BLCS Spring 2015 Magazine by British Limousin Cattle Society

Limousin News

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Limousin the official magazine of the british limousin cattle society

Spring 2015

28,000GNS HALTCLIFFE IMPERIAL LEADS CARLISLE SALE SPRING LIMOUSIN SALES GROSS £1.5 MILLION

ROXBURGH HOVA TOPS FEMALE TRADE AT 10,000GNS LIMOUSIN UK’S NO.1 BREED FOR 19TH YEAR IN A ROW

SPRING CALF SHOW & SALES DOMINATED BY LIMOUSIN

AMPERTAINE FOREMAN MOST USED SIRE IN 2014

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2015 LIMOUSIN SOCIAL WEEKEND ANNOUNCED

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TRUEMAN BULL WINS YOUNG BREEDERS CALF SPECTACULAR

Limousin

Limousin Limousin News

British

Cattle Society Social Weekend

18th-20th September

The Three Counties Hotel & Dinmore Herd

Limousin

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N boo O k W !

Hereford

Limousin News Limousin News

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Limousin the official magazine of the british limousin cattle society

Spring 2015

28,000GNS HALTCLIFFE IMPERIAL LEADS CARLISLE SALE SPRING LIMOUSIN SALES GROSS £1.5 MILLION

ROXBURGH HOVA TOPS FEMALE TRADE AT 10,000GNS LIMOUSIN UK’S NO.1 BREED FOR 19TH YEAR IN A ROW

SPRING CALF SHOW & SALES DOMINATED BY LIMOUSIN

AMPERTAINE FOREMAN MOST USED SIRE IN 2014

the british limousin cattle society

2015 LIMOUSIN SOCIAL WEEKEND ANNOUNCED

www.limousin.co.uk

TRUEMAN BULL WINS YOUNG BREEDERS CALF SPECTACULAR

Limousin

Cover Picture: Courtesy of FLPA Agency

NEXT ISSUE: Reports and pictures from the May 2015 Sales Technical round-up and reports on Maternal Traits project application; launch of Carcase Traits results; update on Feed Efficiency Project; and the latest BLUP run Features, herd profiles and ‘news and views’ from British Limousin

Limousin

Easy calving

Editor: Iain Kerr British Limousin Cattle Society Ltd, Concorde House, 24 Warwick New Road, Royal Leamington Spa, Warks CV32 5JG Tel: 02476 696500 Fax: 02476 696716 Email: info@limousin.co.uk www.limousin.co.uk

muscling

Length

It’s the business

& WIDTH

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Limousin

Contents Spring 2015

06 News round-up Another magazine packed full of news around the UK’s No. 1 Breed, the Spring 2015 issue opens up with a look at the ‘Extra Value’ the Limousin breed delivers to commercial beef producers. Ampertaine Foreman the most used sire in 2014; Limousin 2015 Social Weekend announced; Limousin most popular sire for 19th year in a row; Semenstore exports to Germany, and Norway; £700k returned to breeders in breed improvement incentive.

Limousin

30-33 Limousins lead UK Spring Calf Sales

There has once again been a strong demand for Limousin calves at the high profile 2015 Spring commercial calf sales held around the UK. We include a snapshot summary of Limousin leading the way at sale including the Royal Northern; Ruthin; Brecon; Caledonian Marts; Borderway; & Leyburn

42-45 Features on the

Alexander Family, & Nick Tennant

Some cracking features in this issue. We look at the 1,000 strong Limousin suckler herd, featuring 35 Limousin stock bulls, of the Alexander family, Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie, Perthshire. ‘Achieving the Maximum, is the theme of the feature on the 150-head commercial suckler and 20-head pedigree herds of Nick Tennant, Manor Farm, Bridlington, East Yorkshire

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sales Carlisle February 15

p54

Stirling February 15

p58

Dungannon February 15

p61

Aberdeen February 15

p62

Ballymena January 15

p63

Newark April 15

p64

20-27 ‘Maternal Special’

Technical Corner

This issue’s technical section has a very maternal focus on the Limousin breed. We look back at some of the formative bulls in the breed and their legacy; what work the BLCS is taking aim at to meet future markets; and a strategic approach to breeding replacement heifers.

50-53 Feature on Crofting Cattle Improvement Scheme

In a special feature we take a look at the Scottish Government’s Crofting Cattle Improvement Scheme and bull stud based at Knocknagael Farm, Inverness. The scheme leases pedigree beef bulls, including many Limousins, to crofting townships.

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54-65 Haltcliffe Imperial

Tops Spring Sales

Over 500 pedigree Limousins were sold in the period of January to April including some 260 females. The bull trade was led at 28,000gns with the females reaching 10,000gns. For full reports and pictures from all the sales at Carlisle; Stirling; Newark; Ballymena; and Aberdeen, check out the sales section.

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Limousin

Limousin News

LIMOUSIN

‘EXTRA’

Commercial beef producers continue to look for all-round, added value, easy keep cattle that meet the market, and consistently deliver in performance and profit. Limousin females give you all of this along with the Limousin ‘Extra’. CALVING EASE

The Limousin breed remains the calving ease leader. Performance and genetic trends show that, as a whole, the Limousin breed has increased its growth at weaning and yearling age whilst maintaining its advantage in calving ease. As we know, a dead born calf does not weigh much at weaning! Where’s the extra? • Calve easily and calve alone • Easy calving heifers • Easy calving means more live calves and less management Ease of calving is a critical priority in well-muscled beef breeds. 91% of surveyed Limousin customers recorded no calving problems at all with the added comment of the important management benefit this was. Even more extra? • Easy calving, breed back quickly to the bull • Lighter birth weights-vigorous fast growing calves • Calving percentage of over 95% in purebreds

AVAILABILITY

As the UK’s largest numerical beef breed, both pedigree and crossbred, there is strength in numbers and scope to be selective. Dependable, consistent Limousin females are available from farms around the UK. The numbers are there for producers wishing to use Limousin breeding as heifers, suckler cows and to retain females as replacements. Where’s the extra? • Excellent breeding females as ½, ¾, 7⁄8 to pure • The higher the percentage of Limousin in the calf crop, the higher the killing out percentage and level of meat yield will be • 50% of your suckled/finished calf quality in terms of growth, efficiency and carcase quality comes from its dam

FLEXIBILITY

The Limousin breed brings together the economically important traits of fertility, ease of calving, longevity and optimum milk production into one package. Where’s the extra? • Crossbred and purebreds are saleable at virtually any age and growth stage • Females can be sold to profit through both the breeding ring and the prime ring • Females are ideal to breed your own replacements in a closed herd policy and to improve traceability. The variety and volume of Limousin genetics allows producers to offer animals that will fit any marketing system.

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Limousin News

GIVING YOU THE

VALUE LONGEVITY

Longevity is an inherent and profitable strength of the Limousin breed. With Limousin cattle you are guaranteed a long life of regular, consistent, quality production. Records compiled by the Society show that crossbred Limousin females will on average produce at least 10 calves. It is not unusual for purebreds to calve naturally at 15-20 years of age. Where’s the extra? • Long lasting females minimise annual replacement rates • Medium size females that are easy keepers typically have a long productive life-span • Good cull cow price after a long productive life High productivity and exceptional longevity reduces the culling rate. A low replacement rate reduces cost, allows for a more rigorous selection of heifers and an increase in quality.

REPRODUCTION

Limousin females are consistent annual calvers. Heifers can be got in calf early in their first breeding season. Females breed back early in their second breeding season, and thereafter. Where’s the extra? • • • •

Breed back to the bull quickly, year on year Good fertility with high recorded calving percentages High conception rates and the ability to conceive when required Easy calving aids reproductive efficiency

MILK & MAINTENANCE

Limousin cattle produce an optimum level of milk for their environment. International studies have looked at kilos of calf weaned per cow in terms of how efficiently those kilos were produced. Across all environments Limousin were number one! Where’s the extra? • Females provide their calves with milk that is high in protein and butterfat levels • Limousin cows do not have high maintenance requirements during and out with the lactation period • Easy keep females hold good condition going into and through the winter season • Calved heifers hold their condition and come back to the bull quickly Limousin females are rarely culled because of structural or udder problems. Easy calving, moderate size and optimum milk are the basics. Add the value of feed efficiency, top grades, high killing out percentage and marketing flexibility from the calves, and the production performance of Limousin females is hard to beat.

EASY KEEP & EFFICIENT

Limousin females are easy-keepers, that do not eat their owners out of house and home. Fantastically efficient females, they have the ability to do well in marginal conditions with no reduction in performance. Research has shown that they are efficient performers both when feed is limited and also when feed intake is high. Highly flexible, they are able to adapt to changing feed resources in changing environmental conditions.

SEE ALSO THE ‘MATERNAL SPECIAL’ IN THIS ISSUE’S TECHNICAL SECTION ON PAGES 20-27

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Limousin News

28,000GNS HALTCLIFFE IMPERIAL LEADS LIMOUSIN 2015 SPRING SALES

‘NEW’ 2014 BCMS FIGURES 28%

GB TOTAL

Limousin

484,381 28%

294,655 17%

Charolais

214,716 12%

Simmental

162,937

British Blue

195,865 11%

Other Beef Breeds TOTAL

378,223 22% 1,730,777 26%

ENGLAND TOTAL

Haltcliffe Imperial from Messrs Ridley, Haltcliffe, Hesket New Market, Wigton made 28,000gns and topped the trade at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s Spring Sale held on Saturday February 14th 2015 at Borderway Mart, Carlisle. The price was also the leading Limousin figure in the Spring 2015 round of sales that saw BLCS fixtures at Carlisle, Stirling, Dungannon, Ballymena, Aberdeen, and Newark. In a busy period of sales exactly 500 pedigree Limousins, male and female, sold to gross £1,491,576. A shortage of money in the industry led to the sales being underpinned by a tangible cautiousness but the figures again showed the ongoing demand for the Limousin breed. Commenting, BLCS Chief Executive Iain Kerr said: “Across the sales, there was plenty of choice on offer for the commercial man. Bulls with good tops, length, muscling, and growth potential were readily sold. Purchasers have bought some good quality bulls at sensible prices, and offering them real value. Over 260 pedigree females were also sold in the period and the demand from both pedigree and commercial breeders seems just never ending. The Limousin female is easy calving, cheap to keep, efficient, highly fertile and has tremendous longevity. That’s why it is fully established as the industry benchmark commercial female.” The Carlisle sale leader Haltcliffe Imperial is by Ampertaine Elgin and is out of the highly noted dam Cloughhead Romany. August 2013 born, he had placed as Reserve Junior Champion in the pre-sale show. Purchasing the top price bull was Procters Farm Ltd for their 70-cow Procters pedigree herd at Woodhouse Lane, Slaidburn, Nr Clitheroe. In all, seven bulls made 10,000gns and over with 33 making 5,000gns or more. In harness with

Limousin

the Stirling sale the previous week, over 150 bulls were sold to average over a very solid £5150. The top price at Stirling was the 10,500gns Maraiscote Idol from Ian Nimmo, Bogside Farm, Newmains, Wishaw, Lanark. This May 2013-born bull is by the herd’s prolific sire Goldies Comet and is out of Maraiscote Bop, a Normande Urquhart daughter. Carrying a Beef Value of LM+46, the top priced bull was purchased by the commercial producer H MacKay, Wester Tomloan, Ardclach, Nairn. For a full round-up of reports and pictures from all the Spring 2015 Sales, including Carlisle, Stirling, Newark, Aberdeen, Ballymena and Dungannon, please see sales section at the back of this issue.

Limousin

275,941 26%

188,498 18%

Charolais

82,148

Simmental

79,949

British Blue

151,348 14%

Other Beef Breeds TOTAL

SCOTLAND TOTAL

Limousin

• 500 pedigree Limousins sold at Spring ’15 sales

127,011 28%

88,937 20%

Charolais

89,440 20%

Simmental

73,028 16%

British Blue

17,050

Other Beef Breeds

58,057 13%

TOTAL

• Spring Limousin sales gross £1.5 Million

• Check out on-line sale catalogues at www.limousin.co.uk • Upcoming Sales: Carlisle May 2nd; Stirling May 4th; Ballymena May 4th

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453,523 36%

WALES TOTAL

• Limousins sold to Scotland, Wales, N.I., Eire, and over 20 counties of England

the british limousin cattle society

1,049,767 28%

• Over 260 pedigree Limousin females sold Jan to April

• 38% of sale bulls sold at £3-5000

271,883 26%

Limousin

81,879 36%

17,220

Charolais

43,128 19%

Simmental

9,960

British Blue

8% 4%

27,467 12%

Other Beef Breeds TOTAL

48,283 21% 227,937

Limousin News

BROCKHURST HOLY TOPS NEWARK FEMALES AT 5800GNS Leading the BLCS Breeders’ Sale of females at the Newark Limousin Day, and setting the top sale price overall, was Brockhurst Holy at 5800gns from Messrs WJ&M Mash Ltd, Torrington Farm, Chesham, Bucks. Full of breeding, this September 2012-born embryo calf is by the prolific Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the multi title winning show cow Brockhurst Bolshoi, the Grahams Samson daughter. Also sold in calf to another show winning bull, Ardglasson Highlander, the top priced animal was purchased by pedigree breeder Andrew Gammie, Drumforber, Lawrencekirk, Aberdeenshire. The Champion Female and Reserve Overall Supreme Champion was the maiden heifer Coachhouse Ibiza from the Heald family who made 4200gns. June 2013-born, Ibiza is a Mereside Daytona daughter and out of Coachhouse Calafornia, another Haltcliffe Picasso daughter. Purchasing the Champion female were V&G Bowring for their Elmton herd at Lakeside Bungalow, The Park, Nether Langwith, Nr Mansfield. In all, 151 pedigree females, from across all classes, were sold on the day.

FOUR WAYS TO INTERACT WITH BRITISH LIMOUSIN To discuss any Limousin related queries or to ask about the breed, Society services, upcoming shows, sales or events, then telephone the BLCS staff who will be happy to help. Tel: 02476 696500 For regular updates, breaking news, behind the scenes, date announcements, pictures, and insights into all things Limousin become a fan and ‘like’ British Limousin on Facebook. The world of Limousin at your fingertips. Sale and show reports, news pages, catalogues, technical, galleries, blogs, classifieds, on-line shop, links, archives, young breeders, it’s got the lot. Visit www.limousin.co.uk Keep up to speed with the Limousin world by following us on Twitter @LimousinUK and tweet us your views. They may end up in the magazine. Limousin follows and is followed by restaurants, markets, retailers, breeders, industry bodies, and overseas organisations to name but a few.

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Limousin News

ROXBURGH HOVA LEADS LIMOUSIN FEMALES AT 10,000GNS Roxburgh Hova, a November 2012-born heifer from John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso sold for 10,000gns to lead the female trade at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s Breeders’ Sale held at Borderway Mart on 13th February 2015 on the evening prior to the Spring Bull Sale. Full of breeding, Roxburgh Hova is an embryo calf by Plumtree Fantastic and is out of the French cow Nova who is the mother of the multi-title-winning bull Samy (in the herd of Robert Graham). Purchasing the top price were D & V Hill, Whitewall, Great Asby, Appleby-in-Westmorland for their Raysonhall prefix. Roxburgh Hova was sold PD’d in calf to Ampertaine Foreman. At 8,000gns was Castlenook Iphigenia from Alan Irving, Toppin Castle, Brampton, Carlisle. This April 2013-born heifer is by the Cloughhead Umpire-sired Haltcliffe Braveheart and is out of Castlenook Cassandra whose back pedigree includes Ronick Hawk’s mother, Ronick Esther. Iphigenia was bought by Dan Tynan for his Ardlea Herd at Beechhill Farm, Mountraith, Co Laois, Republic of Ireland. Having bought a number of females at the 2014 Red Ladies & Weaned Calf Sale, Hughes Bros, Portrack Grange Road, Portrack, Stockton on Tees continued to purchase for their growing Brasscastle Herd of 100 pedigree cows. These included: the 5,000gns Roxburgh Hannah, an embryo calf by Wilodge Vantastic and out of the Sympa daughter, Haltcliffe Emerald, and who was sold PD’d in calf to

Ampertaine Foreman; as well as • 64 Females Average Roxburgh Hopscotch, by Goldies £2,523 Comet and out of Haltcliffe Emerald, also at 5000gns and • Sale Grosses in-calf to the same sire. Heading £161,490 to the same home at the 4,500gns mark was the first lot in the ring, • Five females at Roxburgh Harmony, by Sympa 5000gns and more and out of the French dam Perle – making her full sister to the 30,000gns Haltcliffe Emerald. She was sold PD’d in calf to Ampertaine Elgin. Also realising 5,000gns was Roxburgh Hussy to TP Jerman, Church Farm, Caersws, Powys for their Church Herd of pedigree Limousins. Hussy is by the Ryedale Paragon son, Tweeddale Dandare, and is out of the French-bred dam Devise. She went under the hammer PD’d in calf to Roxburgh Gurkha. In all, the Roxburgh herd sold six heifers to average £5,687.50.

