May looks set to be a busy month for the Farming Eye team what with the start of the show season kicking off and it looks like we’ll be setting up camp at Borderway Mart for a busy month’s trade.
Kicking off the month will be the Limousin sale in Carlisle, where as ever we’ve come up with a few picks from the catalogue. It’s by no means a comprehensive list, so feel free to add your own thoughts below.
First up in the bull offering is an interesting decision from the Ridley family to sell the stock sire Procters Commander (lot 12), the February 2007-born Haltcliffe Vermount son out of the Greenwell Ronick daughter Procters Vabrielle. His progeny to date have included the 12,000gns Haltcliffe Eubank and the 20,000gns Haltcliffe Encore.
An early attraction in the senior offering is Ballybane Fatherted (lot 14), a Greensons Gigolo son out of a Cannon daughter, from Cathal Conlon, while Gigolo breeding is also to the fore in Elegante Figolo (lot 16) from the Cruikshank family. This one is by Sympa out of a Gigolo daughter, Milbrook Roe who goes back to Tulipe.
Next up to catch the eye is a Wilodge Cerberus son in the form of Burndale Forensic (lot 34). This has a good mix in its pedigree with the dam Burndale Cherry being a Sympa daughter out of a Cannon dam.
Donal Murray is then offering a Procters Commander son, Titchburn Fantasia (lot 55). Out of Ballymoney Twinkle, this one carries Domino and Geant in its pedigree.
Then it’s the first of the Wilodge bulls from Christine Williams and Paul Tippetts. Wilodge Flyer (lot 60) is a Ronick Hawk son out of the Wilodge Thumper daughter Wilodge Annette who goes back to one of the herd’s early foundation females Boswells Danette.
And sticking with Wilodge breeding, Charlie Boden has a Cerberus son forward in the form of Sportsmans Firestone (lot 65). This one is an ET-bred son out of the prolific breeder Ravenelle and carries a beef value of +33 and a muscle figure of +5.4.
James McKay has a good run of bulls listed (although I have heard whispers he’s sold out of bulls at home), but the first to warrant a mention is yet another Cerberus son, Ampertaine Fieldsman (lot 67), who is out of the Sympa daughter Ampertaine Cindy who also carries Nenuphar in her back breeding.
The first from the Thomas family is next up with Nebo Fernando (lot 69) being a Mas Du Clo son out of the Gaulois daughter Nebo Roberto who is dam of the 6200gns Nebo Viking, the Genus sire Nebo Amazon, the 12,000gns Nebo Dynamite and the 16,000gns Nebo Director.
Then it’s time for a bit of black in the form of Emslies Black Flatout. Another from the herd’s successful sire Bailea BMW, this one is out of the Oxygene daughter Emslies Caramel who is full sister to the 10,500gns Emslies Ebay and the 10,000gns Emslies Celt. Although black bulls from this home rarely disappoint, it’s his figures that really catch the eye with a muscle figure of +7.3 and a beef value of +49.
Iain Nimmo’s Maraiscote Filbert (lot 78) is next up for me. By Virginia Andy who has bred well for this herd, he is out of the Tyddyn Mei daughter Maraiscote Sophie who carries Djerk so could be one for the muscle fans.
On paper Bruce Goldie certainly looks like to have an impressive string of bulls forward, with the first being Goldies Fiesta (lot 89). By Haltcliffe Bill, he is out of the Ramses daughter Goldies Bramble who goes back to Ronick Esther, the dam of Hawk.
Fans of the 72,000gns Haltcliffe DJ will no doubt be interested to see what his full brother Haltcliffe FM (lot 94) looks like in the flesh. By Cloughhead Umpire and out of the Nenuphar daughter Radio, he has a beef value of +33. And from the same home is Haltcliffe Fox (lot 101), a Vermount son out of the Sympa daughter Haltcliffe Derriere who is full sister to the 30,000gns Haltcliffe Banker.
The next lot in the ring is likely to be marked by those still looking for Wilodge Vantastic bloodlines. Togherdoo Frasier (lot 102) is an ET Vantastic son out of the Bailea Olympia daughter Ronick Vision who carries Talent and Broadmeadows Ainsi in her back pedigree. His beef value of +38 and good muscle score might counteract his -11 calving figure.
