Belgian Blues Fly at Carlisle
22/05/06

The Border Belgian Blue Club staged their Sixteenth Annual Spring Show & Sale at Carlisle, when auctioneers Harrison & Hetherington Ltd, Borderway Mart, Rosehill offered for sale one of the best entries of Belgian Blue Cattle ever seen at this centre. This has been a tremendous pedigree sale that has seen averages rise greatly with the intermediate bulls surpassing their previous best average of £3,750.59 Carlisle May 2003. From the start of the two day event there was a very positive atmosphere. With a lead call of 21,000gns and a further 21 bids of 5,000gns and above, the overall average jumped a massive £1,029.98 on the year, and the intermediate bulls averaged a staggering £4,760.51 up a huge £1,613.12 on the year.

Henlli Wishmaster ET - 21,000gns

Auctioneer David Dickinson commented “There was exceptionally strong commercial trade, with commercial buyers out in force bidding keenly on animals that met there criteria. There was a lot of regular support along side the new buyers. There was a virtual sell out, with only a handful of bulls offered leaving the sale ring unsold.

The show and sale was kindly sponsored by BBG (Class Prize Money), British Belgian Blue Cattle Society and Border Club (Advertising). BBG also gave £100 to the Supreme Champion and £50 to the Reserve Supreme Champion.

The judge, Belgian Blue Group President, Michel Vincent had the very difficult task of judging the show on Friday 19 May. He awarded the Junior Male, Overall Male and Reserve Supreme Championship to Springfield Wedgewood ET, a November 2004 ET son of Nounours De Wihogne (IS) and Springfield Ursula. Wedgewood was bred and exhibited by regular supporters of the Carlisle sales Allan & Deirdre Wilkinson, Spring Farm, Whin Lane, Out Rawcliffe, Preston, Lancs. He left the sale ring unsold, but the Belgian Blue Group, International Semen Company has agreed to purchase this bull (pending satisfactory tests and export regulations) to export back to Belgium to join the BBG stud. Wedgewood was selected by the head of the selection committee and president of BBG for an undisclosed figure. The Belgian Blue Group has been waiting for ten years to import British type genetics and now that the export ban has been lifted they are able to achieve this. The selection committee picked this bull out due to his genetics – in particular his sire Nounours De Wihogne (IS) is very scarce but still highly sought after.

Belgian Blues equalled the breed record of 21,000gns when GV Williams, Bryn Henlli, Bodorgan, Anglesey sold his single entry to Sean & Reece Jenkins, to join their Penfro herd based at Crymych, Pembrokeshire. Henlli Wishmaster ET, an August 2004 son of the noted Baron Du Bois Bauloye and out of Bringlee Sandy, was placed 1st in his class and was Intermediate Male Champion at the pre sale judging. This exceptional black bull was shown with great success in 2005 – when at just 10 months of age he was 1st prize junior bull and reserve male champion Royal Welsh Agricultural Show;1st prize junior bull, reserve breed champion & reserve junior interbreed bull Anglesey show; 1st prize junior bull at Flint & Denbigh show.

Second top price of the day was 9,500gns from an undisclosed buyer for Almeley Wellington a powerful black and white bull. Wellington, a May 2004 bull is the first son to be sold by Park U Panda. He was bred and exhibited by Graham L Morgan, The Cider Mill, Tillington, Herefordshire. Graham sold 5 bulls to average £4,935.

An AI son of Affute Du Ry Ossogne was next in the price ratings. Annanwater Wiseguy bred and exhibited by Border Club enthusiasts Brian and Andy Ryder, Newton Farm, Moffat, Dumfriesshire was placed 2nd in his class and winner of the Border Belgian Blue Club Special Trophy for the top price animal owned by a member of the club. This 20 month old blue and white bull was champion calf at Penrith Show 2005, and was successfully purchased by ME & JJ Fell, Stanger Hill, Torpenhow, Mealsgate, Carlisle for 8,800gns. Affute has a string of high priced progeny to his credit including the Carlisle 2005 autumn male and supreme champion Clougher Wonderboy ET who sold for 9,000gns. The Annanwater stable sold 4 bulls to average £4,436.25.

Also hitting the high spots at 8,000gns was the single entry from T Allan Jackson, Covington Mill, Biggar, Lanarkshire. Headlind Winter Flash ET, a February 2004 son of the Nounours De Wihogne and Springfield Tinga flush. Winter Flash won the Border Club Calf Show 2005, Ayr Show and was 2nd prize Royal Highland Show 2005. His new home is with H Harvey & Son, Waxham Hall, Sea Palling, Norwich, Norfolk.

