanned in calf, he is an AI son of Saltire Impressive, out of the Kilbride Farm Warren-sired, Hiltonstown India Rose.

The sale of Simmentals takes place from 10am tomorrow.

Colin Fordyce judged the Simmental show at Stirling Bull Sales today. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

RESULTS

Simmental (Judge: Colin Fordyce, Islabank Farm, Blairgowrie)

Senior – Bulls born on or between Mar 7 and Apr 1 2021 – 1, WJ and J Green’s Corskie Match; 2, WS Stronach’s Islavale Marley; 3, D and R Durno and Sons’ Auchorachan Magic. Bulls born on or between 2 and 20 Apr 2021 – 1 and reserve senior, R & A Simmers’ Backmuir Moonshine; 2, WH Robson and Sons’ Kilbride Farm Merlin; 3, AS and YA Leedham’s Grangewood Magic. Bulls born on or between Apr 21 and May 5 2021 – 1, A King’s Wolfstar Mustang; 2, D Lowry’s Keeldrum Midas; 3, R McCulloch’s Overhill House Minty. Bulls born on or between May 6 and 21 2021 – 1, senior champion and reserve overall, WG MacPherson’s Blackford Mars; 2, A Barlow and Sons’ Denzies Magic; 3, A King’s Wolfstar Moves Like Jagger. Intermediate – Bulls born on or between May 22 and Jun 5 2021 – 1, intermediate and overall champion, A Wilson’s Bannhill Farm Masterpiece; 2, WG MacPherson’s Blackford Merlin; 3, R McCulloch’s Overhill House Marlon. Bulls born on or between Jun 6 and Jul 18 2021 – 1, R and R Rodgers’ Hiltonstown Magnificent; 2, J and A Wilson’s Ballinalare Farm Mack; 3, HD Houldey’s Manor Fields. Bulls born on or between Jul 19 and Aug 26 2021 – 1 and reserve intermediate, WH Robson and Sons’ Kilbride Farm Morikawa; 2, WG MacPherson’s Blackford Mosby; 3, D and R Durno and Sons’ Auchorachan Magnum. Junior – Bulls born on or between Aug 27 and Sept 5 2021 – 1 and reserve junior, R and R Rodgers’ Hiltonstown Matrix; 2, WD and JD Hazleton’s Ranfurly Masterpiece; 3, RJ Cumming’s Cwarre Mercury. Bulls born on or between 5 and 20 Sept 2021 – 1, L Green’s Garmouth Matt; 2, AS and YA Leedham’s Grangewood Maverick; 3, J Jeffrey’s Kersknowe Moses. Bulls born on or between Sept 21 and Oct 20 2021 – 1, JC MacIver’s Coltfield Maestro; 2, WJ and J Green’s Corskie Mineral; 3, WJ and J Green’s Corskie Miner. Bulls born on or after Oct 21 2021 – 1 and junior champion, WS Stronach’s Islavale Mufasa; 2, WD and JD Hazleton’s Ranfurly MacGregor; 3, WS Stronach’s Islavale Mario. Group of three – WG MacPherson, Blackford.