It was a solid day’s trading for the Blondes at Bristol Sales Centre on Saturday 21st of April with a clearance rate of 95%. The British Blonde Society sale was in the charge of McCartneys, who presided over a good commercial demand for bulls ready to work.

Quicks Albert sold for 3,500 guineas

Leading the way was Quicks Albert from Messrs A R Quick and Partners, Crediton, Devon who sold to 3,500gns. Albert was awarded first place in his class and Overall Champion by the Judge Mr P Rodgers, Presteigne. Albert was an impressive June 2005 bull which featured the Quicks breeding on both sides and was sired by the homebred Loosebeare Robert and out of a 16 year old homebred dam Loosebeare Goldie a Loosebeare Champion daughter and he heads back down to Devon to Mr M T James, Hardings Leigh, Chanleigh, Devon.

The reserve champion was Kinaston Artie from Mr Roy Kinnish, Manor Farm, Bridgnorth, Shropshire. Artie followed Albert through the classes and was eventually knocked down for 2,400gns to Messrs Rees, Pencrug Brecon. Artie, was a June 2005 son of the herd’s successful senior herd sire Haydens Platinum and out of a homebred cow, Kinaston Izzie. Taking the second top price of 2,800gns was another bull from the Kinaston herd, Kinaston A-boy, third prize winner to the champion and born in June 2005, who was another son of Haydens Platinum and out of the homebred mother Kinaston Rowenta, a Kinaston Henry VIII daughter. A-boy goes north to Messrs Howells, Mynyddbrith farm, Dorstone, Hereford.

There were several bulls sold for 2,300 gns, the first being the red ticket winning Meynpern Vincent from Mr Lional Mann, Meyn Pern farm, Constantine, Falmouth, Cornwall who was a November 04 son of the French sire Laos and out of Megray Lindsey, this impressive bull weighed in at nearly 1150 kg and goes to work at Messrs Rogers farm at Corn Hill, Leominster. Mr Mann also sold a Nicodeme son, Meynpern Arni out of Treamble Teresa, for 2,000gns to Mr W H Howells, Tynwtra, Llandinam, Powys.

Also selling for 2,300gns was the first prize winner, Ystwyth Apollo form Messrs J G P Lewis and Son from Cefnllwynpiod near Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. Apollo, a March 2005 bull was sired by another French sire Fallou and out of a homebred dam, Ystwyth Poppy an Intrepide daughter and goes down to Devon to Messrs Neill of Barnstable, Devon.

The third bull to make 2,300 was the May 2005 bull Doncombe Aesculus from local vendor David Knight of Coombe Cottage, Failand Lane, Bristol. Aesculus was sired by the Knight’s successful senior herd sire Druk Lance and out of a homebred cow, Doncombe Lillypilly an Arlequin daughter. He sold to Mr C Price of Herbert Farm, Middle Tysoe, Warwickshire. Mr Knight sold Doncombe Banyan a son of the home bred sire Doncombe Ranganitra, a Blackwater Jockey son out of a Druk Lance daughter Doncombe Sequoia for 2,100gns to Scriveton Manor Farm Holdings Ltd at Bakewell. One of the youngest bulls forward - born in January 2006, he was a first prize winner and boasted figures of BA 20. Also from the Doncombe stable was Doncombe Arapaho sired by the French bull Nielsen out of another Lance daughter, Doncombe Pocahontas and he was knocked down for 2,000gns to volume buyer G Collins Farms Ltd, Gore Cross, Wiltshire.

Selling for 2,200gns was the second prize winner and the youngest bull forward the 12 month old Millend Billy-Whiz from George Bowden & Son, Millend Farm, Hambleden, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. He boasted a tremendous weight for age and weighed in at 670kg. Sired by the homebred sire Millend USA, a Bradbury Evan son out of Millend Noodle a Billingford Noodle daughter. He was knocked down to the Mabon herd of Messrs GW & FM Jones, Garth Hall Farm, Llanfabon, Mid Glamorgan.

Mr R G Davies of Fronfedw Farm, Ciliau Aeron, Ceredigion sold the second prize winner, Fronfedw Abracadabra, a Fronfedw Rhyd-y-Beirdd son out of a homebred dam Fronfedw Tegwen, who is a Whistley Oedema daughter for 2,100gns to Messrs AM & S Bowden, Harepath Farm, Drewsteignton, near Exeter.

Bilsington Alad from P A de Giles from Swanton Farm, Bilsington, Ashford, Kent was sold for 2,100gns to Messrs Boultons Court Farm, Rodley, Gloucestershire. Alad is a son of the homebred sire Bilsington Snowdon, an Everest son and out of the homebred dam Bilsington Trollop.

Leading the females were two heifers from R G Davies’s Fronfedw herd, at Ciliau Aeron, Lampeter. First through the ring was Fronfedw Verona who was a first prize winner on the day and she sold to volume female buyer Messrs Phillips of Bockleton Farm Ltd, Sallings Farm, Bockleton, Worcestershire. Mr Phillips also purchased the second prize winner from Mr Davies, Fronfedw Alys for 1480gns. Both Verona and Alys was sired by the Davies’s successful herd sire, Fronfedw Rhyd-y-Beirdd an Ashtonlodge Jet son.

Average for 25 Bulls sold - 1932gns.

Average for 7 Females sold - 1260gns.

NBA’s P&O ferry link for pedigree exports already showing its value
DNA Testing Assists Late Passport Appeals
Precision Finishing Should Deliver Bulls-Eye Prices