OVER £700,000 PAID BACK TO LIMOUSIN BREEDERS

Through the 2014 financial year, £61,500 was paid back to British Limousin breeders in pedigree refunds. In what is now a longestablished breed improvement tool, the monies-back-incentive allows breeders to assess the quality of the stock they have registered up to the age of 450 days. If the breeder chooses to

Limousin

de-register the animal before it has attained this age, a flat rate refund of £20+VAT per animal is returned. Since this incentive was introduced over £700,000 of registration income has been returned to breeders. Commenting, BLCS Chief Executive Iain Kerr said: “The aim of this incentive is all about

continuous breed improvement and giving breeders more tools to be selective and to focus on quality. Again, and in addition to the recently announced ten-year Breed Improvement Plan, this represents a further considerable investment in positioning the breed’s future.”

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MARKET SHORTS

JANUARY WIGTON: Top price of £243.5p/kg was paid for a Limousin heifer from W Gray & Sons, Aspatria, bought by M Wharton, Wholesale Meats, Wigton. Bulls sold to 232.5p/ kg paid to D A Harrison, Westnewton, for a Limousin, while the top price per head was £1,546.02, paid for a Limousin from T A Byers, Boltongate. CASTLE DOUGLAS: Cast cattle reached 145p per kg for a Limousin cross from Mossyard. FORFAR : Heifers sold to 250p for a Limousin from West Bog. DUMFRIES: A Lim heifer from D & R Cornthwaite, Balgrayhill, topped at 233.5p per kg while bullocks reached 226.5p for a Lim from Kenmuir, Ardwell. THAINSTONE: Trade peaked at 225p per kg for a 540kg heifer from Whiteside, and to £1503.80 for a 730kg Lim from Tillenturk.

Limousin News

GOLDIES LIMOUSIN

Female sale Carlisle 30th M ay includ ing daugh ters an d grand daugh ters of our top co ws

Bred to Breed

7 of the last 11 Carlisle Junior Champions have had at least one parent bred in our herd

GOLDIES FANDANGO

GOLDIES BLACK FOREVER

Offer for sale privately • Great selection of stock females from COMET and FANDANGO blood lines • Quality bulls for pedigree & commercial use Tel: 07712 435 408 / btgoldie@btinternet.com

01387 830105

FENOMEN - Sold to UK 2014

www.goldietownfoot.co.uk

More than 30 years of experience

HÉLINE - Sold to Ireland Grand Cru 2013

Semen and embryos available

Bruce Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries, DG1 4LX

DIAMANT - Sold to UK 2013

Conformation, docility, maternal qualities

Top French genetics

HAMAC RJ

Top 1%, Great conformation, easy calving & SAC Health Scheme. Incl black and polled Semen from Haltcliffe Doctor, Ampertaine Bravo, Hartlaw Excaliber(LM+ 60) + Kaprico Germander (LM +61)

Pôle de Lanaud - 87220 Boisseuil FRANCE Tél : 00.335.55.06.46.46-Fax : 00.335.55.06.46.30 interlim@limousine.org Gilles LEQUEUX : 00 336 88 20 61 57 Sophie MOURNETAS : 00 336 89 49 48 57 Olivier RAMBERT : 00 336 88 20 62 80

www.interlim.com

Dates to remember in 2015 Lanaud auction sales February 4th and 5th April 8th and 9th June 17th and 18th

Paris Show february 26th Concours National Limousin Sommet de l’Elevage October 7th to 9 th Grand Cru auction sale October 8th

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Limousin News

AMPERTAINE FOREMAN THE MOST POPULAR SIRE IN 2014 13 SIRES HAD 100+ CALVES IN 2014 AND 16 BULLS HAVE HAD 1000+ CALVES OVER ALL TIME Ampertaine Foreman

Most Popular 2014 Sires, 100+ calves in the year Ampertaine Foreman

MGD10-039

249

Wilodge Fastrac

WEY10-002

194

Carmorn Dauphin

MCN08-010

181

Wilodge Goldcard

WEY11-009

171

Ampertaine Elgin

MGD09-039

170

Anside Flint

IF10-544

147

WEY07-010

136

Goldies Comet

GS07-954

132

Loosebeare Fantastic

QA10-074

115

Plumtree Deus

CQE08-003

110

Huntershall Gladiator

HRY11-028

109

Claragh Franco

RJT10-013

107

Ampertaine Commander

MGD07-046

100

Wilodge Cerberus

Registrations of pedigree Limousin cattle exceeded the 19,000 mark for the fifth year in a row in 2014 with 19,125 being registered in all. In a regional breakdown Scotland lead the way with 3389 registrations, followed by the North West Midlands & North Wales, on 3168, and the South Wales & Mid West with 2599. The bull leading the way with the most progeny registered to him in the year was the five-yearold Ampertaine Foreman. A big mover on the year, jumping from ninth place in 2013, 249 calves sired by Foreman were Ronick Hawk registered by the BLCS in 2014. The 38,000gns Ampertaine Foreman is by Wilodge Cerberus and is out of Ampertaine Bathsheba, a Sympa daughter. With a top 1% Beef Value of LM+63, he also has excellent

performance figures for 200 & 400 day growth, and muscle depth. Last year’s leader, Wilodge Fastrac, has held strong in second position with 194 calves, and Carmorn Dauphin has maintained his third placed position with 181 calves registered. Another Wilodge Cerberus son, Wilodge Goldcard, is a new entrant to the ‘most popular sires’ list jumping straight in to fourth with 171 calves. Cerberus himself sits at seventh in the year list and has now joined the 1000+ club in the all-time list.

The ‘1000 Club’ All Time Sire Usage Ronick Hawk Broadmeadows Cannon

CAVC-031

3002

48-01-006-969

2214

Fanfaron

87-70-003-527

2099

Rocky

36-15-030-964

1962

Talent

23-82-004-036

1540

Greensons Gigolo

GATG-009

1472

Wilodge Vantastic

WEY04-037

1383

Wilodge Tonka

WEY02-002

1369

19-94-006-256

1313

Fieldson Alfy

FCE05-384

1209

Broadmeadows Tombola

CAVT-011

1182

Nenuphar

87-97-011-143

1068

Ionesco

36-93-000-206

1048

Haltcliffe Hercules

RP92-009

1035

Wilodge Cerberus

WEY07-010

1013

Jockey

www.limousin.co.uk Limousin

4365

Sympa

Visit us at

DY92-026

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Limousin News

MERESIDE LIMOUSIN BULL JOINS COGENT Limousin bull Mereside Jester, bred by RM Hazard & Sons, Saltby Heath Farm, Skillington has joined the leading UK semen company Cogent. An embryo calf, Jester is a son of the French sire Armstrong and is out of Mereside Dawnmarie, an Alaska daughter and dam of the 40,000gns bull Mereside Godolphin. January 2014-born, Jester carries an impressive set of performance figures to back up his exceptional pedigree, carrying a gestation length EBV in the top 1% of the breed coupled with a 200-day growth figure of +36, putting him in the top 10% of the breed. Commenting, breeder James Hazard said: “On top of this, he has a muscle depth figure of +5.2, again in the top 10% of the breed, and an overall calving value of +7, which puts him in the top 1% of the Limousin population.” Cogent beef sire analyst Boomer Birch says Jester was a standout choice for the company’s Signature range of beef bulls. “Jester is the complete package, combining excellent figures with a great pedigree and an exceptional female line.

“Jester will be an easy choice for many herds due to his top-end gestation figures coupled with calving ease figures inside the top 25% of the Limousin breed. These, coupled with his excellent muscle and growth data, make him a true curve bender, combining easy calving and relatively low birth weights with growth and muscle figures which will result in easily-born, quick-growing calves,” he explained. James Hazard said Jester had been an exceptional calf, adding: “Armstrong calves have been short gestation and easily-born and Jester has always been good from an early age, showing a superb top and correctness.”

MARKET SHORTS

JANUARY AYR: Trade reached £1380 for a Limousin heifer from South Walton. Bullocks also sold to 252.2p per kg for a pen of Limousin from Arnsow with heifers also making 238.1p for a Limousin from Cairnwhin. LEEK: Barren cows sold to 142p/kg and £1,037.40 with clean cattle to 220p/kg for a Limousin Heifer. DARLINGTON, JANUARY : Beef bred cull cows sold to 160p/kg for Limousin from B Watson. LANARK: Cattle peaked at 254p per kg for a 564kg Limousin heifer from D Dickinson, Brockwoodlees, Canobie, with bullocks reaching 225p for a Limousin from West Dykes. LOCKERBIE: Judge Hugh Arnott, Morpeth, picked out a 10-monthold Limousin bullock as his champion which later realised £1,330 or 305p per kg. STIRLING: heavy Limousins from Knockhouse, Dunfermline, topped the trade at 238p for bullocks and 247p twice for hiefers.

€28,000 KILCOR ICEMAN HEADS TO UK United Kingdom Limousin genetics were very much to the fore at the Irish Limousin Cattle Society’s Bull Sale held in Roscrea on Saturday 28th February. Leading the way at 28,000 Euro was the Senior Champion Kilcor Iceman from Gerard Davis. Bred by Robert Gill, Kilcor Iceman is by the 37,000gns Fieldson Alfy, a Gunnerfleet Plunas son, and is out of the Rocky daughter Kilcor Frostie. Purchasing the top price was Robert Graham for his Grahams pedigree herd at Airthrey Kerse Farm, Bridge of Allan, Stirling. Wilodge Vantastic and Ampertaine Foreman sons respectively took the next two top prices at 8500 and 7600 Euro respectively.

COME AND VISIT THE LIMOUSIN STANDS AT… NBA BEEF EXPO Thursday 21st May NBA Beef Expo, York Auction Centre, York This year’s theme of the NBA’s annual Beef Event is ‘British Beef Feeding the Nation’.

MAINS OF MAUSE HOSTS SCOTTISH BEEF EVENT Wednesday 27th May SBA Beef Event, Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie Adopting the theme of beef from the hills, the event is being designed to demonstrate all the latest technologies for sustainable beef production. Peter and Murray Alexander run a suckler herd of 1000 Limousin cross cows (see article later).

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Limousin News MARKET SHORTS FEBRUARY BARNARD CASTLE: JW

Dent and Sons took the Championship and Reserve with Limousins at the show and sale of show potential calves. The Champion, a heifer, made £2000 and sold to Philip Robson, Consett. Their Reserve, also a Lim heifer made £1850 when selling to Brian and Angela Smith, Warks.

LIFE SPRINGS MATERNAL! We liked this pic of a working Limousin cow with plenty of milk doing two good calves well. Limousin is the ‘added value’ maternal breed being easy calving, cheap to feed, highly fertile, milky, and long-lasting. A highly productive, efficient suckler cow to run either pure or crossbred. Production, performance, profit!

NORTH WEST AUCTIONS:

Reserve champion was a 19 month old Limousin cross heifer from B J Thompson, Selside, which sold for the leading heifer price of £1,250 to D A Wilcock, Wigan. Young bulls sold to £895 for Limousin crosses from MW & MR Black, Staveley. Beef breeding cattle saw Limousin cross bulling heifers from J A Chapman, Kendal, sold from £1,200. DARLINGTON: Champion was from Keith Stones, Richmond with his nine month old Limousin cross steer. The reserve champion from John Lonsdale, Bishop Auckland was an 11 month old Limousin heifer. A run of Limousin cows from A & R Thompson, Moorsholm, scooped both the top price per kilo at 214p and the leading gross value of £1,339 and their 13 cows averaged 172p/kg. SALISBURY: Finished cattle were a sharp trade, with steers selling to the days top price of 235.5p/kg or £1,596.69 for a well finished heavy Limousin cross from Sarah Harrison. LANARK: Prime cattle were topped at 249p per kg for a Limousin heifer from Brockwoodlees, Canobie and £1,145 from Hartside Farms. AYR: Heifers levelled at 212.6p per kg which peaked at 227p for a Limousin from Duchra. Four bullocks sold to 216p for a Limousin from Duchra. LONGTOWN: Bullocks led the cattle sale at 224.5p per kg for a Limousin from Nether Onsett while heifers were topped by a Limousin, from Houghton House, at 223.5p. DUMFRIES: Trade was steady with the cattle peaking at 233.5p for a Limousin heifer from Kenmuir, Ardwell, Stranraer.

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AMPERTAINE INVINCIBLE JOINS GREENMOUNT Greenmount College, Antrim, Northern Ireland has purchased the Limousin bull Ampertaine Invincible from breeders WJ & J McKay, Kilrea Road, Upperlands, Maghera in a private deal. The bull is destined for their Glenwherry Hill Farm which runs 100 suckler cows. Located 20 miles from the main Campus midway between Larne and Ballymena, the Hill Farm covers an area of approximately 1,000 ha and comprises 100 suckler cows and 1,100 ewes. It is located in a Less Favoured Area (LFA) and rises from 600ft at the farm yard to the highest point of 1,400ft. Greenmount has had a long association with the British Limousin Cattle Society having been involved in the noted and formative Limousin ‘Limo’ Project for some fourteen years under the guidance of the late Greenmount Farm Manager, Victor Woods. The College was looking for a 2013-born bull, to replace the

home-bred Limo Earl, according to the following EBV criteria: • Calving Ease in the top 75% • Maternal Calving Ease in the top 25% • 400 Day Weight in the top 25% • 200 Day Milk in the top 50% July 2013-born, Ampertaine Invincible is by the 38,000gns Ampertaine Foreman and is out of Ampertaine Flamenco. Flamenco is a Ronick Gains daughter out of Kype Sharon, the granddam of the noted Ampertaine Commander. Commenting, breeder James McKay said: “Invincible has a great maternal line with plenty of milk. He is a real powerhouse of a bull with very good weight for age.” The Greenmount Hill Farm aims to provide a unique resource to educate and train CAFRE students in particular those involved in FE/HE Agriculture and

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Rural & Countryside Management courses. The U.P.L.A.N.D.S (Uniting the Production of Livestock And Nature Development for Sustainability) student ‘learning by doing’ project located at the Hill Farm also provides the opportunity for HE students to have enterprise management responsibilities for the Greenmount Hill Farm. Footnote: The high profile LIMO project run over some some 14 years and originally involving CAFRE, the British Limousin Cattle Society, and Linden Foods. Pedigree Limousin cattle for the project were initially sourced and provided through the Society from British breeders. Representative of pedigree breeders, commercial producers and retailers, the project’s ongoing objectives were to unite the three links in a way that would demonstrate Limousin cattle’s economic value for each part, to maximum effect.

Limousin News

SCOTTISH LIMOUSIN GRAND PRIX SET FOR TURRIFF SHOW PRIZE FUND SET TO EXCEED £3000!

The third Scottish Limousin Grand Prix is set to be a cracker with this year’s host being the 151st Turriff Show in Aberdeenshire on 2nd and 3rd of August 2015. Supported by the British Limousin Cattle Society, the Grand Prix event is being organised through the Scottish Limousin Club and its Chairman, Anthony Renton. Much hard work has seen an exceptional prize fund of over £3000 being built up which is sure to secure much interest and a big entry! Sponsors to date supporting the event include the BLCS; H&H Group; Galloway & MacLeod; United Auctions; Newark Livestock Market; & InfinET Breeding.

The judge of the Limousin classes and Championships has been announced as James Hazard of the noted Mereside Herd based at Saltby Heath Farm, Skillington, Grantham, Lincolnshire. Schedules and entry forms will be available in May 2015 so please keep an eye on both www. limousin.co.uk and also www.turriffshow.org First established in 2013, the aim of the Grand Prix event is to showcase the attributes of the Limousin breed, and at the same time bring support and profile to well regarded agricultural shows. Turriff Show very much fits that bill! The first two Scottish Limousin Grand Prix events in 2013 & 2014 were held at the Black Isle and Perth Shows respectively.

LIMOUSIN IS N.I. ‘SHOW ANIMAL OF THE YEAR’ Winner of the Northern Ireland Commercial Cattle Club Show Animal of the Year title is Strabane teenager Jack Smyth with his Limousin heifer Mojo. Sponsored by Natural Stockcare, the coveted title is awarded by the NI Commercial Cattle Exhibitors Club which sees showmen go head-to-head accumulating points at all of the summer shows. At Balmoral in May, Mojo made history by being the first ever commercial animal to feature in the Champion of Champions line-up. Following her win in the commercial rings, this super all black heifer was tapped out as Junior Beef Champion, and then went on to scoop Reserve Beef Champion of the Show. Mojo is a three quarter-bred Limousin heifer sired by a Wilodge Tonka son and out of a Limousin cow.

MARKET SHORTS FEBRUARY STIRLING: Bullocks sold to a top price

of 245p per kg for a Limousin from Learielaw, Broxburn and £1725 again for a Limousin, this time from Rathillet, Cupar. BAGSHAWS: A strong entry exceeded recent levels of trade selling to a top of £1,380 for a 20 month old Limousin cross steer from F Lomas, Kniveton. Heifers sold to a high of £1,200 for a 21 month old Limousin cross from W P Carson, Grangemill. LANCASTER: Suckler bred Limousin cross bulls from Ann Airey, Moorfold sold to 197.5p / kg.

