News

10,000GNS ROMA DREAMER 2ND LEADS ROMA SIMMENTAL DISPERSAL SALE

• Lisglass Gladioluf and Roma

Legend 20 sell as an outfit also at 10,000gns • Roma Destiny and her twin bull calves sell for a collective 8000gns • Sale grosses £155,080 for the 46 lots sold

Roma Dreamer 2nd sold for 10,000gns to lead the Dispersal Sale of the Roma Simmental herd of Roy Weatherup, Romavale, Ashybank, Hawick, Roxburghshire, held on Saturday, 11th September 2021, at United Auctions Stirling Market.

The November 2015 born Roma Dreamer 2nd is a Dinton Nautical daughter out of the Kilbride Farm Newry sired Roma Dreamer. She was sold with her Islavale Frontier sired heifer calf Roma Dreamer 6th at foot and was PD’d back in calf to the herd’s stock bull Islavale Frontier. Purchasing the top price was JC & JL Weatherup, who runs the 35 cow Lisglass herd at Irish Hill, Ballyclare, Co Antrim.

Also at 10,000ngs was the outfit of Lisglass Gladioluf at 5200gns, with her bull calf Roma Legend making 4200gns. The August 2015 born Lisglass Gladioluf is by Carnkern Titan and out of Slieveroe Caroline. She was snapped up by her breeder when being another to go back to JC&JL Weatherup, Ballyclare, Co Antrim. Her bull calf, the November 2020 born Roma Legend 20 was also by the herd stock bull Islavale Frontier. This calf was purchased by the Saltire herd of J&G Houliston, Newmains, Drem, North Berwick.

Commenting on his top price purchases, Leslie Weatherup said: “We really like the Roma Dreamer breeding and it is an entirely new line to the Lisglass herd. We also purchased Roma Dreamer 3rd on the day for the same reason.” With regard to Lisglass Gladioluf he went on to say: “I bred Lisglass Gladioluf and it’s a bloodline I had lost and wanted to get back. Her dam Slieveroe Caroline was a Supreme Champion at Balmoral Show. Gladioluf had an extremely good bull calf with her at the sale and her bull calf last year sold at Stirling for 4000gns.” In all Leslie Weatherup, who is the cousin of Roy Weatherup, bought six animals on the day.

Selling at a collective 8000gns to Messrs MacFarlane, Quixwood Farm, Duns, Berwickshire, was the 2014 born Roma Destiny with her two Islavale Frontier sired bull calves Roma Lovejoy (TM), and Roma Loverboy (TM). The fourth calving Roma Destiny, born 2014, is got by Samark

Roma Dreamer 2nd and Roma Dreamer 6th .

Lisglass Gladioluf and Roma Legend.

Superman and is out of Killiworgie Destiny. Roma Destiny sold at 2600gns with the November 2020 Roma Lovejoy reaching the same mark, and his twin Roma Loverboy selling for 2800gns. Again a prolific purchaser on the day, the MacFarlanes purchased eleven of the lots on offer.

Another outfit at 6600gns was Roma Bluebell 3rd who made 2800gns, with her bull calf Roma Limit 20 selling for 3800gns. Roma Bluebell 3rd, who is 2018 born, is by Lisglass Barnabus 10 and out of Roma

Bluebell. She was sold PD’d in calf to Islavale Frontier, to the Pitmudie herd of Heather Duff, Pitmudie, Menmuir, Brechin, Angus. Roma Limit 20, sired by Samark Superman, was bought by Norman Innes, Millbrae, Findhorn, Forres.

At 6000gns was the 2018 born Roma Beauty 3rd. This maiden heifer is by Popes Barclay 10 and out of Roma Beauty 2nd. PD’d in calf to Islavale Frontier, Roma Beauty 3rd was sold with her January 2021 born bull calf, Roma Moneyboy 21, also by Islavale Frontier, and was another purchased by Norman Innes, Millbrae, Findhorn, Forres.

The Roma Dispersal Sale was held due to the impending retirement of Roy Weatherup who, speaking at the end of the sale said: “I’m very pleased with how the sale has gone. I felt that the sale really offered an outstanding opportunity for new and established breeders to buy some topquality Simmental genetics from what has been a productive herd of cattle. To that end I very much hope that they go to breed well for their buyers.”

AVERAGES: 20 cows with calves at foot £3680 7 cows £3060 5 bull calves £3276 7 in-calf heifers £3270 6 maiden heifers £2730 1 stock bull £4410

Roma Bluebell 3rd .

£7000 INCHEOCH LINCOLN TOPS THE SIMMENTALS AT THE MCGOWAN FAMILY’S WORKING GENES SALE

• Six Simmental bulls sell to average £5100.

Homozygous polled Simmental bulls proved popular at the recent Incheoch Working Genes Sale of Neil and Debbie McGowan, Incheoch Farm, Alyth, Blairgowrie which culminated on 2nd September. The sale was the fourth time that bulls were sold alongside the McGowans’ on-farm ram sale which was in its 14th year.

