There was a full house at Carlisle on Saturday for a reduction sale from one of the UK’s best-known Limousin cattle herds.
Harry Emslie, of Kinknockie, Mintlaw, grossed nearly £390,000 from the 79 females, which sold to 16,500gn. There were two at 12,000gn.
Breeders from around the UK and Ireland converged on Carlisle for the sale of what Mr Emslie had described as the Sassy Lassies from the Emslies herd he established a decade ago.
Sale topper was Emslies Guerlain, an October 2011 daughter of Sympa and Ubonie. She has a estimated breeding value of +37 and is a maternal sister to Emslies Frenchman, which was sold to US breeders for 37,000gn.
Drew Hyslop, who won the supreme at the East of England Smithfield Festival at Peterborough in December, bought her for his cattle enterprise based at Myrtle Cottage, Schools Brae, Haugh of Urr, Castle Douglas.
Sharing the 15,000gn cost of Emslies Duchess and her Bailea Bullion-sired June-born bull calf, Emslies Ironman, were Wight Livestock, of Whitrighthill Farm, Melrose, and W.J. and M. Mash, of Torrington Farm, Chesham. Duchess is a September 2008 daughter of Salomon and Ballymoney Veronica, the noted show cow. Duchess, a former second prizewinner at the Royal Highland and supreme at Turriff and New Deer, has an EBV of +30.
Also at 15,000gn to agricultural student Aileen Ritchie, of Tamara, Burnside, Whitecairns, Aberdeen, was the April-born heifer Emslies Ieryl, by Procters Cavalier and out of Emslies Eryl, another Ballymoney Veronica daughter. Ieryl’s half-brother, Emslies Hendreron, made 15,000gn in October at Stirling.
C. Lewis, of Buttington New Hall, Welshpool, paid 12,000gn for the rising four-year-old cow Emslies Farah and her bull calf, Emslies Integrity. Farah, by Cavalier and out of Ballymoney Sarah, has a beef value of +35 and recently ran with Emslies Frenchman. Integrity is by Emslies Colossus, the bull with the highest EBV in the Limousin breed at +62.
Emslies Gillian, a rising three-year-old in-calf heifer by ULM and out of Kaprico Chrysanthemum, made 12,000gn to J.L. Woodward, of Rieton Close, Thorpe St Andrews, Norwich. Neil Barclay, of Harestone, Crathes, bought at 9,500gn the 23-month-old heifer Emslies Black Galaxy, by Bailea BMW and out of Emslies Curlywurly. The black heifer, which has been running with Emslies Foreman, has a beef value of +48.
The mother-and-son outfit of Emslies Eyecandy and Emslies Icarus made 9,000gn. Eyecandy, a four-year-old by Cavalier and out of Emslies Alison, has been running with Colossus and was bought for 6,000gn by Will Owen, of Braich-Y-Saint, Criccieth, Wales.
The May-born Icarus, by Colossus, has already a beef value of +48. He was bought for 3,000gn by G. Jones, of Ty Hen Newydd, Llanerchymedd, Wales.
Sharing the much-fancied Emslies Heledd at 9,000gn were A. and G.E. Redhead and Son, of Bowsden Moor, Berwick, and John Elliot, of Roxburgh Mains, Kelso.
Heledd, by Colossus and out of Emslies Elin, has the top beef value for a female in the Limousin breed at +58. Emslies Adultress, a 10-year-old cow by Louxor, and her March-born heifer calf Emslies Intoxicate, by Derriaghy Enfield, grossed 7,200gn. K. Watret, of 26 Northfield Park, Annan, bought the cow, while the Alfords of Staplegrove Livestock, Foxhill Farm, Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon, acquired the calf at 4,300gn.
Emslies Carly, a six-year-old daughter of Ronick Hawk, and her Cavalier-sired April-born bull calf Emslies Inferno, made 5,500gn. The Clarks of Kinnahaird, Contin, Strathpeffer, bought Carly for 3,500gn, and then spent 5,300gn acquiring Emslies Dollybird, a five-year-old cow, and her April-born heifer calf, Emslies Iollybird.
Averages were: 26 cows and heifers served and or suckling – £6,021.35; 31 in-calf heifers – £4,985.81; nine maiden heifers – £3,896.67; seven weaned calves – £3,360; six embryo calves – £3,500.