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LIMOUSIN SOCIAL WEEKEND, COME AND JOIN US! 18-20TH SEPTEMBER 2015

THE THREE COUNTIES HOTEL & DINMORE HERD, HEREFORD This year’s British Limousin Cattle Society Social Weekend is being held in the Hereford area from 18-20th September and we hope to see a great crowd of Members and Friends there. You will find further details including a Booking Form on the Limousin website www.limousin.co.uk and in the BLCS Notice to Members (member’s newsletter). Alternatively phone 02476 696500 or email info@limousin. co.uk. Please join us for what once again promises to be a great couple of days! Based at the Three Counties Hotel the packed programme includes a Farm Walk at the Dinmore Herd of Paul Dawes, Society AGM, Young Breeders AngloIrish Stockjudging and Limousin Dinner Dance. Informal, family-friendly and reasonably-priced, the weekend offers a great mix of socialising and Limousin cattle. Members, friends, commercial customers from Great Britain, Northern Ireland as well as breeders from Southern Ireland and elsewhere will be made most welcome!

Provisional Programme (subject to change) Fri 18th September 2pm onwards Check-in at Three Counties Hotel, Hereford 4pm Society AGM, Winchester Room, Three Counties Hotel 6.30-7pm President’s Drinks Reception, Three Counties Hotel 7.15pm-late Dinner Dance, Hereford Suite, Three Counties Hotel Sat 19th September 8-10am Breakfast 10am Coaches depart hotel for Dinmore 10.30am-3pm Dinmore Farm Walk, Dinmore Manor 3pm Coaches depart Dinmore for hotel 7.30-9pm Dinner in restaurant at Three Counties Hotel Sun 20th September 8-10am Breakfast 11am Check-out

SUPERB VALUE £250 PE COUPLER ; £150 SINGLE

ING BOOK ON FORlM in. imous www. .uk co

DINMORE FARM WALK This much-anticipated Farm Walk presents the opportunity to visit the 2,000 acre Dinmore Manor Estate and the noted herd of 60 pedigree Limousin females plus followers, and at the kind invitation of Paul Dawes. The day includes the Young Limousin Breeders AngloIrish Stockjudging Competition, Open stockjudging, trailer tours, tradestands plus catering.

Dinmore is of course the home of the Burke Trophy-winning pair of Diamant & Dinmore Glorious as well as many other notable bloodlines including Dinmore Elle, Dinmore Elegance, Wilodge Venelle (full sister to Wilodge Vantastic), Carmorn Voney, Aghadowey Alix, Wilodge Priceless (dam of Wilodge Cerberus), Newstart Upsydaisy & Absolute Honesty.

COSTS £250+VAT per couple £150+VAT single Inclusive of: Friday: Accommodation, Drinks Reception, Dinner Dance, Wine on the table. Saturday: Accommodation, Breakfast, Courtesy Bus, Lunch at Farm Walk, Dinner in Restaurant. Sunday: Breakfast

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This represents fantastic value-for-money, so, with demand expected to be high, the Society recommends you book early to avoid disappointment. Please complete the booking form or telephone 02476-696500 to reserve your place.

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Limousin News

NEW BULLS ON The portfolio of bulls on www.semenstore.co.uk continues to grow with a number of additions since the turn of the year. Here we give you a quick snapshot of the ‘new boys’.

Diamant Quick info: £30 per straw, £50 royalty, available EU

This French-bred bull was part of the Burke Trophy-winning pair at the Royal Three Counties in 2014. Also in 2014 he was crowned Limousin & Interbreed Champion at the Royal Welsh and was part of the winning Interbreed Team of Five. The 2008-born senior herd sire at Dinmore, Diamant, was purchased privately from breeder Gaec Camus, Martinet, France. Full of breeding, Diamant is by Berliozb, a grandson of Levrier, whilst his mother is Version by the noted Pacha 08.

Dinmore Goldeneye Quick info: £15 per straw, £25 royalty, available UK Mainland

A full brother to Dinmore Goldcrest, sold at Carlisle in October 2012 for 18,000gns to Harry Emslie. Sired by Ronick Hawk and out of the noted show cow Dinmore Elle the Junior, Female and Overall Limousin Champion Royal Welsh 2010. Goldeneye carries a Muscle Depth of 8.1 and a Beef Value of LM+43 (as at April 2015). In marketing the bull Paul Dawes says that “Goldeneye’s progeny are showing great potential with length, shape, style and growth.”

Wilodge Tonka

Foxhillfarm Impecabull

Glenrock Humdinger

Quick info: £40 per straw, £40 royalty, available UK Mainland

Quick Info: £20 per straw, £50 royalty, available UK Mainland

Quick Info: £20 per straw, available UK Mainland

A limited stock available of just 50 straws sees the return of this famous sire to the site. Tonka combines great maternal traits (above average Calving Ease and a Calving Value of CV+3) with tremendous terminal performance (Muscle Depth +5; Beef Value LM+35). Senior Champion at Carlisle in 2003 when purchased for 30,000gns, his progeny most notably include Wilodge Cerberus 50,000gns, and Wilodge Vantastic 42,000gns.

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Impecabull was the Overall Champion when purchased in May 2014 at the BLCS Sale in Carlisle. He comes with ‘Impecabull’ breeding, being a Wilodge Vantastic son, out of the 15,000gns Bankdale Alice, making him a full brother to Foxhillfarm Gracie, who won the “Triple Crown” of Royals, and Exfactor and Elizabeth who sold for 38,000gns & 35,000gns respectively.

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Glenrock Humdinger, purchased at the Glenrock Dispersal Sale for 15,000gns. Sired by Sympa and out of the prolific Glenrock Spangle, Humdinger also won best young bull in the North West Herd Competition in 2013. He is half-brother to the world-record breaking 125,000gns heifer Glenrock Illusion.

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Limousin News

SEMENSTORE TO LAUNCH ON-LINE AUCTION FACILITY In an exciting new addition to its present site, Semenstore.co.uk is planning the introduction of an on-line auction facility. This latest enhancement will see specific ‘lots’ of semen made available and marketed on the integrated auction site. A timeline will be set as to how long the lot is up for sale and thereafter purchasers will be able to bid accordingly. At the end of the set

period the highest bidder will ‘secure’ the lot. Semenstore will collect the appropriate monies from purchasers and credit sellers beyond each sale. Provision will also be made for the delivery of the semen beyond the sale. The idea is to keep the auction site as simple to use and as unfussy as possible. Commenting, Semenstore Director Iain Kerr said: “We think this addition will be an

innovative way to sell semen on-line and will catch the imagination. Whether it’s a bull of the moment, sought after genetics, semen in short supply, or the first available semen, this on-line auction will be an exciting way to both promote and sell and another added value enhancement.” Look out for launch details on www. semenstore.co.uk in the coming weeks.

SEMENSTORE EXPORTS TO EUROPE As well as domestic sales, Semenstore has been maintaining its growing export trade. In recent weeks an order for Procters Duvalier female sexed semen, and Dolcorsllwyn Fabio has been fulfilled to Germany. In addition a further order for the polled bull Greensons Howlett, along with Lowerffrydd Empire has been exported to Norway.

MARKET SHORTS FEBRUARY HUNTLY: A Limousin heifer cross headed home to Drumbain, Rothes

MARCH YORK: A Limousin bull reached £4000 at York’s Multi Breed Beef Sale.

making 284p. Otherwise bullocks also reached £1,490 for Limmy crosses from Auchortie, Maud, with heifers to 31,300 for Limousin crosses from Poolside, Rothiemay. FORFAR: Breeding cattle reached £2280 for an Irish heifer with Limousin sired heifer calf at foot from Craigends, Methven. CARLISLE: A limousin cross bullock from Sceughmore, Great Orton, topped at £1,400. AYR: The sale reached 295.2p for a pen of Limousin bullocks from Oldbarn. MIDDLETON IN TEESDALE: Top price of 3,400 was for the reserve champion heifer a nine month old Limousin from John & Joanne White, Lunedale, which sold to Mark Harryman, Pickering. PATELEY BRIDGE: Champion at the show and sale of show potential cattle was an eight month old Limousin heifer from W & R Verity, Middlesmoor, which sold for £1,120 to S White, Barnsley. AYR: A Limousin topped the beef cow section at £1,380 a head. Calves and stirks sold well, with Limousin bull calves and stirks topping at £545 and 3990 respectively. ABERFELDY: Newton of Logierait cleaned up at UA’s Aberfeldy show and sale of store cattle. Overall bullocks levelled at 250.09p per kg for 428 sold and peaked at 332.5p for a Limousin cross and £1,620 for a Limousin from Stanley. Heifers were topped at 304.5p for a Limousin cross from Onzie & £1,460 for a Limousin cross from Greenshiels. DARLINGTON: Pre sale judge Ian Cairns, Haswell, selected a 10 month old red Limousin steer from Keith Stones, Marrick, Richmond for the red ticket. It was knocked down to Darlington newcomers HS & M Everatt, Goole for the days top price of £1,600. Top priced heifer came from Neville Raine, Middleton in Teesdale, when his 13 month old Limosin sold for £1,500 to CG & AJ Sutcliffe, Driffield.

Redland Indulgent, from RM and HJ Lewis, Hunsingore, Harrogate sold to L Dale and Son, Skirpenbeck, York. The 2013 bull is by Ecu and out of a home bred cow. BISHOPS CASTLE, SHROPSHIRE: Steers sold to an average of 261p/kg and £1,017 a head with a Limousin topping the trade at 334p/kg and £1,320 a head. Heifers averaged 238p/kg and £905 a heard, with a Limousin again taking the top spots of 364p/kg and £1,240 a head. COCKERMOUTH: Top price of 3,600gns was made twice for Haltcliffe Limousins – Haltcliffe Ice, selling to W&G Sharpe, Lamplugh and WR & JM Cowx and Sons Hudscales Indiana, bought b WB&SA Steele, Wasdale BROCKHOLES ARMS: Limousin crosses sold to £1,100 with Limousin cross heifers making £990. COCKERMOUTH: The top price of the day at the spring show and sale of store cattle in Cockermouth was the £2500 for a Limousin heifer from Messrs Knight, Seascale, bought by Gavin Scott, Linlithgow. EXETER: Second top priced was £2,780 for a 2010 born Limousin cow, due in July at £1,880. Cows with younger calves at foot sold to £1,720 for a 2008 born BB cross with an October Limousin cross steer calf. FORFAR: Cattle peaked at 262p per kg twice for Limousin heifers from both D Lumgair & Sons, Gask and JA Peters & Son, West Bog, while bullocks sold to 258p for a Limousin from Gask. CARLISLE: The sale topped at £3,000 for a Limousin cross cow with calf at foot from Saughland Farms. In calf females reached £2,100 twice for Limousin cows from Proctors Farm. DINGWALL: Cattle were topped by Limousin crosses at 237p for a 555kg heifer from Bridgend. FROME: Well fed Limousins met a flying trade peaking at £1,245 for a consignment from Bapton Manor Farm. ISLAY: UA sold store cattle with many mainland buyers. Limousin cross led the per kg price at 330p.

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Limousin News

BRITISH LIMOUSIN:

FUTURE-PROOFING FOR PEDIGREE AND COMMERCIAL BREEDERS “Future-proofing is the process of anticipating the future and developing methods that minimise the effects of shocks and stresses of future events.”

here is no question that all our beef breeds need to adapt and change if they are to continue to serve the industry well in the years to come. Changing markets, changing production systems and the continual pressure on cost of production and output mean those not taking the opportunity to drive change – be it on a herd or breed level - will indeed be faced by a ‘few shocks and stresses of these future events’. In 2014 the BLCS introduced its Breed Improvement Plan. Identifying 10 key areas of investment in breed improvement over the next 10 years, it is a clear statement of pedigree breeders’ intent and commitment to producing breeding stock that will successfully address the ever-changing challenges within the industry. To predict the type of animal that will result from this investment, it is interesting – and absolutely nostalgically indulgent – to reference the starting point… In 1970, the first Limousins arrived in the UK and the breed quickly established itself as the most popular throughout the country, displacing the native breeds dominant at the time. What then followed has been five decades of breed development, as its dual role in producing high quality, efficient commercial carcases as well as consistent, high performing cross-bred suckler cows established itself. Based on progeny numbers, some of the main influencing sires during this time have been…

1970’s & 1980’s Dominant in the breed for nearly two decades, Fanfaron (87-70-003-527) was a bull owned by Genus whose semen was sold through the Milk Marketing Board scheme. Producing 2482 pedigree calves in total, he brought growth to the breed at that time and in true French style had the dual-purpose characteristics that left abundant quality females. A bull that can easily be considered one of the founding sires of the breed as we know it today.

1990-94 The early part of the 1990s was dominated by Broadmeadows Tombola. Selection by breeders on carcase quality was resulting in a much more modern style of animal. Tombola typified the success of this; with carcase trait EBVs in the Top 10% and Top 1% of the breed, whilst maintaining 200 Day Milk also in the Top 1%. One of the early ‘curve-benders’ performing well for naturally antagonistic characteristics, his influence undoubtedly helped carve the early breeding goals sought by buyers of the breed today. Again, owned by the Genus stud, he sired over 1250 pedigree calves and considerably more commercial calves.

1995-99 Owned by the Ronick herd and needing little introduction, is Broadmeadows Cannon. In a breeding career that has lasted more than three decades since 1989 and resulted in over 3000 pedigree calves, Cannon was at his peak in terms of calf numbers in the mid to late 1990’s. The show and sale records of his progeny are long and distinguished and his impact on the breeding animals in many pedigree herds considerable. With moderate growth traits, and both 200 Day Milk and Carcase Trait EBVs inside the Top 1% of the breed at this time, he remained true to the dual nature of the breed, delivering the highest quality breeding bulls & heifer replacements for pedigree and commercial herds alike.

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Limousin News

2000-04 Imported from France by the Dyfri herd, Jockey was a dominant force in the early part of the new millennium. A thoroughly modern bull at that time, he again stamped the breed with powerful combinations of maternal and terminal sire characteristics (Top 10% Calving Value, Top 1% Beef Value) with considerable influence to this day.

2005-09 A son on Broadmeadows Cannon, Ronick Hawk was one of the lead sires in the breed for over 10 years and used at his peak in the latter part of the 2000s. Strong combinations of growth, carcase, milk and easy calving traits secured his place in many herds with over 4500 calves now registered to him. Even today, 23 years after his birth, he has a Beef Value in the Top 10% of the breed and a 200 Day Milk in the Top 1%.

2010-15… With over 1000 registered calves so far, and considerable semen sales worldwide, Wilodge Cerberus continues the dual-purpose legacy of those that have gone before. Amongst many others that could also be listed here, he typifies modern Limousin: good calf growth and carcase quality, easy-calved & producing early maturing, milky daughters. This powerful combination is what the breed is about and why Limousin is the ‘go to’ breed for the industry.

SO WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

…LIMOUSIN WORKING HARD TO MEET FUTURE MARKETS The breeds and herds – be they pedigree or commercial – that can implement change are those that will successfully adapt to new markets, systems and trading environments. Work within the frame of the Breed Improvement Plan is well underway, already shaping the Limousin breed for the future and the animals that will empower commercial producers to drive the change they will need… • New Carcase Trait ‘GBVs’: In 2015, seven new Limousin Carcase Trait ‘GBV’s’ (Genomic Breeding Values) will be generated from animal DNA, the full BCMS dataset and weekly VIA measurements provided by ABP Food Group. The ‘next generation’ of the more traditional EBVs, GBVs offer more accurate estimates of performance at earlier stages in animals’ lives for traits that are difficult or expensive to measure. Limousin is the first beef breed in the UK to harness this technology and it means producers will be in the strongest possible position to identify the animals with the ability to earn more money. • New Feed Efficiency EBVs and GBVs: In the early part of 2015, Limousin was announced as a key breed in Defra’s new £1.5 million project to produce breeding values for Feed Efficiency. The role that genetics has to play within Feed Efficiency is well established in most breeds and identifies that some animals can be up to two times more efficient than others. Since feed is one of the industry’s main costs, the opportunity that will be offered to Limousin producers by Feed Efficient breeding stock will be significant.

• Enhanced Maternal Performance: Although the maternal role of the breed is well established, the Breed Improvement Plan identifies further enhancement of the key traits that contribute to it in terms of fertility and overall cow efficiency. Work is planned to commence in 2016 that will add the main maternal performance traits to the suite of GBVs referred to above, offering greater opportunity to purchasers of male and female breeding stock to identify the animals that will perform at the levels they need and aspire to. • Beyond these early goals: Work to deliver the remainder of the Breed Improvement Plan will continue over the next 10 years. During this time, it is possible that the use of full genome sequencing will become available, with the potential to take genetic predictions once more to a completely new level. The work that Limousin is putting in place now will ensure the breed is able to embrace such new opportunities at the earliest possible time for the financial gain of all its users. So the Limousin of the future will maintain all the qualities of its forebears – the unique combination of the terminal and maternal characteristics – but its adaptability to future needs will be driven quickly by a stronger and wider base of applied breeding technologies. Global & local pressures on the sector are too significant to ignore the gains that these higher level technologies offer in addition to those that can be achieved more traditionally. That is future-proofing and investment in such a product a no-brainer.