Andrew Craig, Woodview Herd, Coleraine, Co Londonderry, N Ireland sold two exceptional bulls to average £6,300. His senior bull entry Woodview Wayne ET was placed 1st in his class and was reserve senior male champion. He boasts an EBV of +16, and is by the aforementioned Affute. His dam is one of Andrew’s best cows Trixie. Signing the cheque for 7,200gns were M Bindloss & Son, Shap Abbey, Shap, Penrith, Cumbria. Woodview’s second entry Woodview Wildfire ET (full ET brother to Woodview Wayne) was placed 3rd in his class and sold for 4,800gns.

Junior bulls sold to a top call of 7,000gns for Stephen Potter, Westside, Topcliffe, Thirsk when he sold Brookfield Amos to Miss C Raine, Stanhope Gate, Middleton in Teesdale, Co. Durham. Amos, a dark blue, 16 month old son of Philipper de Remichampagne and out of Brookfield Octave - one of the herds best breeding cows, whose dam is Highfield Jewel who has given the Brookfield herd much success including Brookfield Mario overall champion who sold to equal the then breed record of 10,500gns Carlisle May 1997. Brookfield enjoyed a bumper days trading selling 4 bulls to average £4,305.

Two bulls hit the 6,500gns mark; the first was the first bull through the ring Widewath Vagabond ET from JC Walker & Son, Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge, Clitheroe, Lancs. Vagabond was bred by Mark Bousfield and was initially sold for 3,100gns Carlisle May 2004. This first prize January 2003 born bull was sold to WG Johnson & Son, Mallard Grange, Aldfield, Ripon, N. Yorkshire.

Matching this price was the 3rd prize bull Stowbeck Wilson from Border Club members Skirwith Hall Farms Ltd, Skirwith, Penrith. This July 2004 son of Tamhorn Sumo and out of their homebred cow Rosie caught the eye of N Innes, Millbrae, Findhorn, Forres, Inverness.

RA Aston, The Stable Tallet, Lower Dudnil Farm, Cleobury Mortimer, Nr Kidderminster, Worcs made his debut at Carlisle selling two Twyning Ash Troy sons for 6,200gns and 5,500gns. Astrics Whirlwind, an October 2004 bull out of Astrics Starlight was placed 5th in his class, and was bought by R Leiper & Co, Bygate, Ponteland for 6,200gns. Astrics Woody ET, also an October 2004 bull sold for 5,500gns.

Auchenlay All There the full brother to Auchenlay Vagabond who sold for the record price of 21,000gns Carlisle May 2005 went through the ring for 6,200gns to GW Woolhouse & Son, Church Farm, Raven Field, Rotherham. All There was bred and exhibited by R & M Paterson, Upper Auchenlay, Dunblane, Perthshire. He is a January 2005 born son of Park Organiser and is out of Codicote Rose.

Top price for Jane & Danny Wyllie’s Tamhorn herd, from Pessall Farm, Edingale, Nr Tamworth, Staffs, was 6,100gns for Tamhorn Wacker ET, a 25 month old ET son of Cristal De Somme and Norbreck Kitty (who has bred 23 sons to average over 5,000gns). Wacker sold to Aucheneck Estates, Killearn, Stirlingshire.

And not far behind, also from the same good stable – Tamhorn Wiseman ET a 3rd prize bull was knocked down for 6,000gns to J Innes & Son, Dunscroft, Huntly, Aberdeenshire. Wiseman a two year son of Affute Du Ry Ossogne is the last son to be born at Tamhorn by Affute, whose semen is no longer available. His dam Tamhorn Milly was champion female RASE 1997.

The senior male and reserve male championship was awarded to Blue Rock Wakizashi Warrior ET, a two year sold of Baron and out of the 5th generation naturally calving dam Ridge Dean Tamsin. He was bred and exhibited by Darren Russell, Co Antrim, N Ireland and knocked down for 4,500gns to DR Owen & Son, Sandilands Farm, Tywyn, Gwynedd.

Not to be outdone by the males females enjoyed a bumper days trading with 11 selling at 3,000gns and above.

