Charolais bulls met a sticky trade from the outset but in the end fared well at Stirling on Monday.
The 26 bulls sold cashed in to average £6,789 (+£786 on the year for 3 more sold).
Producing a 72% clearance, trade matched last year’s top of 12,000gns for 20-month-old Goldies Tommy, from Hamish Goldie’s herd at South Bowerhouses, Dumfries.
Average increases by £786 on the year
Selling to James Brown, Cardon Farm, Biggar, he is by the 14,000gns Caylers Rocky, a sire purchased in Carlisle, which first sons already sold to 10,000gns.
He is bred out of the Gretnahouse Heman-sired Goldies Olivette.
It was a good day for Murray Lyle and son David of the 30-cow Loganbar herd at Mid Cambushinnie, Dunblane, when his two bulls sold for 11,000gns and 8,500gns.
Murray, who was watching from home while recovering from a heart operation, runs 30 Charolais cows alongside 15 Aberdeen-Angus and 15 Salers.
Dearest was the overall champion, Loganbar Topgun, a December 2022-born bull by Thrunton Nike, out of the Bostonia Invincible-sired dam, Loganbar Nutmeg.
He heads north to Keith with Shane and Lesley Robertson, Roebank, Grange.
The senior champion from the Lyle family, Loganbar Topdollar, sold for 8,500gns to Q Limond, Barskelly Farm, Maybole.
This one is a September 2022-born son of the 4,000gns Maerdy Pore, which has bred exceptionally well for the herd and is being used for embryo work.
His dam is the Westcarse Jumbo-sired Loganbar Newdawn.
Forfar breeders Grant and Mark Smeaton of the Bombax herd at Cotton of Ovenstone, Inverarity, also enjoyed a good day at the office selling bulls to 7,800gns and 7,000gns.
The first sons of the 12,000gns Glenericht Ryder to be sold, dearest at 7,800gns was first prize winner Bombax Topgun.
This October 2022-born bull is out of the Blelack Imperialist-sired Bombax Macey, and sold to Aberdeenshire with Johnny and Brenda Mitchell, Badentoul, Portsoy.
The reserve overall champion and reserve junior Bombax Topper, bred out of the Kersknowe Jambo-sired Goldies Olwen, made 7,000gns.
The buyer was J MacGregor, Remiggy, Lybster.
Adrian Ivory’s 40-cow Cardean herd at Ruthven House, Meigle, topped at 7,500gns for Cardean Tiree to the Scottish Government Bull Stud, Inverness.
This September 2022-born bull is an AI son of Elgin Flagship, bought privately for £12,000 several years ago.
The dam is the Lochend Hickory-sired Cardean Lettuce.
Bulls from the Campbell family’s Thrunton herd at Alnwick topped at 6,800gns for June 2022-born Thrunton Tornado.
Selling to A and W Barrowman, Mid Knockglass, Stranraer, this one is by Ballieston Orcadian.
Several bulls went under the hammer at 6,500gns including October 2022-born Inverlochy Tiktok from Johnny and Raymond Irvine’s herd at Tomintoul.
By the 12,000gns Caylers Napoleon, he is out of Ballindalloch Madonna, and sold to JD Jack, Wester Newburn, Leven.
The Mitchells from Badentoul also paid 5,000gns for the reserve senior champion from the same home, this time Inverlochy Tiree, by the same sire.
Also at 6,500gns, was September 2022-born Glenericht Trigger, from Peter, Allen and Fiona Drysdale, Middle Drimmie, Blairgowrie.
By the £12,000 Caylers Oxford, which has bred sons to 20,000gns, he sold to Grove Farm R McKinnon, Meikle Barncleugh, Dumfries.