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LIMOUSIN-BRED REPLACEMENT HEIFERS – STRATEGY OR CHANCE? Most producers would agree that successful heifer replacements need to: • reach puberty and become pregnant early in the first breeding season • calve unassisted each year • breed back early in the second breeding season with high levels of sustained fertility thereafter • have optimum milk and fleshing ability, so as to wean profitable calves, yet maintain sufficient body condition for early annual re-breeding • have sensible maintenance requirements as a result of mature size and milk production levels which are matched to available feed resources • have sound teats, udders, feet and legs as well as calm temperament and as much longevity as possible to minimise annual replacement rates • represent genetics for optimum levels of growth, efficiency and carcase merit for the purpose of producing profitable store and finishing cattle as well as replacements • possess high cull value so as to offset replacement costs. In the UK many of these key attributes are inherent within the Limousin breed and are the fundamental reasons for the position it has maintained as the top breed in the country over the last 20 years or so. But using inherent quality as an excuse to continue doing what has always been done is perhaps shortsighted and may ultimately lead to the demise of any breed, or even any herd within a breed. Driving a unique programme, Limousin as a breed evaluates its performance in five key areas and provides information relating to genetic merit – in the form of Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) – on a breed-wide and individual animal basis: • Maternal Calving Ease (how easily a cow/heifer will calve) • 200 Day Milk (the maternal

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influence on weight at 200 days of age) • Age at 1st Calving • Calving Interval • Longevity So given the demanding list of attributes in our heifers that we require and the tools we have to address them with, lets consider how the information might be used. Opportunities to take advantage of genetic information exists at two points: 1. When bulls are selected to breed replacement heifers 2. When bulls are selected to mate to replacement heifers

Objective

BULLS TO BREED REPLACEMENT HEIFERS Traditionally it has been the case that heifers retained for use as suckler cows would likely be those that were most appealing to the cattleman in terms of size, appearance, temperament and possibly those produced by the earlier-calving cows. Whilst this approach addresses some of the criteria in the list above, it falls considerably short on a number of the main points and, if we are brutally honest with ourselves, we quickly realise some key elements of overall success are indeed completely left to chance. A strategic approach is to consider your ‘breeding objective’; the characteristics of your herd where you most want to drive change, be it for reasons of direct financial return, ease of management etc. Within that framework, you can then use the EBVs most relevant to you to identify the animals that have the genetic strengths to meet your ambitions. Without this information, decisions become less purposeful and the chance of failure considerably higher.

EBV

EBV value in the bull

Cows and heifers that calve more easily

Maternal Calving Ease EBV (%)

Look for bulls with high positive values for less assisted calvings in his daughters. Do not confuse with ‘Calving Ease’ which is the ease with which a bull’s own calves will be born.

Cows that positively influence their calves’ weaning weight through milking and mothering ability

200 Day Milk EBV (kg)

Look for bulls with high positive values for increased weight at weaning (as a result of milk/mothering from his daughters)

High proportion of heifers holding to first service

Age at 1st Calving EBV (%)

Herds looking to calve heifers at two years of age should identify bulls with high negative EBVs for this trait. Their daughters are likely to have higher conception rates at first mating compared with bulls with high positive EBVs for this trait.

Lower replacement rate

Longevity EBV (years)

Bulls with higher positive values will produce cows that will have typically have longer breeding lives

Heifers that get back in calf quickly as 2nd calvers

Calving Interval EBV (days)

Look for bulls with high negative EBVs to produce heifers with shorter calving intervals that get in calf again quickly

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Limousin News

“The genes of a bull bought today will still be impacting on herd performance in 20 years’ time. No other industry would leave a decision like that to chance”. BULLS TO MATE TO REPLACEMENT HEIFERS The bulls you choose to mate to your heifers will completely depend on your anticipated end point for the resulting calves. Again, it comes down to identifying your breeding objective and selecting the best bulls you can with the genes capable of achieving it. Of fundamental importance, however, in most herds is that heifers should calve as easily as possible with zero or very little manual interference. And the choice of bull is crucial to this. Whilst Limousin as a breed is renowned as easy-calving, there are individuals within the breed that are more easy calving than others and sourcing these to give your heifers as easy a time of it as possible is absolutely vital. The EBVs most relevant here are those that relate to the direct calving ability of the bull himself: Objective

EBV

EBV value in the bull

Calves born unassisted

Calving Ease EBV (%)

Look for a bull with high positive values to reduce the amount of assistance required at calving time. Do not confuse with the Maternal Calving Ease EBV which indicates how easily his daughters will calve.

Calves born on time

Gestation Length EBV (days)

Looks for bulls with high negative values to ensure calves are born with short to average gestation lengths

Avoid very big and very small calves

Birth Weight EBV (kg)

Look for bulls with average Birth Weight EBVs. Avoid extreme positive values (heavy) and extreme negative values (light)

The animals are easily found, and examples leading the breed are illustrated in the Top 10 lists elsewhere in this Magazine. To search at home go to www. basco.org and use the ‘Beef Search’ tab to find animals by name, by breeder or by desired EBVs. At sales use the same information presented in sale catalogues. The Limousin breed is unique in its ability to produce quality replacement heifers as well as high value, efficient, finished calves. Whilst the ongoing Carcase Traits and Feed Efficiency projects are clearly targeting development of performance in this latter area, the maternal performance of the breed is far from being overlooked. It is one of the key focal points of the Limousin Breed Improvement plan. In the coming years, the range of maternal traits will develop as will the robustness of the predictions as new genomic techniques in particular become available. Plans are already in hand for some of the early stage work to start in 2016.

“No other breed is demonstrating the same commitment to providing the widest range and most robust maternal breeding information possible.” Bull to mate to heifer replacements

So to answer the question of Strategy or Chance? Irrespective of the developments to come in the future, producers already have breeding information at their disposal to help answer some of the big questions when it comes to finding a bull to breed heifers. Margins are tight and work has shown that in a self-replacing herd, the genes of the bull bought today will still be impacting on herd performance in 20 years’ time.

The centre line of the graph for all traits is breed average. Bars to the right indicate the EBV is above breed average. The further to the right, the higher above average it is. Bull to breed heifer replacements

No other industry would leave a decision like that to chance. Planning a desired outcome and using breeding information to help achieve it is fundamental in producing heifers better than the

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ones that went before. And no other breed is demonstrating the same commitment to providing the widest range and most robust maternal breeding information possible, now and in the future.

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MATERNAL FOCUS FOR LIMOUSIN HIGH-FLYERS! In this Magazine issue, the focus for the Top 10 league tables is on the bulls, dams and youngstock that are leading the breed in terms of their genetic merit for overall Maternal Value. The Maternal Value is an economically weighted index that groups together Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) in to one single value as follows:

LONGEVITY AGE AT 1ST CALVING 200 DAY MILK WEIGHT MATERNAL CALVING EASE

MATERNAL VALUE

CALVING INTERVAL Animals with high Maternal Values typically have superior EBVs for a combination of these trait EBVs. Other aspects of animal performance, such as calving ease and growth, remain important when selecting Maternal breeding stock, however, and these characteristics are also included in the lists that follow.

RESULTS FROM THE MARCH 2015 EBV UPDATE The most recent Limousin EBV (Estimated Breeding Value) update was carried out on 30th March 2015. The following league tables identify the current Top 10 Sires, Dams, Young Bulls & Young Heifers in the breed according to their Maternal breeding merit.

March 2015 Top 10 Maternal Sires The league table below identifies the current Top 10 Limousin sires according to the following criteria: • All bulls are born on or before 29th March 2012 (ie are older than 3 years of age at time of update) • All bulls have a calf registered in 2012 and/or 2013 and/or 2014/5. • All bulls have the highest Maternal Value recorded in the March 2015 EBV Update • All bulls have Calving Ease EBVs greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of -2.0% • All bulls have a Beef Value greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of LM22 • All bulls have a 200 Day Milk EBV greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of -1kg.

Bull Name

Dyke Thunder - UK543107200151 DoB: 20/09/02 No. Calves: 249 Sire: Haltcliffe President Bailgate Dickie - UK140892300449 DoB: 15/11/08 No Calves: 19 Sire: Corridan Arkle Twemlows Sinbad - UK305925600166 DoB: 14/10/01 No. Calves: 196 Sire: Twemlows Magicman Haltcliffe Exocet - UK 100996400850 DoB: 15/06/09 NO. Calves: 20 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire Greenhaugh Utwo - UK521765200762 DoB: 14/02/03 No. Calves: 46 Sire: Mapleleaf Kickoff Haltcliffe Canyon - UK100996200659 DoB: 01/07/2007 No. Calves: 26 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire

Limousin

Bred

Owned

Maternal value (pts)

Calv. Ease EBV (%)

Beef Value

200 Day Milk (kg)

JR MacGregor (Dyke) Ltd Dyke herd Glasgow

Non-member owner

MV41 (82%)

+0.5 (72%)

LM43 (97%)

+6 (81%)

J Ward Farming, Bailgate herd, Lincolnshire

MV37 (57%)

-1 (71%)

LM39 (83%)

+3 (52%)

WL&JA Forrester Twemlows herd, Shropshire

Bradwell Grove Farms Bradwell herd, Oxfordshire

MV36 (71%)

-0.8 (92%)

LM24 (97%)

+6 (79%)

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

Mr KD Harryman Keskadale herd Cumbria

MV36 (60%)

-1.5 (63%)

LM27 (75%)

-1 (58%)

K Stewart & Sons, Greenhaugh herd, Aberdeen

Mr J Rendall Norseman herd, Orkney

MV35 (76%)

-0.3 (85%)

LM34 (93%)

+5 (75%)

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

Mr J Capstick Blackcombe herd Cumbria

MV35 (61%)

-1.4 (62%)

LM24 (76%)

-1 (58%)

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Haltcliffe Brazil - UK100996200568 DoB: 22/07/06 No Calves: 87 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire Janos Fantastic - UK701281500088 DoB: 02/07/10 No. Calves: 6 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire Heathmount Talon - UK9564413/29-1 DoB: 12/03/02 No Calves: 49 Sire: 1666 Olaf Fleethill Dazzler - UK 720888/500599 DoB: 15/09/08 No. Calves: 42 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

Non member owner

MV34 (62%)

-0.2 (83%)

LM30 (77%)

-1 (56%)

BC&JW Evans Janos herd Powys

Mr DG Lewis Geufron herd Powys

MV32 (55%)

-0.2 (59%)

LM26 (63%)

+1 (50%)

McKinney Bros Heathmount herd, Co Derry

Mr MJ Conway Craigatoke herd, Co Tyrone

MV32 (70%)

-1.2 (80%)

LM33 (89%)

+1 (53%)

Mr M J Gray Fleethill herd Powys

Messrs J&H Phillips Gronw herd Carmarthen

MV31 (64%)

0.7 (81%)

LM23 (90%)

+2 (52%)

March 2015 Top 10 Maternal Dams The table below identifies the current Top 10 Limousin dams according to the following criteria: • All dams have produced at least one registered calf since 29th March 2012 (ie in the three years prior to this update) • All dams have the highest Maternal Value recorded in the March 2015 EBV Update • All dams have Calving Ease EBVs greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of -2.0% • All dams have a Beef Value greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of LM22 • All dams have a 200 Day Milk EBV greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of -1kg.

Bull Name

Haltcliffe Ultraviolet UK100996400255 DoB: 31/05/03 Sire: Sympa 6272 Haltcliffe Brenda UK100996600551 DoB: 24/06/06 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire Scorboro Vanity UK142543600191 DoB: 23/12/04 Sire: Coachhouse Supreme Fleethill Pretty RD018900247 DoB: 19/05/99 Sire: Loosebeare Jacob Haltcliffe Bridget UK100996400570 DoB: 02/08/06 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire Hudscales Aimable UK100998600562 DoB: 29/08/05 Sire: Lascard 2290 Haltcliffe Coral UK100996100637 DoB: 14/05/07 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire Haltcliffe Carrie UK100996500620 DoB: 08/04/07 Sire: Sympa 6272 Haltcliffe Fawn UK100996100917 DoB: 11/04/10 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire Haltcliffe Dasher UK100996200757 DoB: 29/05/08 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire

Bred

Owned

Maternal value (pts)

Calv. Ease EBV (%)

Beef Value

200 Day Milk (kg)

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

MV54 (72%)

-1.0 (73%)

LM43 (85%)

0 (75%)

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

MV47 (67%)

-0.3 (69%)

LM38 (80%)

+1 (68)

JCG Bloom & Son Scorboro herd Driffield

GW Holling & Son Twilyte herd Derbyshire

MV46 (67%)

-1.4 (73%)

LM38 (83%)

+2 (66%)

Mr J Gray Fleethill herd Powys

MV46 (62%)

-1.9 (69%)

LM37 (75%)

+1 (63%)

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

MV45 (67%)

-1.0 (72%)

LM27 (79%)

-1 (66%)

A&W Cowx Hudscales herd Cumbria

MV45 (63%)

-2.0 (68%)

LM46 (77%)

-1 (65%)

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

MV44 (66%)

-0.9 (67%)

LM35 (78%)

+1 (67%)

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

Mr K McGrane Tivenacree herd Co Armagh

MV44 (62%)

-1.0 (62%)

LM38 (75%)

0 (60%)

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

Mr RS Harker Overthwaite herd Lancashire

MV44 (63%)

-1.1 (66%)

LM36 (72%)

0 (58%)

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

MV43 (66%)

-0.9 (67%)

LM24 (79%)

0 (65%)

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Limousin News March 2015 Top 10 Maternal Young Bulls The table below identifies the current Top 10 Limousin young bulls according to the following criteria: • All bulls are born since 29th March 2012 (ie less than 3 years old at the EBV update), are pedigree registered and are performance recorded. • All bulls have the highest Maternal Value recorded in the March 2015 EBV Update • All bulls have Calving Ease EBVs greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of -2.0% • All bulls have a Beef Value greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of LM22 • All bulls have a 200 Day Milk EBV greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of -1kg. Bull Name

Bred

Owned

Maternal value (pts)

Calv. Ease EBV (%)

Beef Value

200 Day Milk (kg)

Haltcliffe Iceman UK 100996/101225 DoB: 18/04/2013 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

MV45 (61%)

-1.0 (65%)

LM46 (75%)

0 (58%)

Knock Illiad UK 520759/700883 DoB: 11/06/2013 Sire: Goldies Florida

Mr AG Howie Knock herd Aberdeenshire

Non member owner

MV42 (47%)

-2.0 (60%)

LM65 (74%)

0 (39%)

Haltcliffe Intern UK 100996/201226 DoB: 19/04/2013 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

MV39 (60%)

-1.5 (64%)

LM45 (75%)

0 (57%)

Ellesmere Jacob UK 304645/600834 DoB: 13/05/2014 Sire: Ellesmere Fergus

AHM Lea & Son Ellesmere herd Shropshire

MV33 (47%)

-1.6 (57%)

LM26 (72%)

0 (45%)

Haltcliffe Lucas UK 100996/701406 DoB: 12/02/2015 Sire: Haltcliffe Fencer

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

MV31 (45%)

-1.6 (56%)

LM36 (56%)

0 (45%)

Knock Inverary UK 520759/700834 DoB: 01/04/2013 Sire: Newhouse Billy

Mr AG Howie Knock herd Aberdeenshire

Non member owner

MV30 (52%)

-1.6 (58%)

LM41 (75%)

+1 (46%)

Knock Hitman UK 520759/700764 DoB: 08/04/2012 Sire: Newhouse Billy

Mr AG Howie Knock herd Aberdeenshire

Non member owner

MV30 (54%)

-1.9 (54%)

LM32 (73%)

0 (49%)

Ellesmere Jewel UK 304645/600848 DoB: 14/10/2014 Sire: Ellesmere Fergus

AHM Lea & Son Ellesmere herd Shropshire

MV29 (43%)

-2.0 (56%)

LM29 (63%)

0 (37%)

Reddings Hero UK 582148/400675 DoB: 22/04/2012 Sire: Reddings Elvis

Mr NP Wilson Reddings herd Dumfriesshire

Mr W Nelson Kilphin herd Ayrshire

MV28 (45%)

-0.8 (53%)

LM43 (72%)

-1 (40%)

Newhouse Invader UK 540209/101130 DoB: 11/01/2013 Sire: Greenhaugh Forester

RM Adam & Son Newhouse herd Angus

MV28 (49%)

-1.8 (58%)

LM33 (76%)

+1 (42%)

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Limousin News March 2015 Top 10 Maternal Heifers The table below identifies the current Top 10 Limousin heifers according to the following criteria: • All heifers are born since 29th March 2012 (ie less than 3 years old at the EBV update), are pedigree registered and are performance recorded. • All heifers have the highest Maternal Value recorded in the March 2015 EBV Update • All heifers have Calving Ease EBVs greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of -2.0% • All heifers have a Beef Value greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of LM22 • All heifers have a 200 Day Milk EBV greater than or equal to the 2015 breed average of -1kg. Bull Name

Bred

Owned

Maternal value (pts)

Calv. Ease EBV (%)

Beef Value

200 Day Milk (kg)

Knock Ingrid UK 520759/300837 DoB: 06/04/2013 Sire: Newhouse Billy

Mr AG Howie Knock herd Aberdeenshire

MV39 (52%)

-2.0 (58%)

LM48 (72%)

+1 (45%)

Homebyres Ivory UK 560248/101350 DoB: 18/10/2013 Sire: Homebyres Gregg

Messrs J Logan Hombyres herd Roxburghshire

MV35 (50%)

-0.6 (59%)

LM43 (73%)

+2 (46%)

Shannas Honor UK 520782/701706 DoB: 05/04/2012 Sire: Dyke Thunder

Mr & Mrs J Penny Shannas herd Aberdeenshire

MV35 (57%)

-0.7 (53%)

LM28 (71%)

+2 (54%)

Ellesmere Heaven UK 304645/500735 DoB: 19/06/2012 Sire: Ellesmere Byron

AHM Lea & Son Ellesmere herd Shropshire

MV35 (57%)

-1.4 (63%)

LM23 (56%)

+1 (46%)

Knock Hopscotch UK 520759/400761 DoB: 04/04/2012 Sire: Newhouse Billy

Mr AG Howie Knock herd Aberdeenshire

MV35 (56%)

-2.0 (54%)

LM40 (74%)

+1 (45%)

Haltcliffe Harem UK 100996/101127 DoB: 30/04/2012 Sire: Cloughhead Umpire

Messrs Ridley Haltcliffe herd Cumbria

MV34 (59%)

-0.7 (65%)

LM23 (72%)

0 (58%)

Shannas Infinity UK 520782/401857 DoB: 19/04/2013 Sire: Dyke Thunder

Mr & Mrs J Penny Shannas herd Aberdeenshire

MV32 (54%)

-1.4 (53%)

LM37 (75%)

+3 (55%)

Knock Joanne UK 520759/700946 DoB: 15/05/2014 Sire: Goldies Florida

Mr AG Howie Knock herd Aberdeenshire

MV32 (46%)

-1.9 (59%)

LM46 (70%)

0 (37%)

Knock Irisheyes UK 520759/200857 DoB: 23/04/2013 Sire: Newhouse Billy

Mr AG Howie Knock herd Aberdeenshire

MV30 (54%)

-1.6 (60%)

LM33 (73%)

0 (49%)

Greenhaugh Hosta UK 521765/602187 DoB: 07/07/2012 Sire: Procters Aviator

K Stewart & Sons Greenhaugh herd Aberdeenshire

MV30 (57%)

-2 (64%)

LM36 (65%)

0 (50%)

To view pedigree and performance information for all registered Limousins go to www.limousin.co.uk and click on the ‘Basco Online Herdbook’ button. You can then search by animal, by breeder and by EBVs.

