Aberdeen-Angus Prices Soar at Stirling
2009-10-21

With a top price of 15,000gns and 13 prices of 5000gns or more, the average for Aberdeen-Angus bulls soared by more than 1000gns at the breed’s autumn show and sale at Stirling.

Blelack Krackerjack Lad H914 - 15,000gns

The 40 bulls sold averaged £4242 compared with £3200 for 43 last year.

However, 22 of the 62 bulls on offer were withdrawn unsold which brought a warning to breeders from breed chief executive, Ron McHattie, that buyers were only interested in the best bulls, backed by good performance figures.

“The trade demonstrated the wide disparity in prices between the top bulls and the also-rans,” said Mr McHattie. “There is a clear message there for breeders to bring only their best to breed sales.”

The Aberdeen-Angus was the first of the pedigree beef breeds to be sold at the annual autumn sales held in United Auctions’ new £15 million auction centre at Stirling following the move from Perth.

The 15,000gns top bid came mid-way through the sale for the third prize intermediate bull, Blelack Krackerjack Lad H914, from N F Massie and Sons, Blelack, Dinnet, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. Buyer was Robert McNeil for his Kincardine Castle herd at Millhill, Auchterarder.

Sired by the 13,000gns Blelack Prince Consort A286 and out of the Canadian-bred, Viking Karama Lady 105J, the bull was a ring-side favourite following a successful show season, which included the reserve championship at Echt, champion at Banchory, reserve breed champion and junior inter-breed bull champion at Turriff and breed and reserve inter-breed champion at Tarland. The bull boasted an impressive set of performance figures including a terminal sire index (TSI) of +37 and self replacing index (SRI) of +47.

The Massie’s also sold the two year old, Blelack Lord Hendry G688, by Nightingale Ernie B133, at 6000gns to B Anderson and Sons, Towford, Jedburgh, and the second prize junior bull, Blelack Evril H998, by Blelack Blackstock A227, at 5000gns to Angela McGregor, Newcairnie, Cupar, Fife, to average £6203.75 for six.

Second top price, and the only other four-figure bid, was 11,000gns for the junior and reserve supreme champion, Eastfield Black Bandit H876, a 19 month old son of Rawburn Rochester E424, consigned by Ewan Brewis, Eastfield of Lempitlaw, Kelso, Roxburghshire.

With a TSI of +33 and SRI of +39, this bull was champion at the National Aberdeen-Angus Show at Newbury Show in September and a first prize winner at the Royal Highland Winter Fair as a calf and at the Border Union and Berwickshire shows.

Buyer was Scott Harcus for his large-scale commercial suckler herd at Quanterness, St Ola, Orkney.

The supreme and senior champion, Lockerley Kougar H897, by Lockerley Rocky E501, from Leonard van Geest, Lockerley, Romsey, Hants, was withdrawn unsold at 5000gns. This bull was champion at the Black Velvet Calf Show at the Royal Smithfield Fayre last December.

The third highest price of 6800gns was paid twice – for the reserve intermediate champion, Perkhill Emperor H011, by the 10,000gns Rosemount Black Knight D464, from Alex and Philippa Davie, Bankhead, Perkhill, Lumphanan, Aberdeenshire, to commercial beef producers, J S McLaren and Son, Dalcapon, Ballinluig, Perthshire,and for the second prize, Belhaven Tabernacle H076, by Muirhall Double Edition E018, from J Gilmour and Co Ltd, Macmerry, East Lothian, to E L Laing, Wester Fearn, Ardgay, Ross-shire.

The Perkhill bull was calf champion at the Black Beauty Bonanza last November and reserve junior champion at the Royal Highland Show. Mr and Mrs Davie also sold another by the same sire, the fifth prize, Perkhill Eagle H017, at 5500gns to J and J Campbell, Wedderlie, Gordon, Berwickshire.

Next highest price was 6500gns paid by Meadowbrook Farm, Little Melton, Norwich, Norfolk, for the second prize, Deveron Lionheart H229, an AI son of the Canadian sire, Young Dale Dudley 26M, exhibited by Hamish and Margaret Sclater, Denhead Farms, Turriff, Aberdeenshire. This bull was reserve calf champion at last year’s Black Beauty Bonanza and a member of the winning pair at both the Black Beauty and the National Aberdeen-Angus Calf Show at Ingliston.

Well-known Blackface sheep breeder, Hugh Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk, Cumnock, Ayrshire, came close to repeating his reserve championship success last year when he took the intermediate championship with Auldhouseburn Fergus H365, by the 10,000gns Duncanziemere Judge E188. This bull sold for 6000gns to Terry Coghill, Muce, Birsay, Orkney.

Others at the same price included two sons of Blelack Eagle D895 from Rae Grieve, Carlhurlie, Lundin Links, Fife – the second prize Carlhurlie Jet Eric G635, going to J P Gray, Unthank Farm, Whittingham, Alnwick, Northumberland, and the first prize, Carlhurlie Gratiano G646 to M J Fleming, Kinnox Farm, Douglas, Lanark.

The same price was also secured for the third prize, Newfield Errol H313, by Newfield Prince E149, from Neil Gillanders, Eastville, Auchleuchries, Hatton, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, to Mrs Ward and Sons, Carnwath, Lanark.

The reserve junior champion, Cheeklaw Paramount H311, an 18 month old son of Tweedside Jewgal Eric Z083, from David Lucas, Cheeklaw, Duns, Berwickshire, sold for 5000gns to BQ Farming, Bowhill, Selkirk, while the reserve intermediate champion, Newton-Struthers Eric H173, by Retanach Pirate C464, realised 3500gns to Quality Meat Scotland chairman, Donald Biggar, Chapelton, Castle Douglas.

Females sold to a top of 5000gns for the first heifer in the small draft from Robert Galloway’s Cardona herd at Doune, Perthshire. The two year old in calf heifer, Cardona Jenon G470, by the Canadian sire, Cudlobe Yellowstone 1’03 and with an SRI of +24 and a milk figure of +7, went to James Porter, Old Glenort, Lisburn, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland.

This was followed at 4800gns for the two year old, Cardona Rita Elixir G477, by Eastfield Fusilier D373, to Messrs Whittaker, Sourston, Tarporley, Cheshire.

The Carlhurlie herd sold Carlhurlie Eglamour G622, a May 2007-born daughter of Blelack Eagle D895, at 4000gns to Preston Farms, Stranraer, Dumfries-shire, and the female champion, Baillieston Lucy Gwen G205, by Blelack Blacksmith Y291, from William Baillie, Biggings, Toab, Orkney, sold for 3000gns to Blackford Farms, Dunblane, Perthshire.

Auctioneers: United Auctions

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