The three sons of the Irish bred bull Auroch Deuter, all carrying the double polled gene, averaged £6266 and sold to a top of £7000 for Incheoch Lincoln, a bull with a cracking set of very balanced EBVs for a maternal sire, and out of an Apostle dam. Incheoch Lincoln headed to the Scottish Borders and to Ian MacFarlane of Quixwood.

Born within an hour of Lincoln was Incheoch Londry who was the pick of Steven Smith of Stobshaugh Farm, Cortachy at £5600. His Dirnanean Fivestar dam also bred Incheoch Keystone, the homozygous polled bull that topped the 2020 Working Genes sale

at £6200. Following Londry was Incheoch Leopold who caught the eye of Jim Barr of Muirsland Farm with terminal and self-replacing indexes of 101 and 129 respectively and strong-bodied cows with good tops right through his dam line. Leopold was bid to £6200 and went straight out to work at Lesmahagow.

The new sale format involved both on-line and on-farm bidding and saw a complete clearance of the 98 rams also on offer. The Yourbid system, developed by Meadowslea Angus in New Zealand, allowed the sale to work under Covid restrictions last year. With more freedom this year, buyers were able to bid from smart phones while standing in the bull paddocks or even with the traditional ‘nod’ to the team at bidding stations. 50% of buyers bid from a distance however – some harvesting, some with Covid concerns, and others just preferring the system.

Neil McGowan added, “It’s great that folk have the confidence to bid from videos and figures when their busy lives dictate – but there’s nothing like being on-farm, getting a bit of chat and seeing the stock with your own eyes.”

£5600 Incheoch Londry PP.

£25,000 LISGLASS KIRK SETS NEW BREED RECORD FOR A SIMMENTAL BULL BRED IN N IRELAND

County Antrim Simmental breeders Leslie and Christopher Weatherup set a new breed record of £25,000 for a bull bred in Northern Ireland when selling the September 2019 born Lisglass Kirk in a private deal in April 2021. The purchasers were Philip Simmers, and sons Andrew and Reece, from Backmuir Farm based in Keith, Banffshire. The Simmers farm an extensive acreage of mixed arable and grassland, alongside pedigree and commercial suckler enterprises totalling in excess of 600 cows.

The five-figure price tag is a dream come true for the father and son duo. “We’re totally overwhelmed!” explained Leslie Weatherup who has previously sold bulls to a top of 10,000gns at Stirling, and females for a herd best of 6,600gns.

The record-breaking Lisglass Kirk, is a son of the NI-bred Mullyknock Gallant. His dam is the 2017 Balmoral Show champion Lisglass Goddess GP83, a daughter of the herd’s successful stock bull Dermotstown Delboy, the Balmoral supremo in 2014 and 2015. have ever bred. He is extremely correct and has tremendous length, power and muscle, coupled with style and breed character.”

The Weatherup family attributed the record-breaking deal to the power of social media. “Until now, I hadn’t fully appreciated the power of social media. My wife Laura took videos, and we posted photographs and details of four Simmental bulls on Facebook for sale,” said Christopher.

“The response went beyond all expectations. Within a short period of time my page was flooded with likes and comments, and the posts were shared numerous times. As a result, all four bulls have been sold averaging £9,500, with two going to pedigree herds.”

The Weatherup family with Lisglass Kirk.

BALGRAY HILL COMMERCIAL SIMMENTAL FEMALES SELL TO £2550

The first part of the dispersal sale of DR Cornthwaite, Balgray Hill, Lockerbie, held in June at Harrison & Hetherington’s Lockerbie Mart, saw Simmental cows and heifers with calves at foot sell to a top of £2550 with further lots at £2500 (x2), £2400, £2350, £2250 and with a number over the £2000 mark. The sale, with 120 Limousin and Simmental heifers and stock cows with Limousin & Blue calves at foot forward, saw every lot sell to average just under £2050.

The top Simmental price of £2550 was paid for a May 2018 born female sold with an April born Lim bull calf at foot, with the outfit being knocked down to J&I Pattinson, Bonshawside, Kirtle Bridge, Lockerbie. J M Goldie, Newbie Mains, Annan paid £2500 for a rising five-year-old Simmental cow with her May born Limousin heifer calf at foot. Also at £2500 was an April 2018 born Simmental sired female sold with her April born Limousin heifer calf at foot to J&I Longlands, Tone Hall Farm, Bartley, Hexham.

In the run up the Society had helped with sale promotion and to highlight the breed’s commercial abilities in this South West of Scotland area. The Cornthwaites first introduced the Simmental to their breeding policy some 13 years ago and had been very impressed with the breed’s ability to produce a functional suckler cow which would go on to rear a strong calf with good growth rates. Speaking at the time, David Cornthwaite said: “We buy in Limousin cross Friesian heifers from a closed herd and bull them to a Limousin to breed three-quarter Limousins which we use as herd replacements. The best of these replacement females are then bulled to the Simmental to give us an additional crossing, before being put back in-calf to Limousin or British Blue bulls.” “Although we use a variation of beef breeds, the Simmental is a staple part of our herd and has helped put milk back into our females and improve growth rates in our calves, particularly the males which are sold through the store ring. We find Simmental females mature quicker and have more milk at a younger age which has also allowed us to calve heifers at two-years-old, compared to the Limousin crosses at three years of age. This is a huge benefit to our beef herd as the females are productive at a younger age, producing more calves overall. There’s a secure future for the Simmental as both a maternal and terminal sire, producing milky, fertile replacements and easy fleshing cattle that can be sold at a good weight for age.”