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• On-line semen purchasing

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• Automated service

• Competitive pricing

• Payment collection • Professional marketing • Semen for all markets

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COMMERCIAL SALES ROUND-UP

MASSIVE CROWD SEES CORRIE SALE HIT £4000 One of the biggest crowds seen at a NI livestock auction in recent years gathered at Ballymena Mart on Wednesday 7th January 2015 for the dispersal of the commercial suckler herd of Will & Gareth Corrie, Drumhilla Farm, Newtownards. Prompted by the expansion of the Corries dairy unit, there was immense pre-sale interest from right across the UK and Ireland as details emerged. The majority of stock that came under the hammer was over 100 head of cows and heifers, mainly Limousin sired, due to calve from February onwards. These were topped at £3700 paid for a black Limousin heifer selling at note to one of the herd’s stock bulls. The top price was purchased by Brian Cassidy, Maghera. Spirited bidding was clear to be seen right from the start which

resulted in the 101 cows and heifers levelling at an average of £1900. The sale also included three Limousin stock bulls which sold to £4000 the day’s top price. This was paid for the April 2009 born Wellhouse Elm, an Objat son, who has bred tremendously well within the Drumhilla Farm commercial and pedigree herds. Elm was purchased by Sam Coleman, who runs the Glarryford pedigree herd at Glarryford, Ballymena. Every animal in the sale was sold with a number being exported to Wales and to J & R Owen, Anglesey making their first purchases in NI. The Owens were featured in the Winter 2014 Limousin magazine. Auctioneers: JA McClelland, Ballymena Livestock Mart.

£4,100 TOP AT JALEX COMMERCIAL SALE

Saturday 21st March saw another big N Ireland commercial producer, James Alexander, sell his entire spring/summer calving cows and heifers amounting to over 200 head and also at Ballymena Mart. The sale leader at £4,100 was the black cow who bred the 2013 Allams winner Eddie Rocket sired

by Swarland Eddie. It was sold to Lloyd Fowlie, Aberdeenshire with the same buyer also paying £2,450 for another cow that sold in-calf to Swarland Eddie. The sale attracted buyers from across the UK and Ireland who bid on commercial females all scanned in-calf to top Limousin

bulls including Swarland Eddie, Larkhill Emerald, Sarkley Herald, Bassingfield Hobama and Haltcliffe Fraser. More than 50 lots were purchased for export to the mainland with CDC Farm and Machinery, Lincolnshire, the largest volume buyer. Potential show calves were

JALEX FEST RAISES £30,000 FOR CHARITY Marie Curie Cancer Care has been presented with a cheque for £30,000 thanks to pedigree and commercial Limousin producers the Alexander Family, Randalstown, Northern Ireland. Last summer, the family held a fundraising event in the form of “Jalex Fest” receiving considerable support and donations from local businesses. Taking the form of a Barn Dance & BBQ, over 1,000 people attended on the night.

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also in demand with a top price of £3,100 paid for a roan daughter of Swarland Eddie who was snapped up by Richard Duffy, Westport. AVERAGES 228 cows £1,758 Auctioneers: JA McClelland

COMMERCIAL SALES ROUND-UP

Limousin News

RUTHIN LIMOUSIN CHAMPION HITS £4,800 Ruthin Overall Champion £4,800 G & MLI Roberts

The 16th Annual North West Potentials Show & Sale held at Ruthin on Saturday 21st February saw the Overall Champion, under Judge Glyn Howatson, a Limousin-cross heifer owned by

Ruthin Limousin Steer £3,250 JM & AM Lewis

G & MLI Roberts, Carreg Y Fran sell for £4,800. A Limousin-cross steer brought out by JM & AM Lewis, Pentwyn also sold for £3,250 whilst David John Lloyd & Co, Cefn Barrach,

sold a Limousin-sired heifer at the £3,000 mark. DG & E Lewis, Cefncoed Mawr then saw their July 2014-born Lim steer calf go under the hammer for £2,800 whilst the Overall

Reserve Champion, a Limousin crossbred steer owned by Bowen & Bowen, Penthryn was knocked down for £2,700.

FIVE MONTH OLD LIMOUSIN HEIFER TOPS BRECON POTENTIALS AT £4050 The Brecon Show Potentials Sale held with McCartneys on Saturday 14th February saw a seven month old Limousin cross heifer from Colin & Wendy Phillips, The Batch, Weobley top the trade at £4,050 when going under the hammer to CJ Brooke, Worcester. Champion on the day was another Limmy-cross female – and one of the youngest animals forward at five months – the roancoloured Strawberry Split from JAV Mills & Sons, Llanerchllwyd which sold for £3,100 to Brian Jones, Pentregwyn. Reserve Overall & Champion Steer was again Limousin-sired in the shape of Deano from PJ & TA Jones, Tyisaf which realised £2,200 to SJ

Brecon Potentials Top Price £4,050 C&W Phillips

Layton, Knoakes Court. Judged by Chris & Nigel Pennie of the Sarkley Herd, Gwern-YrYchain, Llandyssil, Montgomery, Powys, the honours in the unhaltered classes went to Mac, a

Brecon Potentials Champion £3,100 JAV Mills

Limousin steer bred by DG Lewis, Cefncoed Mawr which later sold to Lucy Jones, Devon for £2,100. DH Morgan, Nantgwynne sold Candy Crush, a Limousin crossbred heifer at £2,850, with

another at £2,700 followed by a steer at £1,600. A near-virtual clearance of the 85 animals forward saw steers level at £1,434 per head and heifers £1,723 – for calves averaging 7 months of age.

DODD HEADS NW CLUB PRIMESTOCK SALE At Borderway Mart, Carlisle on Monday 30th March the North West Limousin Club held their Annual Show & Sale of primestock in conjunction with Harrison and Hetherington’s weekly primestock sale. The Judge Mr John Little, Lancaster Meats awarded the Overall Championship to JS & JO Dodd of West View, Temple Sowerby for their 572kg steer which later went on to sell to £1,335.62 and was purchased by Pioneer Foods. Top price per kilo of 235.5ppk was for the 2nd prize 565kg heifer also consigned by JS & JO Dodd which sold for £1,330.58. Top price per head £1,622.08 went to the 713kg 1st prize heifer and Reserve Overall Champion from JJ Crichton, Loughrigg Farm, Egremont - also purchased by Pioneer Foods.

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COMMERCIAL SALES ROUND-UP

LIMOUSINS TOP ROYAL NORTHERN SPRING SHOW AT £4000 The Royal Northern Spring Show was held at Thainstone with Aberdeen & Northern Marts on Wednesday 25th February with another strong performance for Limousin-bred commercial cattle producers. Topping the trade was John Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry who sold a 426kg Limousin-cross heifer by Dou Dou at £4,000 to Duncan Morrison, Burnside, Kinlochbervie, with their Champion Steer, a 398kg Limousin-cross sired by Cowtham Justice realising £3,200 to Andrew Laird, Burray, Orkney. The sale of show potential calves saw the Overall Champion under Judge Paul Barwood, Great Yarmouth from Colin Stuart, Belnoe, Chapeltown knocked down to Craig Hendry, Aultmore, Keith for £3,800. This was for the sixmonth-old, 314kg Ballinloan Geronimo-sired heifer Miss Molly, named after Mr Stewart’s ten-year-old daughter. Miss Molly now heads to the Highland among other summer shows. Ballinloan Geronimo was bought privately from Stuart Fotheringham and the dam of Miss Molly, a homebred Limousin-cross Blue, was the first cow he served at Belnoe. Geronimo

Thainstone Spring Show £4,000 Top Price, Newton of Logierait

Overall Heifer and Overall Champion Colin Stuart

is sired by Nebo Dynamite (by Nenuphar) and is out of the Wilodge Vantastic daughter, Ballinloan Ember. Securing a final bid of £3,000 was a 472kg Limmy-cross from Messrs D Davidson, Netherton Farm, Keith in the shape of a February 2014-born heifer by Corsairtly Findlay. She heads to Anita Padfield, Great Yarmouth. Reserve Steer was a 416kg Kype Elliotesired Limousin-cross from Monzie Farms, Gilmerton, Crieff which went for £1,800. Reserve Heifer & Reserve Overall was a 408kg Limousin cross heifer from Michael and Mark

£4600 DIXIE CHICK LEADS CALLY CALVES Limousin-sired calves again led the way in a strong trade at Caledonian Marts’ Stirling Spring Show with a £4,600 top price and a Young Farmers’ centre record price of £4,000. Leading the way was Hugh Dunlop, Holehouse, Ochiltree, Cumnock with his homebred heifer Dixie Chick who made £4,600 or £12.10 per kg. The event’s Open Champion winner, Dixie Chick is by the 11,000gns sire Roxburgh Ghurka and out of a Limousin cross cow. This 380kg heifer heads to Cornwall having

Robertson, Easter Fodderletter, Tomintoul. This heifer, bred by H Ross, Huntly, was retained by the Robertson’s for their 110-cow suckler herd. Winning the unhaltered steer class was Garry Patterson, Upper Forgie, Keith with his 396kg Limousin-cross by Corsairtly Dynamo which sold for £1,200. AVERAGES 11 Heifers 14 Steers Auctioneers: ANM

Cally Calves DIXIE CHICK £4,600 Hugh Dunlop

Saturday 14th March 2015 saw Leyburn Mart’s tenth anniversary Spring Spectacular for Show Potential Cattle with Limousin cattle selling to £3,300. Under Judge Michael Alford from Devon, the Champion Heifer from the Dent Family, Lartington, Barnard Castle was a Limousin which made £3,000 to Dean Allen, Sinnington, York. Reserve Champion Heifer, presented by Garrowby Farms, Bugthorpe, York was snapped up by Dickie Anderson, Middleham for £3,300. First AVERAGES prize in the unhaltered section went to Maureen

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Cally Calves HASHTAG £4,000 John & James Graham

been purchased by Nigel Bunkum, Treggarick. At £4,000 and setting a new centre record for the Clyde and Central YFC Rally, was John and James Graham, Mains of Burnbank, with their black Limousin heifer, Hashtag. Bred by Willie Walker, Camreggan, Girvan, and originally purchased at Caledonina Marts for £880, this 470kg heifer was knocked down to the Ritchie family of Tamal, Whitecraigs.

LIMOUSINS UP TO £3,300 AT LEYBURN

& Bill Orme with a Limousin heifer at £1,450 with Walburn Hall Farms, Richmond in second place selling for £1,220.

£2,045.00 £1,469.29

£1,610 £1,469

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COMMERCIAL SALES ROUND-UP

Limousin News

MARKET SHORTS MARCH BAKEWELL: Leading the breeding trade were a Limousin cow and

heifer calf from Chatsworth settlement, Bakewell, which made £1,200 and a Limousin stock bull from DC Wright, Parwick at £2,350. LANARK: J Wight & Sons, Midlock, topped Lawrie & Symingtons March show and sale of store cattle with a Lim cross heifer at 482kgs which sold for £1460 to Messrs Taylor, Heatheryhall. A Lim cross bullock from Shona Laird, Sunnyside, Carbello took the Reserve and sold for £1380 to D Anderson, Maryport. NEWARK: Top heifers were consigned by Messrs Upper Coton Farms who sold Limousins to 266.5 (twice) - £1305.85 and £1284.53. Ted Hardcastle sold Limousins to 249.5p - £1217.56 with others at 244.5p - £1,246.95 and £1,302.23. Top grossing heifer was John Holmes who sold Limousins to £1,537.16.

SUCKLED CALVES LED BY PEDIGREE LIM AT £3,000 The Annual Spring Show & Sale of Continental Suckled Calves held on Wednesday 18th March at Borderway Mart, Carlisle saw a top of £3,000 for a pedigree homebred Limousin heifer shown by Colin Little of Mayfield, Carlisle. The heifer is by Guards Goshi and is out of Guards Elf, one of the herd’s favourite cows and who is also mother of Betty Boop, a heifer which sold through Carlisle in September 2013 and went on to win the Commercial Championship at the 2014 Royal Highland Show. Successful buyers were Messrs Atkinson of Newland, Lancashire. An entry of 1,400 yearling and summer-born calves met a roaring trade as over 100 active buyers from all parts of the UK competed for top-quality suckler bred cattle. The sale averages levelled at £1,090 for bullocks (-£9) with heifers finishing at £1,006 (+£21). Under Judge Gareth Small of Kilkeel, N.Ireland, the Overall Championship winner was a black Limousin-cross heifer shown by Andrew Harrison of Grange Farm, Great Asby. This was an April-born daughter of the homebred bull Noble Buster, and went on to sell for £2,500 to Messrs Dickinson of Askham, Penrith. The Reserve Overall Champion winner was a red Limousin heifer from Andy & Stephen Powley of Low Northsceugh, Armathwaite. This heifer was the class winner of the baby beef heifer entries and is a 6 month old daughter of Goldies Fireball and out of a Limousin-cross dam. She sold for £1,450 to D Watret of Hightae, Lockerbie. The Powleys also lifted the Overall Steer Championship prize with their Baby Beef winner, an 8-month-old red Limousin-bred steer by Thirlwall Gojo which later sold for £1,800 to CN Bentley of Kepwick, Yorkshire. The Reserve Champion Steer was a red Limousin-cross consigned by Neil Hardisty of Hall Hall, Ennerdale. This was a homebred entry sired by Huntershall Gladiator and was purchased by Messrs Kirby of Holsworthy, Devon for £2,600. Other leading show winning prices included a red Limousin cross heifer from Andrew Harrison which sold for £2,700; a black Limousin baby beef heifer from B Hall, Ainstable Hall which realised £2,600; and a red Limousin heifer from C Little, Mayfield which made £2,100.