Then it’s another from the Goldies family in the form of Goldies Fivestar. This Cerberus son is out of the Sarkley Ragtime daughter Goldies Vitality, who is dam of the 15,000gns Goldies First, the £26,000 privately sold Goldies Classic and the 23,000gns Goldies Comet. And sticking with the same vendors, their next Goldies Ferrari (lot 105) is one of the last chances to by a son of Lascard. This ET-bred bull is out of Goldies Beauty, a Nenuphar daughter, who is dam of the 22,000gns Goldies Fandango.
Lot 121, Glenrock Fortune, is next up on the list. By Wilodge Vantastic, this ET-bred bull is out of the Kype Interrogate daughter Glenrock Spangle, dam of the 13,000gns Glenrock Victory, the 20,000gns Glenrock Bianca and 10,000gns Glenrock Eagle. He has a beef value of +37, but a -10.2 calving value.
And sticking with Vantastic, the McKinney Bros have a Vantastic son in the form of Heathmount Frenchconnection. This one is out of the Sanfoin daughter Heathmount Veronica who is carrying Gigolo in her back pedigree and a beef value of +39.
Ronick Hawk blood continues to be in demand, therefore, the next one from the Ridley family might be on your wish list. Haltcliffe Fortune (lot 138), a Hawk son out of the Ocean daughter Haltcliffe Atlantic who is a Gloria daughter out of Haltcliffe Ulrica, dam of the 10,000gns Haltcliffe Underwriter. This pedigree and its +42 beef value might make it an attractive package for some.
And if it’s figures you’re after then look no further than Wilodge Formulaone (lot 155). By the noted sire Objat, he is out of the Vantastic daughter and highly successful show female Wilodge Diamante. This one is carrying a muscle figure of +7.5 and a whopping beef value of +57. This has to be one of the biggest picks in the catalogue for me!
Next up is an interesting pedigree in the form of Gunnerfleet Fireball (lot 157), an ET-bred Heros son out of the Cannon daughter Gunnerfleet Luna, a daughter of the prolific Ballyburton Una.
Next in the list is Tomschoice Grenadier (lot 185), a son of the 100,000gns Haltcliffe Vermount out of the Sarkley Topknot daughter Tomschoice Cosmopolitan, who bred the reserve junior champion at last year’s Great Yorkshire, Tomschoice Fashionbull.
And sticking with this class (there’s always one that has a few headliners!), is Jonathan Watson’s ET-bred Tweeddale Goodwood. This Sympa son is out of Grahams Sharon and has a beef value of +41, while Mai Thomas then has Nebo Governor (lot 187) a Mas Du Clo, this time out of the Neuf daughter Nebo Caryl a female who featured successfully at the 2009 Royal Welsh Show. He has a beef value of +42.
Then it’s the first Haltcliffe DJ son to be offered from David and Margaret Kelly in the form of Netherhall Georgetown (lot 192). This is out of the Irish bred Domino daughter Elite Dixie.
Alasdair and Gill Macnab’s Alagils Gershwin (lot 204) might also be worth a shout. This ET-bred Millgate Caesar son is out of the Scorboro Regius daughter Alagils Ainsi, who is a daughter of the Cannon daughter Broadmeadows Jiji. This one has a beef value of +37.
And back with Charlie Boden, he is offering the first catalogued son of the 26,000gns Grahams Dublin out of the Royal Show champion and 28,000gns Millington Davina, a Mas Du Clo daughter. With an impressive pedigree and a beef value of +40 I’m quite intrigued to see this one in the flesh.
As we near the end of the junior section, Derriaghy Goliath (lot 219) is next on the list for being maternal brother to the 22,000gns Derriaghy Enfield. This one is by Sympa and out of Lenagh Utopia and has a beef value of +39.
And sticking with a run of good figured bulls, Dyfan and Carol James have Cowin Goldfinger (lot 220), an Urville son out of the Rocky daughter Cowin Brenhines. This one is likely to be jam packed with muscle and is maternal brother to the 16,000gns Cowin Doubleoseven. He has a beef value of +45.
As ever, this isn’t a full complement of picks and there are bound to be bulls you’ve marked out that aren’t mentioned, so add your own picks below.
Before we come to a complete close, this preview isn’t complete without the mention of some interesting embryos on offer. I wouldn’t mind betting we might see a few new records broken on the embryo front with Wilodge offering Wilodge Tonka x Ravenelle – a chance to breed your very own Wilodge Vantastic – and Wilodge Vantastic x Wilodge Amethyst. Now with Vantastic semen trading at 900gns recently no doubt these are likely to draw in a few bids!
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