RESERVE CHAMPION SIMMENTAL MAKES £3,200 AT ROYAL ULSTER BEEF & LAMB CHAMPIONSHIP

The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) hosted the fourth Royal Ulster Premier Beef & Lamb Championships, in partnership with principal sponsor Bank of Ireland on Tuesday 23rd November 2021 at the Eikon Exhibition Centre, Balmoral Park, Lisburn.

The Champion Simmental was awarded to James Alexander from Randalstown with this heifer selling for £2,600 to Scotland, and Ed McNeill from Dumfries and Galloway. Pictured with the winning animal is handler Jennifer Hyslop.

HEMINGFORD HERD RAISES £5,500 FOR BREAST CANCER NOW

In the run up to the Next generation sale at Carlisle in December 2021, James and Rachael Griffin of the Hemingford Simmental herd, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, pledged to donate the entire sale proceeds of their heifer, Hemingford Lancome, to the Breast Cancer Now charity. The announcement was first made through social media in October which fittingly was Breast Cancer awareness month. In 2018 Breast Cancer had touched the Griffins when Rachael was diagnosed at the age of just 33, and with no family history of the disease. Following this journey, James & Rachael decided that they wanted to do something to raise both awareness and funds for vital research and along with help and support for people affected by breast cancer. This incredibly kind gesture struck a chord and the story received a huge following in the run up to Next Gen. Come sale time and Hemingford Lancome sold for 3000gns to GR Morton, Penrith, Cumbria. Simultaneously a Just Giving page opened to support the fundraising realised a further £2,400 and pushing the overall total to over a fantastic £5,500. At the time of going to press the Just Giving page remains open but with plans to make a presentation to the Breast Cancer Now charity early in the year. Huge thanks are extended to the Mortons for purchasing Lancome and to everyone who supported this charitable cause. A further massive thank you and well-done of course also goes out to James and Rachael for this incredibly kind and generous gesture.

Rachael with Lancome at the Next Generation Sale.

DONATED BACKMUIR BULL MAKES £5000 FOR CHARITY!

Amassive ‘tip of the hat’ goes to the Simmers family, Backmuir Farm, Keith, Banffshire, who donated the March 2020 born Simmental bull Backmuir Livewire to Dingwall & Highland Marts Charity Auction held at the end of November 2021. The Charity Auction was being held with funds raised going towards the Highland Hospice and also Maggie’s Highlands, an ovarian cancer charity. Come auction time and Backmuir Livewire, an Islavale Imperial son, sold for a fantastic £5000 when being bought by Messrs Riddioch at Seggiecrook Grange. The Charity Auction as a whole raised an absolutely remarkable £125,000. A further tremendous gesture and act of kindness from all at Backmuir Farm, and again with all funds raised going to two such worthy causes!

‘GREAT FUN’ DINNER AT STIRLING CELEBRATES FIFTY YEARS OF THE SCOTTISH SIMMENTAL CLUB

Immediate Past President Michael Barlow with current BSCS President Stewart Stronach

Past and present Scottish Club Chairmen & Secretaries, and BSCS Presidents Patricia Goldie, Scottish Simmental Club Chairperson Robert McAlister (Bruchag) and John Trafford (Hepplewhite)

Abig congratulations to Scottish Simmental Club Chairperson Patricia Goldie, and Club Secretary Richard Pettit for organising a hugely enjoyable and successful dinner on the eve of the October 2021 Stirling Simmental Bull Sale, at the Golden Lion Hotel in the town centre.

Just over 100 breeders and friends attended, with members from all four home countries, and Ireland, enjoying the celebrations. A fantastic meal was served with some superb beef (had to be Simmental) featuring as the main course! A lot of laughs were heard around the tables as members told stories of the breed and the sales across the years, and reminisced on many memories and friendships at shows, sales, and events, and from the ‘old’ Perth through to Stirling today. Following the meal Patricia Goldie spoke ever so well on behalf of the Scottish Club and before inviting BSCS President Stewart Stronach to say a few words on behalf of the Society. Thereafter, Tom Bruce of the Tillyeve herd, and the Scottish Young Farmer of the Year, mixed humour with insight to give his thoughts and perspective on the Simmental breed, its rich history, and its huge potential for the future.

Following the informal speeches it was time to draw the raffle, which raised just over a fantastic £1100 for Ward L50 at Leeds General liver and kidney unit for their wish list and Wee Scottish Livers who fund training of specialist liver nurses and Sonographers.

No celebration would be complete without an anniversary cake and with the members ‘wowed’ on the night by a Dorothy Moffatt special!