FORTHCOMING SHOWS, SALES & EVENTS UP TO END OF SEPTEMBER 2015 All Sales are Official BLCS Sales unless stated otherwise Saturday 2nd May Carlisle Sale Monday 4th May Stirling Sale Monday 4th May Ballymena Sale Saturday 9th May Brecon Sale Tuesday 12th May Northern Limousin Extravaganza, Skipton

Saturday 6th June Twilyte Dispersal Sale on behalf of GW Holling & Son, Newark Friday 12th June Carlisle Sale Thursday 18th – Sunday 21st June Royal Highland Show Friday 26th June Exeter Sale

Wednesday 13th May Skipton Red Sale*

Saturday 4th July Newark Sale on behalf of the Coachhouse Herd plus guest consignments

Wednesday 13th - Friday 15th May Balmoral Show

Tuesday 14th – Thursday 16th July Great Yorkshire Show

Thursday 14th May NW Mids & N Wales Club Sale, Welshpool*

Monday 20th – Thursday 23rd July Royal Welsh Show including YLBC National Stockjudging

Thursday 21st May NBA Beef Expo, York Wednesday 27th May SBA Beef Event, Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie Saturday 30th May Sale on behalf of the Goldies, Haltcliffe & Ampertaine Herds, Carlisle Thursday 4th – Saturday 6th June Royal Cornwall Show

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Saturday 6th June Kenilworth Show

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Saturday 25th July NI Limousin Championships, Antrim Show Monday 3rd August Limousin Grand Prix, Turriff Show Friday 18th – Sunday 20th September Social Weekend & AGM Hereford *Not an official BLCS Sale. NB Dates correct at time of going to press

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L i m o u s i n Yo u n g L i m o u s i n Annabelle Wint Annabelle@limousin.co.uk T: 07909 - 254565 Check out the YLBC Facebook page or www.limousin.co.uk for reports and future events. YOUNG LIMOUSIN BREEDERS http://www.facebook.com/groups/311318061854/?fref=ts

ROUND-UP WITH YLBC CO-ORDINATOR ANNABELLE WINT

he Limousin Young Breeders’ Club (YLBC) is the growing youth section of the British Limousin Cattle Society (BLCS). There are active Young Limousin breeders from all regions of the United Kingdom. Under the national structure of the YLBC, events are organised at national and local level with the assistance of the BLCS and its nine associated regional clubs. Under the heading of Today’s Youth – Tomorrow’s Breeders we recognise that our young people are the future of the forward industry. The YLBC aims to provide its young members with a varied range of activities and events around the UK that are educational, provide opportunities and experience, are fun, and are of course built around livestock and farming. Events and activities held in, and planned for, the year include: National Young Breeders Stock judging, Anglo Irish Stock judging, calf shows, social events, organised days and courses in preparing, halter training, clipping, showing cattle and general stock knowledge. Young Limousin breeders are also encouraged to take a handson part in the promotion of the Limousin breed. The YLBC is the foundation around which the UK’s Number One Beef Breed will continue to develop. During the last few months the Club has been organising this year’s

competitions. The 2015 National Stock judging Competition is set to be held this year at the Royal Welsh Show on Wednesday 22nd July. Meanwhile, the Anglo-Irish Stock judging Championship will be held on Saturday 18th September during the BLCS Limousin Social Weekend, Dinmore, Hereford. Tuesday 10th February saw BLCS Technical Manager Alison Glasgow and myself visit Reaseheath Agricultural College, Cheshire where Alison made a presentation to a class of students on the Society’s technical initiatives including the Carcase Traits Project, Breed Improvement Plan, Feed Efficiency Project and the importance of EBVs (Estimated Breeding Values). I took the opportunity to outline a little about the work and aims of the YLBC. Please also look out for all forward YLBC plans presently being discussed including an exciting new initiative to set up a bespoke YLBC educational programme. So as always, plenty going on and please give me a call or drop me an email with any points, info, or questions around the YLBC. Best wishes, Annabelle T: 07909-254565

YLBC NATIONAL STOCK JUDGING COMPETITION

WIN A TRIP TO CANADA!

t will soon be that time of the year again when YLBC hold their annual National Stock judging Competition. This year the competition is to be held at The Royal Welsh Show on Wednesday 22nd July at 9:30am – so put this date in your diaries. For those that haven’t as yet sampled the hospitality of the Young People’s Village, it is not to be missed! The competition is open to everyone aged 10 - 28, members of the YLBC club can enter for free, and other participants are more than welcome (with a small nominal charge) so please bring along all your friends and family. The competition requires you to show off your stock judging skills: you will be asked to judge a class of 4 heifers and a class of 4 bulls with reasons to be given on one of the classes (to be decided on the day). Last year the competition was held at the Royal Three Counties Showground, Malvern, where we had a great turnout of young

breeders and great prizes were won. The overall winner was Millie Hendy, Woodlands Farm, Watery Lane, Doynton, Bristol who won the trip to Canada where she visited the Canadian Agribition Show, took part in their stock judging competition, along with visiting a feed lot of 12,000 head of cattle and various other activities. Millie wrote a report on the trip which you can find in the Winter 2014 magazine – just think this could be you! Entry forms for the National Stock judging competition will be on the Young Limousin Breeder Club webpage see www.limousin.co.uk/ YLBC or on the Young Limousin Breeders Facebook page.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Current YLBC Officials

• National Stock judging Competition Royal Welsh Show Wednesday 22nd July

Chairman

Kirree Kermode, Isle of Man

07624-435560

Vice Chairman

Stephanie Dick, Stirling

01786-812422

Secretary

Tom Illingworth, Lockerbie

07784-323988

• Anglo Irish Stock judging Championships Saturday 18th September within Limousin Social Weekend, Dinmore, Hereford

Sponsorship & Promo Sophie Harvey, Glasgow

01360-440504

• YLBC Training Day TBC, Twemlows Herd, Shropshire

President

01307-840234

• 10th December YLBC AGM & Young Handlers Competition

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Kay Adam

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GRAHAM BROTHERS TOP CLYDE & CENTRAL YF CALF RALLY AT £4,000

THE YLBC IS SEEKING SPONSORSHIP! ATTRACTIVE PACKAGES AVAILABLE FOR BREEDERS AND COMPANIES

rothers John & James Graham, Mains of Burnbank, Blair Drummond, Stirling topped the Clyde & Central Young Farmers Calf Rally held on Saturday 14th March at Caledonian Marts, Stirling. Their Overall Champion was the Limousin-bred Senior Heifer Hashtag who weighed in at 470kg and later sold to Aileen Ritchie, Tamala for £4,000. With all calves having to be bought-in for the

Rally, this one was purchased by John (18) and James (17) at Cally Marts in December from breeder William Walker, Camreggan, Girvan. The brothers also sold their Best Opposite Sex to the Champion, the Limousin-sired bullock I Need a Dollar (535kg) to James Nisbet, Sorn Mains for £1,700. This had been purchased from James Cullens, Dollar Bank Farm, Dollar.

he YLBC is actively seeking support, both in-kind and financial, to help develop its ideas and to support its annual programme of activities. We would welcome the support of interested pedigree breeders as well as commercial agriculture-based companies. In every instance we would work hard to ensure that you received full value within any sponsorship agreement.

AMY LINDSAY JOINS NORDIC 4H CAMP

As the parent Society, the BLCS funds much of the Club’s activities. However we are also keen that the YLBC itself also tries to raise funds for some parts of its activities as we feel for young people that this introduces those skills of taking a personal responsibility, recognising the value, and having a sense of ownership.

What could you be involved in and what could the Young Limousin Breeders Club offer you:

LBC Member Amy Lindsay is to join a Scotland team of 12 Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC) Junior members attending the Nordic 4H Camp in Finland. Accompanied by 3 senior SAYFC members, the Nordic 4H Camp lasts one week and takes place from Thursday 23rd of July to Thursday 30th of July 2015 at Hyvarila Youth Centre, Nurmes, Finland. The camp has a theme being ‘4H Moving the World’ and is organised every second year by Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish 4H organisations and rotates from one country to another. Normally around 1000-1500 young people attend the camp. Groups need to raise funds to

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pay for their own travel expenses to Finland and an entry fee which includes a rent of a tent for the week, meals, workshops, trips and excursions. Amy has had a small amount of financial support from the British Limousin Cattle Society to help her. The camp is about inter-cultural learning relating to rural communities, volunteering and leading a healthy life style. We look forward to hearing more from Amy on her return!

Main sponsorship at the YLBC’s three national events: National Stock judging Competition (July), Anglo-Irish Stock judging Championships (September), Young Handlers Championships held at Carlisle Mart (December). Logo, promotional and photographic opportunities available with all these. • Monthly updates on our Facebook pages with a 600+ following which is growing all the time • Advertising with the BLCS magazine issued three times a year • Your logo and details on our YLBC website page, linked to the BLCS website with over 20,000 viewers per month • Advertise on the new YLBC Gazebo put up at all events throughout the year • One Young Limousin Breeder wins a trip to Canada to see the Canadian Agribition Show. Promote your business overseas! • Regional workshops and training days • Bespoke packages tailored for you and your business needs can be readily discussed. For a chat and more information then please contact Annabelle Wint E: annabelle@limousin.co.uk or mobile 07909 254565

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TRUEMAN BULL STANDS TOP OF THE LINE AT N.I. YOUNG LIMOUSIN CALF SPECTACULAR

he yearling Limousin bull, Pedigree Champion & Supreme Overall Trueman Jukebox Trueman Jukebox, brought out by Henry Savage & Sons, Skerriff Road, Altnamackin, Newry, Co Down took both the Pedigree and then the Overall Supreme Championship at the Young Limousin Breeders Northern Ireland (YLBNI) Calf Spectacular held at Ballymena Mart on Saturday 10th January 2015. Judged by Mrs Melanie Alford, who runs the Foxhillfarm Limousin Herd in Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon, the January 2015-born Trueman Jukebox is an AI son of the 32,000gns Ampertaine Elgin (by Glenrock Ventura). Jukebox is a heifer’s calf out of Trueman Gabrielle (by Nenuphar) and carries a Beef Value of LM+32. Following Trueman Jukebox right through from his class, to being tapped out as Reserve Pedigree Champion, was another Ampertaine Elgin-sired bull calf, Craigatoke James, from Martin Conway, Meenagorp Road, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone. Again January-born, he Commercial Champion from Gareth Corrie

Reserve Commercial Champion

is out of the Wilodge Vantastic daughter Craigatoke Emma. Commercial Champion and Reserve Supreme Overall was a Sauvignon-sired steer bred by Vincy McMullan and brought out by Gareth Corrie, Newtownards, who had purchased him at Ballymena Mart at just a few months of age for £1,280. The Reserve Commercial Champion, also from Gareth Corrie in partnership with Johnny Neill, was a March-born heifer calf called Black Ice weighing in at just over 400kgs. This heifer was sired by the Corries’ stock bull, Stephick Flashi and had previously stood Champion Calf at the NI Commercial Show at Balmoral in August. Kieran McCrory, from the Bernish herd, also had a successful day at the Calf Show, where he snapped up Best Homebred Heifer with his January-born Ampertaine Elgin daughter, Bernish Julifortune. Melanie Alford commented on this heifer saying she ‘oozed style and should make a brilliant cow.’ Ringside at the Calf Spectacular

NI YLB Chairman Cahir McAuley with Judge Melanie Alford

FOCUS ON REASEHEATH COLLEGE

uesday 10th February 2015 saw the start of a new working partnership between the Young Limousin Breeders Club and Reaseheath Agricultural College, Cheshire. Reaseheath is based within the Cheshire countryside in 21 hectares of grounds, with a 330 hectare commercial working farm which also has its very own licensed food factory and excellent equine facilities. YLBC Co-ordinator Annabelle Wint and Alison Glasgow, BLCS’s Technical Manager, went along to the college to meet with Lecturer Graham Ashford and his class of 35 agricultural students. The day was both to present to students the opportunities open to them by working with

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the Young Limousin Breeders Club along with a presentation on the technical aspects of the Limousin Breed and BLCS project work by Alison. One focus was Estimated Breeding Values which is one of the topics students need to cover when studying for their qualification, and who better to teach it than our very own expert Alison! The class of students were incredibly engaged in the workshop, showing great enthusiasm and quizzed Alison on the development of EBVs, how they worked and how information could be accessed as well as used practically. The students were all from different backgrounds, with a number working with beef suckler herds and with pedigree Limousins.

Commenting, Graham Ashford said: “It is great to have an industry expert like Alison to teach our students, and to pass this knowledge onto our students.” I would like to thank Graham Ashford for helping set this up and allowing us to visit the College. We shall look forward to working closely with Reaseheath College in the near future. More information on the college can be found at www.reaseheath.ac.uk. If you would like for your schools, colleges or universities to work closely with the BLCS please do contact Young

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Limousin Breeders Coordinator Annabelle Wint Annabelle@ limousin.co.uk for further information.

L i m o u s i n Yo u n g L i m o u s i n

TWO LIMOUSIN TEAMS COMPETE AT 2015 NATIONAL YOUNG SHOW STARS

ednesday 1st April 2015 saw the first stand-alone running of the National Young Show Stars held at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern. Previously this competition had been held within the National Beef Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beef Expo and this year included sections for Beef, Dairy, Sheep, Pigs, Auctioneering and Butchery. The event is designed to allow young people to showcase, further their knowledge and display their abilities in a range of skills and techniques all under one roof. A fantastic event built on a great principle! There was a great turnout within the beef challenge, with 20 different teams all entered from across the country. Two Limousin teams were entered: one from Northern Ireland represented by Ruth Hamill, Alan Burleigh and James McComb sponsored by the Northern Ireland Young Limousin Breeders; the second team from Scotland with Sophie Harvey, John Graham and David Millar sponsored by the British Limousin Cattle Society. The overall winners of the beef competition were The Blue Bandits, 2nd place Team Canada, 3rd place Black Stars. The Limousin teams did incredibly well with 110% effort put in by all team members with the Northern Ireland team coming fifth and the Scottish team fourteenth. There was little between all of the teams competing. The teams in the beef competition were judged on their teamwork, stock judging, handling and presentation skills, as well as their knowledge of the industry. On the Wednesday where teams arrived got their cattle settled in and set up their stands. All beef competitors had to prepare a stand using their presentation skills to promote the breed and the beef industry. On the Wednesday evening the stock judging took place, this was judged by Bridget Borlase, followed by food and entertainment in the evening.

Scotland Limousin Team

Thursday came and competitors were to get their cattle ready for the show ring, to be judged on clipping and presentation of the cattle and final show preparation. All this time the teams were being carefully scrutinised on everything they did. On behalf of all the Young Limousin Breeders we would like to say a massive thank you to Event Chairman Neil Lloyd and all the stewards for the help and support we received over the two-day event. To keep up to date with all the National Young Show Stars news and dates for next year see www. nationalyoungshowstars.com or like them on facebook (search for National Young Show Stars).

NI Limousin Team

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LIMOUSIN “THE ULTIMATE DUAL-PURPOSE BEEF BREED”AT MAINS OF MAUSE! Scottish Beef Association ‘Beef from the Hills’ event to be hosted at Mains of Mause on 27th May.

Commercial feature on the 1,000 strong Limousin suckler herd, featuring 35 Limousin stock bulls, of the Alexander family, Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie, Perthshire.

his year Scotland’s Beef Event run by the Scottish Beef Association on 27th May will have the theme of “Beef from the Hills” and it could not have found a more appropriate venue than the Alexander Family’s Mains of Mause Farm on the outskirts of Blairgowrie, Perthshire. Mains of Mause is just one of four units farmed by Peter, Pat and son Murray, but they are quick to make light of the fact that they farm around 15,000 acres, as around one-third of that is ungrazeable hill rising to 3,000 feet above sea level and bordering Scotland’s largest ski centre, Glenshee. Stocking consists of 2,000 Blackface and Scotch Mule ewes and 1,020 Limousin cows, the largest commercially-run Limousin herd in the UK. There are also 35 Limousin stock bulls. Peter has never regretted his choice of breed. He says: “The Limousin is the ultimate dualpurpose breed. We breed all our own replacements and have a good quality finished article to sell.” The current cattle enterprise began in 1995 with 40 crossbred heifers bought at Oban Market. Peter explained, “In the 80’s we sold all the cows and increased sheep numbers to 4,000, but then we introduced a cattle finishing enterprise and saw the potential

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Murray, Peter and Graeme in front of the farmhouse at Mains of Mause

in breeding our own calves so we bought some crossbred Limousin heifers.” At this time, they also purchased Newhouse Nougat from Drew and Bob Adam at Newhouse of Glamis and from there they never looked back. Quality Limousin bulls have been critical to the success of the suckler herd and Murray said, “Newhouse Nougat cost £12,000 but was worth every penny as he produced excellent foundation stock. We can justify paying five-figure prices for stock

bulls with good maternal traits as their daughters are retained in the herd.” Most of the stock bulls in the past have been bought either from Newhouse or from the Grahams at Airthrey Kerse. Peter likes to visit the farms and insist on seeing the female lines of a bull before going to the market to buy it. He said, “We like to buy bulls out of milky cows because our priority is the female qualities of milk, temperament and feet.” Newhouse Nougat and Grahams Trooper have been two

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of the most influential bulls in the herd, and Grahams Dynamite, which was the most expensive they have bought at 21,000gns in 2010 has also bred well. They have also ventured into black genetics. Peter explained, “We were needing a bull to outcross some of the cows and we had the opportunity to buy the first black bull to come into the country after he was finished with the pedigree herds. We have been very impressed with the progeny from Greenwood Black Poll Home Run and around

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“The Limousin is the ultimate dualpurpose breed. We breed all our own replacements and have a good quality finished article to sell.”

50% of the herd is now black.” More recently-purchased bulls, selected for milk and temperament, used on the herd at the moment include Haltcliffe Gary, Elrick Falcon, Roxburgh Hoodoo and two black bulls, Swarland Black Generator and Newhouse Black Frisky. While buying top-quality bulls will remain an important part of the business, there are changes afoot, with Peter and Murray planning to use AI for the first time. Peter said, “We have semen from Nougat and other good bulls we have used in the past such as Trooper and Home Run; it will be good to bring some of these genetics back into the herd.”