Leading the ladies at 5,200gns was the 1st prize cow, female and supreme champion Lukeroyal Tara ET, from the renowned stable of Mel and Diane Lucas, Antrim, N Ireland. Tara a November 2001 cow sold in calf to Twyning Ash Vaughan – She has been flushed once, producing 11 embryos, 9 have been implanted and so far 2 black and white calves have been born and more are due soon. This lovely blue/white heifer is by Cubitis Du Pre Rosine and her dam is Aurore De St Fontaine. The successful buyers are J Innes & Sons, Dunscroft who also purchased the aforementioned 6,000gns bull Tamhorn Wiseman ET.

Next at 4,500gns, DA Williams, Lodge Hill Farm, Shifnal, Shropshire purchased Annanwater Abbie ET, and her recipient dam a Beef Shorthorn to join their successful Wildoge herd. Abbie, a black, 6 month old heifer out of Brian and Andy Ryder’s, Annanwater herds present top breeding cow Springfield Tinga – Abbie is sired by the big blue bull Gitan Du P’Tit Mayeur (+10 for height)

Not far behind on 4,200gns was the senior unserved heifer Lochside Wigtown, shown by W Timm, Farmteck UK Ltd, Goole and bred by Mark McKelvey. Wigtown who stood 2nd in her class, is a January 2004 daughter of Balto De Steinbach and is out of Plasucha Princess, and was knocked down to Maulscastle Farms, Annan, Dumfriesshire.

A little later in the sale another senior unserved heifer was knocked down for 4,000gns. Glenrock Whiskey ET was bred and exhibited by Helen Illingworth, Howgillside, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire. This October 2004 born heifer by Baron Du Bois Bauloye and out of Park Regal was placed 1st in her class and joins the herd of T Robinson & Sons, Catlow Farm, Slaidburn, Clitheroe, Lancs.

Averages
34 Senior Bulls £3,767.76 (plus 512.65)
34 Intermediate Bulls £4,760.51 (plus £1,613.12)
26 Junior Bulls £3,287.31 (plus 460.82)
94 Bulls Overall £4,100.03 (plus £1,029.98)

2 Heifers in calf £3,097.50
17 Heifers unserved £2,699.12
9 Cows and Heifers served and/or suckling £2,811.66
2 Recipients with FOT calves at foot £3,937.50

Other leading prices: -

Bulls

Samuel Milliken’s “Romancier De Charlevaux” 5,800gns to RJ Tiplady, Scarr House, Muker, Richmond, N Yorkshire. 3rd in class 1.

Michele Wilde’s “Ridge Dean William ET” 5,500gns to Scott & Scott (Ayston) Ltd, Home Farm, Ayston, Rutland, Leics. 1st in class 6.

RA Aston’s “Astrics Woody ET” 5,500gns to GH & NM Jones & Sons, Ty-Isaf Farm, Erwood, Builth Wells, Powys.

Mr & Mrs D Gregory’s “Gregmaur Wycliffe” 5,500gns to R Owen, Pengraigwen, Lanerchymedd, Anglesey.

K Belfield’s “Boothlow Wynn ET” 5,300gns Messrs Taylor, Fell End, Bewaldeth, Cockermouth, Cumbria. 5th in class 5.

Mrs Helen Illingworth’s “Glenrock Wrangler ET” 5,200gns to S & DJ Williams, Cefnllech, Pantydwr, Rhayader, Powys. 2nd in class 7.

Messrs Broughs’ “Carrock Warrior ET” 5,000gns to EJ & AM Fox, Elsdonburn, Kirknewton, Wooler, Northumberland. 1st in class 4.

DA William’s “Wilodge Whatshisname ET” 5,000gns to T Robinson & Sons, Catlow Farm, Slaidburn, Clitheroe, Lancs. 3rd in class 5.

Mrs Ingrid Phillips’ “Balzer Wee Wallace” 5,000gns to DM & RE Capstick, Swinden Moor Head, Hellifield, Skipton, N Yorks.

JH Pedley’s “Oak Tree Acceptabull ET” 5,000gns to KD Harryman, Keskadale, Newlands Valley, Keswick, Cumbria. 2nd in class 9.

Females

Desmond McAskie’s “Mountjoy Wayward ET” 3,800gns, to JR Kennedy, Lyonpark, Maybole, Ayrshire. 2nd in class 10.

J & J Green’s “Oxcroft Alice ET” 3,800gns, to JW Kay & Co, Gass Farm, Straiton, Ayrshire. 3rd in class 12

Alastair MacInnes’ “Ruaig Vodka ET” 3,500gns to R Carr, Homilton, Capheaton, Newcastle.

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