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They have high hopes of a successful AI programme through the French precision farming and monitoring company, Medria. The system involves a base station and collars on cows which send signals to a mobile phone of the optimum time to inseminate. The system should also make the stockmen’s lives easier as, by inserting a thermometer into the cow or heifer, it predicts calving and sends a text to the phone 48 hours before. It also sends a signal when the thermometer is expelled with the amniotic sac to warn the stockman that calving has started. Peter said, “We have never had the confidence before to

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AI but I believe this is the way forward; we have to embrace new technology. We plan to use the calving detector on heifers and late calvers initially.” Another innovative practice which the Alexanders have adopted is to measure the pelvis of their heifers. They have always worked closely with vet Graeme Richardson from the Thrums practice at Kirriemuir and the herd is BVD accredited and virtually Johne’s free. The latest plan to maintain ease of calving is to measure the pelvis of heifers at 14 months before they go to the bull. Anything which is too small will be sold through the fat ring. The first heifers to go through this procedure will calve in October.

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The vast majority of the cows calve in the spring with only about 100 calving in the autumn; only the heifers calve inside. While the cows summer high-up on the hills, the majority are out wintered on the various farms. Each farm is self-sufficient in pit silage. Feeding is done in Peter and Murray’s designed feeding stances where the concrete feed passage is covered, virtually eliminating wastage from their home-grown diet of silage, straw, barley and beans. They are kept in batches of up to 160 and have free access to stubble fields for exercise. This eliminates bedding and dungs the field, thus keeping costs down. For the last few years bullock

calves have been sold at a special one-day sale at Forfar Mart in April. Murray explained, “We have enough housing for our young stock over the winter, but grazing is in short supply in the summer so in April we sell our most marketable product, which is the bullock calves.” Last year, 340 yearling bullocks weighed an average 410kg and sold for an average 259p per kg, or just over £1,000 per head. Murray said the buyers commented on the quality and consistency of the large batch of calves. Most of the customers are repeat buyers and the majority of the calves head north to finishing units. The remainder of the bullock

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calves and heifers not retained for breeding are finished at 18 to 20 months and sold to Scotbeef at Bridge of Allan. Steers average 350kg deadweight and heifers 330kg and the majority are U grade with a smattering of E’s. Good staff is key to the farming operation; Peter himself looks after the 1,100 sheep at Mains of Mause, while Graeme Hadden is responsible for 330 cows. Further up the glen at Persie, Fred Baker looks after 160 cows and 500 ewes. At Baldarroch, closer to Perth, Ian Wilkinson, who cares for 240 cows and 700 ewes, has been with the Alexanders for over 20 years and he has his own Redstroke Limousin herd. The most low-lying farm, Douglasfield, is where Murray lives and where most of the barley and beans are produced. There are 290 cows there looked after by Stephanie Rainey with the help of student Lucy Christie. Greg Wilkinson is responsible for the arable side and Tom Baker is returning from 6 months in Australia to be part of the team. Apart from some extra help at lambing, that is all the staff on the farms. From their experience of feeding and handling systems, Peter and Pat developed a building business thirty years ago which is based on the farm. Algo, now under the directorship of Murray, is responsible for many farm buildings, industrial and storage units in Scotland including Lawrie &Symington’s new market at Lanark and the Highland Hall at the Royal Highland showground. Murray left school at 16 to come home to work on the farm, which he enjoyed, but after five years, his father had other ideas for his future. Algo had just been awarded the contract to build Oban Market, so Murray, along

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Pat at work on the cattle passports

with a couple of others, was sent to Oban on a one-way ticket and told to come home when the new market was finished – quite a contrast from farming - but with a successful conclusion. That was the start of Murray’s involvement with Algo and over the years he has experienced all trades and now, with Peter’s encouragement, he manages the business,

including 36,000 square feet of letting office accommodation in Perth. Peter, Pat and Murray are no strangers to hosting events at Mains of Mause; in 2002 they held Scotsheep, then in 2004 they had an Open Day for the International Limousin Congress. More recently they welcomed the British Grassland Society to an

Open Day. It is the ideal farm to host Scotland’s Beef Event with a focus on reducing costs and maximising returns from a hill suckler herd by utilising all the latest technologies. Although he is hosting it, Peter said the aim is to hand the organisation of Scotland’s Beef Event over to the younger generation who see their future

in beef production. He said: “We will be five months into the new Common Agricultural Policy at the time of the event and Chairman Robert McNee will lead a team of enthusiastic younger farmers with new ideas to demonstrate how beef production can be made profitable and the relentless downward trend in suckler cow numbers in Scotland reversed.”

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Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie, Perthshire Main Sponsor

(Courtesy of Peter and Murray Alexander)

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 (00.00am - 00.00pm)

Focus on practical solutions to producing beef from Scotland’s hills and uplands under the new CAP regime

1000 Limousin cross cows and 4000 Blackface and Mule ewes Farm Tour - Trade Stands - Beef Breed Exhibits - Practical Demonstrations Seminar: Producing Beef for the Consumer from the Hills Official Opening: Ian Galloway, Chairman, Scotbeef

Admission £10 - Under 16s Free

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M U M I X A MMAXIMUM’ ‘ACHIEVING THE

WITH THE LIMOUSIN BREED

Feature on the 150-strong commercial suckler and 20-head pedigree herds of Nick Tennant, Manor Farm, Bridlington, East Yorkshire.

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Limousin sire has been used exclusively for many years on the commercial suckler herd belonging to Nick Tennant and his family. However, Nick’s lifelong association with the breed has recently notched up a gear, as he has been bitten by the pedigree ‘bug.’ Three females were registered under the Lissett prefix in 2011 and several others have followed, to fit in with his long-term goal of breeding high quality bulls and females. The pedigree herd now currently numbers 20 breeding females in addition to the 150 commercial cows. “You know what you’re getting when you breed your own cattle,” says Nick, who trades under his father’s name, James Tennant Ltd. “I only have 16 registered cows and calves at the moment and progress will be slow, because I will impose strict selection criteria. Anything which

doesn’t come up to standard will be moved into the commercial herd. “I like working with the cattle and going pedigree adds a bit of extra interest; it allows me to mix business with pleasure,” he says. “But it’s not simply a case of going out and spending money, every animal on the farm has to

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pay its way.” Nick admits that it has taken some time to establish a “type” within his own herd. However his foundation females include purchases from the Bankdale and Redrock Dispersals and from the Haltcliffe Production Sale. At the Red Ladies Sale at Carlisle in 2011, he spotted Titchburn Flower, bred by Donal Murray of Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland. He paid 5,000gns for the maiden heifer, which was by Cloughhead Umpire and out of the Lino daughter, Annandale Alana. In June 2012, Nick further added to his foundation herd when he paid 7,000gns for Haltcliffe Groovy at a sale in

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Bolide, Anside Flint and Dinmore Goldcrest. Showing is another new venture and if Nick can maintain his success following his debut competition entry at Newark in April, then he will be extremely pleased. Lissett Hallmark, whose dam was purchased in calf, was Junior Bull Champion and Reserve Male at Newark. He was subsequently knocked down at 4,700gns to Gascoignes Group. Hallmark weighed 900kgs at 16 months and his flesh was lean, not fat, stresses Nick. Time is limited, but he has plans to attend a few local shows and has set his sights on the Great Yorkshire at some point in the future.

The Limousin is a great All-rounder Carlisle. Another by Cloughhead Umpire, the May 2011-born heifer was out of the Penyrheol Sam daughter, Haltcliffe Veronica. Having purchased a couple of outfits privately from the Homebyres herd in 2012, May 2013 provided the ideal opportunity for the Lissett herd to expand further and Nick purchased Homebyres Dinuette for 6,200gns. The five-year-old cow, which has a Beef Value of LM+41 and was sold in-calf, is by Homebyres Vanhee and is out of Homebyres Starlette. He also bought her heifer calf, the Wilodge Tonka daughter, Homebyres Howlette; she was offered as a separate lot and cost 3,600gns. Further inspired by Homebyres breeding, Nick purchased a second in-calf cow with calf at foot combination, again put forward in separate lots. He bid to 4,800gns for Homebyres Effi, by Homebyres Vanhee and out of Homebyres Tansi. She was born in April 2009 and has a Beef Value of LM+31. Meanwhile, he paid 4,500gns for her Haltcliffe Eubank-sired calf, Homebyres Hiffi. Nick describes his ideal cow as a “rectangular block with good legs and feet.” The ability to raise a good calf is also essential. “A large-framed cow suits this farm,” he explains. “I am not looking for a ‘freaky’ shape and she must be upstanding. I also prefer my cows to be lighter in colour, as I believe they milk better.”

Bull Selection Until recently joined by the 20,000gns Norman Infusion purchased at Carlisle in February 2015, the main stock bull used on the pedigree herd has been Homebyres Felboy, which was bought for 13,000gns in 2012. Once used across the pedigree herd, these bulls will eventually be put across the commercial cows. Nick always studies the pedigree and performance of a bull’s dam, before making his selection. Herd sires must have good length, as well as “presence,” a quality which he finds hard to put into words. The squat, highly muscled bulls that store cattle producers favour are not for him, he says, as he prefers a taller animal. Nick also uses AI bulls on the pedigree herd, with synchronisation helping him with heat detection. Among the AI sires he has chosen recently are Huntershall Gladiator, Neuf,

The most recent addition to the Tennants’ battery of bulls is the 20,000gns Overall Supreme Champion from the Carlisle February 2015 Sale, Norman Infusion. Infusion is by Claragh Franco and is out of the Glangwden Bigboy daughter Norman Elsie. Commenting on the purchase, Nick Tennant desbribed his new acquisition as a typical modern Limousin bull, a good mover with a great second thigh, and from a very consistent breeding line. He will initially be set to work on the pedigree herd.

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“The Limousin is a great all-rounder; the purebreds are exceptional, compared with other breeds, and it also produces the type of crossbred finished animal the market is looking for,” says Nick. “There is nothing to beat it for good maternal and carcase traits combined. But I still maintain that the majority of bulls, even at the highest level, will favour one or the other, although a lot of people disagree with my view. The notable exceptions that spring to mind within the Limousin breed are Wilodge Vantastic and Broadmeadows Cannon; they have all produced tremendous males and females. “As finishers, we are always looking for a happy medium and that doesn’t necessarily mean paying big prices; there are plenty of high quality, affordable animals coming on to the market. I’m prepared to wait, rather than spend a lot of money on impulse and I want to avoid falling for a bull which looks great in the ring but struggles to cope, once he is turned out with the cows.” While Nick has always worked on the farm and been interested in the cattle, he completed a university course in business studies after leaving school. But the attraction of working at home convinced him to return in 2008 and he has been there ever since. The family farm is made up of just over 2,000 acres, most of which is down to traditional arable cropping, producing a plentiful supply of straw and feed for the cattle.

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Five Lim bulls cover the commercial herd Running with the commercial cows are a further 4 locallysourced pedigree bulls together with one of the first homebred Lissett bulls Nick has bred. The number of commercial cows has remained virtually unchanged at around 150 during the past 15 years. The introduction of the pedigree animals has swelled this slightly. The 150-strong commercial herd consists of Holstein cross Limousin cows, with some British Blue genetics. They go to one of the farm’s half dozen Limousin stock bulls, to calve in spring and autumn. Around 10 bulling heifers and 10 in-calf cows are bought in each year as replacements, although a home-bred heifer calf will be retained if her dam is exceptionally good.

Finishing consistently at E and U grades All the cattle are finished and sold deadweight to ABP at York, with bulls taken to around 15 months and weighing in at 450kgs. They are usually ready to go within 17-18 months, weighing 340-350kgs deadweight. Bulls will generally achieve U+ and E

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grades, with heifers at U and U-. The finishing diet for the coming winter will be based on homegrown rolled barley, a protein pellet and silage. The ration has included crimped grain for the past decade, but Nick has found it difficult to maintain a consistent quality during storage. Those fields which cannot be ploughed or are prone to flooding are designated for the cattle and this includes 150 acres of silage ground. The grazing land is scattered over the farm, so it is quite a task to keep fresh grass in front of them, says Nick. It is made even more complicated because the pedigrees are in a health scheme and cannot be mixed with the commercials.

The abundance of clover in one particular field is a welcome sight, but he is not certain why it has yielded so well. “The field was used for silage but was struggling, so we used a Vaderstad drill to sow some white clover and then rolled it. That was four years ago; the clover has proved very persistent and we haven’t had any problems with bloat. However a similar approach adopted on another part of the farm has not been quite so successful.” Nick is on the way to achieving his ambition to produce a consistent supply of good breeding bulls and he may also have a few pedigree bulling heifers for sale as early as next year.

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“I am well aware that I have only just started on the pedigree side and that it’s going to be a steep learning curve. I have a picture in my mind of the ideal stock bull and I am working towards that. It would give me great job satisfaction if a commercial producer who’d bought a bull from me liked his calves and became a regular customer.

Limousin: low input and high output “Ultimately, it’s about keeping production costs down and achieving the maximum price for finished animals; these are the key factors which influence the profitability of a suckler herd.”

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THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT BULL STUD:

GIVING CROFTERS ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY GENETICS Feature on the Scottish Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crofting Cattle Improvement Scheme and bull stud based at Knocknagael Farm, Inverness.

Bull Stud Sign

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n a hillside above Inverness is the farm of Knocknagael. Knocknagael is owned by the Scottish Government which operates the Crofting Cattle Improvement Scheme which leases pedigree beef bulls to

crofting townships. In 2013 the stud at Knocknagael was modernised and now provides accommodation for up to 150 bulls in a modern facility with high standards of welfare, biosecurity, disease control and environmental safeguards. The stud was started in 1897 to provide Clydesdale and Highland stallions to crofting townships. Bulls were introduced in 1911 when the aim was to support livestock improvement. Today the same aim is to the forefront but now includes high health status and performance figures. Stallions are no longer part of the stud.

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What is crofting? To cut a long story short, in the late 1700s and into the 1800s many landowners in the north of Scotland evicted clans from their historic homes. These people moved to estates who were willing to provide land for them put up a house and improve land in return for work on the estate or elsewhere locally. This was the basis for crofting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a way of life and an economy based around people having a number of jobs and occupations. Co-operation was necessary for the part time delivery of husbandry tasks and with the introduction in 1886 of the Crofting Act, townships were

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formed to formalise the sharing arrangements and to manage common grazings and in bye croft land. Today 73% of all crofting activity is related to livestock.

The Crofting Cattle Improvement Scheme The scheme hires bulls to crofters enabling access to high quality genetics. “These bulls produce the calves which command top prices at sales across the Highlands and Islands each autumn with many going on to become replacement

“These bulls produce the calves which command top prices at sales across the Highlands and Islands each autumn with many going on to become replacement breeding stock.” breeding stock.” Says Stud Manager John Cowan. The scheme also provides socio-economic benefit for crofters with downstream benefits for auction marts with sales of

over 3,500 calves each year, hauliers, feed merchants, vets, advisers and local communities. Currently around 100 bulls are delivered to 86 crofting townships in the spring and return to

Knocknagael in the autumn for wintering. On their return to the stud they are tested for a range of notifiable and economically important diseases. At this point a decision is made as to whether

Main feed pass in main building

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Limousin Feature Stud Manager John Cowan

the bull will be retained or sold on the open market, where they are consigned for slaughter or purchased by livestock farmers as replacement bulls. All bulls are semen tested, vaccinated against a range of diseases and foot trimmed before returning

to crofts the next summer. New replacement bulls are bought each year on the open market at Society sales across Scotland.

The bull stud buildings As part of the modernisation, two new buildings house

the bulls. They are designed to encompass up to date methods of biosecurity, disease management and control, safe handling systems for bulls and provide a high level of comfort and welfare for the bulls. The first building is the

“They also focus on EBV figures looking for ease of calving, maternal ease of calving (as many are kept or sold as replacements), milking ability and a beef value in the top 40% of the breed.” David Matthews, stockman and driver, John Cowan, stud manager

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reception building in which returning or newly purchased bulls are housed pending the result of tests. If clear, bulls move to the main accommodation building for the winter. This building also houses the veterinary area where there is a handling crush and small laboratory. Routine annual disease screening and semen testing are done here. Bulls which do not pass their screening tests are moved to an isolation area pending a decision on their future. In the accommodation building bulls are housed individually in straw bedded pens which can be split to allow half the pen to be scraped. Each pen is designed so there is a lying area and a hard standing. Pens are 20 feet x 10 feet, have self catching yokes and a man escape. The stud has its own tip over foot trimming crush which is used in the accommodation building. A TMR ration is fed based on home grown silage and a compound balancer.

Selection of bulls for the stud Stud manager, John Cowan, is responsible for the day to day running of the stud and the farm. Part of his role is ensure that the bulls crofters get are fit for the environment they will encounter and to keep a record of the bulls that he sends to each crofting township to ensure they are not related to bulls used previously in the township. Crofters place an order for a breed of bull a year in advance and it is this demand that drives the purchasing policy of the stud. Bulls for crofting areas have a specific range of characteristics. John Cowan and his team assess potential purchases at presale breed shows looking for a bull that is sound in feet and legs, can move freely, has good breed character and conformation, good temperament and of a size suitable for working on crofts. “They also focus on EBV figures looking for ease of calving, maternal ease of calving (as many are kept or sold as replacements), milking ability and a beef value in the top 40% of the breed.” Health status is the final point in the decision process. Bulls should be from Johne’s Risk Level R1 or R2 herds, free from, and vaccinated against, BVD, ideally

Limousin Feature from herds which are IBR and Leptospirosis free and from a TB4 area. Up until the early 1980s the stud bulls were Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn and Highland. The first continental bulls introduced to the stud were Simmentals in the early 1980s followed quickly by Limousins and then Charolais in the 1990s. Over the last number of years, the breeds in the stud have included Limousin, Aberdeen Angus, Shorthorn, Luing, Simmental, Salers and Charolais. Table 1 shows the current make up of the stud.

George Mackay with his current bull from the Government Bull Stud

TABLE 1 CURRENT MAKE-UP OF BREEDS IN THE STUD Breed

Number

Limousin

Simmental

Shorthorn

Aberdeen Angus

Charolais

Salers

Luing

Should a bull be unable to work the scheme will provide a replacement within a few days of confirmation from the local vet that the bull is not fit to work.

Other benefits of the scheme Virtually all the natural vegetation found in the Crofting Counties is linked to agricultural activity. Many sites are of international importance and maintenance of their value is dependent on low intensity livestock management. Cattle are of particular importance in this supporting a range of habitats e.g. arable cropping, wetland, machair and heath. A large number of notified features on SSSI and Natura sites in the Islands and to a lesser extent the mainland are dependent on cattle based crofting systems to maintain their favourable status. John Cowan says: “The stud has brought significant socio-economic benefits to the

THE CROFTER’S VIEW George MacKay runs a 16 head suckler herd and a flock of 80 Cheviot ewes on his croft at Glaick, Ardross near Alness, Ross-shire. The croft runs to 110 acres of in bye ground which is all down to grass. The cows are a mix of Limousin, Simmental and Aberdeen Angus crosses all calving between March and May to a Limousin bull hired from the Government Bull Stud. The cows are housed over winter on home grown silage and hay and a mineral supplement. No concentrates are used. They graze the croft ground in the summer. Calves are wintered on silage, hay and some concentrate and are sold in Dingwall Mart at the spring sales where they are regularly among the best prices. George in true crofting tradition has more than one job. He also manages the 1100 acre Ardross Castle Estate, a cereal and cattle enterprise which runs pure Aberdeen Angus cows and uses a Limousin bull on heifers. George is a great advocate of Limousin cattle. He said: ‘I find them easy to calve and calves hit the ground running. This is important to me

because of my other job. “Limousins are a robust and flexible breed proving to be great mothers producing fast growing calves which sell really well at Dingwall Mart.” He also notes that: ‘The Limousin cross cow is a top class replacement female which will cross to anything to produce good calves. The type of Limousin bull provided by the Department Bull Stud is well suited to my croft ground producing a medium sized cow which milks well. I find Limousin calves grow very quickly in the short grazing season up here. I have been using Department bulls for over 15 years. There is an annual hire charge which means there is no capital outlay and if there are any problems the bull is very quickly replaced. If I had my own bull it would mean scouring the countryside for a replacement and with that the risks of bringing in disease. The Department bulls come with the knowledge they have been tested and vaccinated for the key diseases and are semen tested.”

““Limousins are a robust and flexible breed proving to be great mothers producing fast growing calves which sell really well at Dingwall Mart.” Highlands and Islands. Anyone attending the calf sales on the Islands or at Dingwall Mart in October or the spring can see the quality of the calves and the

demand for them.” It’s great to hear how well the bulls are doing when I get calls from crofters and the positive impact this has for remote communities. The

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scheme also provides wider benefits to the crofting areas and during our inspections you can see benefits of the cattle upon the ecosystems in the area.”

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Limousin Sales Haltcliffe Imperial - 28,000 Res Junior Champion

Carlisle FEB 2015

Judge Eric Gethin

28,000GNS HALTCLIFFE IMPERIAL LEADS BRITISH LIMOUSIN FEBRUARY SALE AT CARLISLE • 91 Bulls average £5,539 • Bulls gross £504,049 • 31 Junior Bulls average £6,713.23 • 3 Bulls at 20,000gns and over • 7 Bulls at Five Figures and Above

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altcliffe Imperial from Haltcliffe, Hesket New Market, Wigton made 28,000gns and topped the trade at the British Limousin Cattle Society’s Spring Sale held on Saturday February 14th 2015 at Borderway Mart, Carlisle. An embryo calf, Haltcliffe Imperial is by Ampertaine Elgin and is out of the highly noted dam Cloughhead Romany. August 2013 born, this calf had placed as Reserve Junior Champion in the pre-sale show judged by Eric Gethin of the Camlas Herd at Cwmcaebitra, Newtown, Powys. Purchasing the top price bull was Procters Farm Ltd for their Procters pedigree herd at Woodhouse Lane, Slaidburn, Nr Clitheroe. Commenting, Procters farm manager

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Gary Swindlehurst said: “It was the depth of breeding first and foremost that attracted me, as we have nothing from that cow family in the herd. We hope he’ll click with the powerful Haltcliffe DJ females we have. He’s a proper Limousin in appearance and type with a good top, great plates as well as an EBV which suggests a little more fat cover as required nowadays.” The bull will likely have semen taken off on-farm with a view to going out with cows in May whose Procters Herd numbers 70 pures and 30 recipients. The 110-strong pedigree herd of breeding females at Haltcliffe had previously won two Overall Championships at this February fixture with the 100,000gns Haltcliffe Vermount and

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Limousin Sales

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Limousin Sales the 72,000gns Haltcliffe DJ – both purchased by Procters Farms. The dam of the top price here, Cloughhead Romany, was purchased privately from breeder George Hutton and has bred bulls at to 15,000gns (Haltcliffe Dynamo) as well as others at 10,000gns, 9,500gns and the privately-sold Haltcliffe Dancer. The 32,000gns sire, Ampertaine Elgin, is a Glenrock Ventura son, who was purchased by Haltcliffe at the May 2011 Carlisle Sale when Reserve Senior Champion. Late in the sale, the first prizewinning Haltcliffe Ivanhoe also sold for 7,200gns to DH & ER Strong & Son, Well House, Hesket New Market, Wigton, Cumbria. It was a terrific couple of days for Eric & Elaine Norman, Little Orton Farm, Little Orton, Carlisle who from a fine pen sold bulls at 22,000gns and 20,000gns respectively and seven in all to gross 68,000gns! At 22,000gns was Norman Inventor. This October 2013born bull, who stood second in his class to the Normans’ Junior Champion, is by the herd’s prolific sire Claragh Franco and is out of the Heathmount Trojan daughter Norman Crystal. This bull went for export when sold to Michael Phillips, Doon West, Gurteen, Co. Sligo, Eire. At 20,000gns was the Norman’s Junior Champion & Overall Supreme Champion Norman Infusion, another by the Wilodge Vantastic son, Claragh Franco, who was purchased for 24,000gns in May 2011 when Junior Champion at Carlisle. Also October 2013 born, Norman Infusion is out of the Glangwden Bigboy daughter Norman Elsie. This was the first Supreme Championship for the Norman Herd of 120 breeding females which is run by Eric & Elaine together with their sons Craig & Michael. Norman Infusion went one better than their Reserve Overall, the 18,000gns Norman Aphrodite back in 2007. Purchasing the Champion here was James Tennant Ltd who run 150 suckler cows alongside the 20-strong Lissett pedigree herd at Manor House Farm, Fraisthorpe, Bridlington, East Yorkshire. Commenting, Nick Tennant said: “This was a typical modern Limousin, a good mover with a great second thigh, and whose sire is breeding very consistently.” The judge Eric Gethin was also quick to praise his Champion and said: “When this bull came into the ring he just caught your eye with his terrific presence and style and he was very much my type of bull. He’s got length and scope, has good legs and moves well, and is very well muscled but not extreme. Just an outstanding Limousin bull.” Mr Gethin also said that it had been a great honour to judge at what he described as the ‘pinnacle of Limousin sales’ and congratulated breeders on presenting a very good show of bulls both for breeders and commercial producers. The Normans’ third Claragh Franco son, Norman Ionesco, stood third in its class and sold for 7,500gns to Messrs Dowson & Sartin, Battle Hill Farm, Lartington, Barnard Castle, Co Durham. All three bulls go back to the foundation cow, Rawlesbury Amethyst, purchased when the Normans secured the

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“He’s got length and scope, has good legs and moves well, and is very well muscled but not extreme. Just an outstanding Limousin bull.” Eric Gethin, judge, commenting on his Champion bull Norman Infusion Norman Infusion - Overall Champion - 20,000gns

Stacey Herd. In October 2014 the bulls had been displayed on the Limousin stand at the Borderway Agri-Expo. In all, seven bulls made 10,000gns and over with 33 making 5,000gns or more. Commenting on the trade, BLCS Chief Executive Iain Kerr said: “It was a solid sale that saw a 71% clearance of the 129 bulls forward for sale. Averages from the high set last year were back a bit but very much in line with 2013. Following on from the Stirling sale last week that’s over 150 bulls sold to average over a very healthy £5150. Breeders had brought forward a good show with plenty of choice for the commercial man. Purchasers have been able to secure some first class bulls at sensible prices and offering real value.” Fresh from taking the top price at the

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Society’s Dungannon Sale on the Monday, Henry Savage & Sons, Altnamackin, Newry, Northern Ireland sold two further ET sons combining the same breeding of Ampertaine Elgin and Trueman Euphonium for 17,000gns and 12,500gns respectively. At the 17,000gns mark was the third prize-winning bull, Trueman Idol, who now heads to the Garnedd Limousin herd of KI & E & HI Jones, Bryn Ddraenan, Padog, Betws-y-Coed, Gwynedd. An August 2013-born embryo calf, Trueman Idol is by Ampertaine Elgin and is out of the homebred dam Trueman Euphonium, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter who won the National Limousin Show in 2011. Realising 12,500gns was the same-way bred Trueman Iglesias, a red ticket winner who sold to the Fieldson prefix of JW & ME Fieldson, Poplar Farm, Corringham,

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Limousin Sales Norman Inventor - 22,000gns

Trueman Idol - 17,000gns

Trueman Iglesias - 12,500gns

Millgate Invest - 12,500gns

Goldies Informer - 10,500gns and Senior Champion

Maraiscote Ingemar - Intermediate and Res Overall Champion - 9000gns

Gainsborough, Lincs. The second bull at 12,500gns, Millgate Invest, was purchased by Kevin Watret, Northfield Park, Annan, Dumfriesshire for his Annanview prefix. August 2013-born, Millgate Invest was consigned by Michael Loughran, Dungate, Dunamore, Cookstown, Co Tyrone being a Swarland Eddie son and out of Millgate Emma, a Mas Du Clo granddaughter, who is full sister to the 18,000gns Millgate Caesar, Supreme Champion at Carlisle in February 2009. A second bull heading for export to the Republic of Ireland was the Senior Champion Goldies Informer from Bruce Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries when snapped up for 10,500gns by Dan Tynan, Beechhill Farm, Doon, Mountrath, Co Laois. Informer is by the Wilodge Fantastic-sired Goldies Fortress, a bull retained as stock sire in the herd and being a full brother to Goldies Fandango. The dam, Goldies Elisa, is a daughter of Ampertaine Bravo (by Sympa). Goldies sold two further bulls at 7,200gns and 7,000gns respectively. At the 7,200gns mark was Goldies Idol, sired by Haltcliffe Doctor (by Rossignol) and out of Goldies Enchanted who sold in a half share to HD Brown, Auchmaladdie, Maud, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire & Balfour Baillie, Sebay Cottage, Tankerness, Orkney. Securing a final bid of 7,000gns was the first prizewinning bull Goldies Inverurie, another by Haltcliffe Doctor and this time out of Knock Fairlady, who now heads to A Paton & Co, Craig Farm, Straiton, Maybole, Ayrshire. The 6,000gns junior bull Goldies Index later sold for 6,000gns to C & SF Thomas, Hurstley Court, Kinnersley, Hereford. The Intermediate Champion and Reserve Overall, Maraiscote Ingemar, was the next leading price at 9,000gns which represented another Championship rosette at Carlisle for Ian Nimmo, Bogside Farm, Newmains, Wishaw, Lanark following on from Maraiscote Esso (12,000gns Reserve Overall October 2010), Graffiti (17,000gns Supreme Champion October 2012) and Hiphop (12,000gns Junior Champion October 2013). Maraiscote Ingemar is by the prolific sire, Goldies Comet, and is out of the Virginia Andy daughter Maraiscote Duchess. This bull now heads to SJ Smith, Sunnyhill Croft, Turriff, Aberdeenshire. Two further bulls made 9,000gns: Tweeddale Irnbru, by Goldies Goldmine and out of Tweeddale Bonny, from Jonathan Watson, Bowsden Moor, Berwick upon Tweed when knocked down to R & J Temple, Wyliehole, Tundergarth, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire; and the black bull Swarland Black Igolo, by Emslies Enigma and out of Swarland Rosanna (granddam to the 10,000gns Swarland Eddie), from A&D Proctor, Swarland Old Hall, Morpeth who sold to Robert Neill & Partners, Upper Nisbet Farm, Jedburgh, Roxburgh. A strong pen of bulls from Messrs EW Quick & Sons, Loosebeare Manor, Zeal Monachorum, Crediton, Devon met with an excellent trade with the five bulls overall

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averaging £7,203. Topping their consignment at 8,800gns, when going under the hammer to DJ MacArthur, Mid Fleenas, Nairn, was Loosebeare Ivanhoe, by Loosebeare Fantastic and out of Loosebeare Crimrose, dam of the 10,000gns Loosebeare Frosty. Three bulls then made 6,500gns apiece: Loosebeare Ipad (by Loosebeare Fantastic) to MM Gollop & Sons, Slough Farm, Willand, Cullompton, Devon; Loosebeare Inspector (by Plumtree Deus) to the Firm of J Shennan & Sons, Knockgerran Farm, Girvan, Ayrshire; and Loosebeare Indigo (by Aghadolgan Emperor) to DJ MacArthur, Mid Fleenas, Nairn. The Quicks’ final bull was Loosebeare Inspired, another by Aghadolgan Emperor, who took a last bid of 6,000gns from W & I Gunn, Murza, Bower, Wick, Caithness. Whinfellpark Impressive from Messrs Jenkinson, Clifton Moor, Penrith sold for 8,000gns to RP & DL Hutchinson Ltd, Greenhill Farm, Balderton, Newark, Notts for their Beaconsfield Herd. Having stood Senior Male Champion at Stars of the Future Show in November 2014, Impressive is by Lowerffrydd Empire and is out of the Dinmore Bandit-sired Whinfellpark Eileen. Two bulls went under the hammer for 7,500gns. First of these was Gunnerfleet Imortal from Ian Handley, Gunnerfleet Farm, Ingleton Lancs being sired by Plumtree Fantastic and out of Gunnerfleet Oster, a Muirhouse Lagonda daughter. New owners are D Cadzow & Co Ltd, Duncrahill Farm House, Pencaitland, Tranent, E. Lothian. The second black-coated bull, Hackney Black Idpea, from Paul Tippetts, Lodge Hill Farm, Park Lane, Shifnal, Shrops secured the same price from commercial producers LH Attewell & Partners, Chapel Farm, Undy, Caldicot, Gwent. July 2013-born, Black Idpea is by the top-rated sire Bailea Black BMW (LM+76) and is out the Ronick Iceman granddaughter Hackney Caress.

OTHER LEADING PRICES 6,500gns Calogale Irresistable GJ Lee & CM Lloyd to J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait 6,000gns Millington Inspire Ashcourt Farms Ltd to PA Walker, Easterside, Dunnottar, Stonehaven 6,000gns Cloughhead Indiana George Hutton to GG & HE Sevenoaks, Parc Lodge, Abergavenny AVERAGES 23 Senior Bulls 37 Intermediate Bulls 31 Junior Bulls Overall 91 Bulls Auctioneer: H&H Sponsor: Agri-Lloyd

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£4,231.96 £5,369.19 £6,713.23 £5,539.62

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Limousin Sales Maraiscote Idol - 10,500 gns

Stirling FEB 2015

MARAISCOTE IDOL LEADS STIRLING LIMOUSIN TRADE AT • 24 Bulls make 5,000gns or more 10,500GNS

araiscote Idol from Ian Nimmo, Bogside Farm, Newmains, Wishaw, Lanark sold for 10,500gns and led the trade at the British Limousin Cattle Society (BLCS) Sale held at Stirling Market on Tuesday 3rd February 2015. This second prize-winning May 2013-born bull is by the herd’s prolific sire Goldies Comet and is out of Maraiscote Bop, a Normande Urquhart daughter. Carrying a Beef Value of LM+46, the upstanding top priced bull was purchased by the commercial producer H MacKay, Wester Tomloan, Ardclach, Nairn. Throughout, the sale was very much driven by commercial buyers with 62 bulls sold to average £4,625.00. 24 bulls in all made 5,000gns or more and there was a solid overall clearance rate of 63%. The second top price of the day was the 9,000gns paid for Spittalton Ionesco from Andrew Burnett, Upper Spittalton Farm, Blair Drummond, Stirling. Earlier in the day this bull had been placed as the Overall Supreme Champion at the pre-sale show by the Judge Alastair MacNab, Kildun Cottage, Dingwall who runs the Alagils Herd. This is the second Supreme Championship that the 80 cow Spittalton herd has now won at Stirling Limousin Shows & Sales The Champion bull, born in April 2013, is got by the French AI sire Bolide and is out of Spittalton Unison, by Ronick Jalopy. With a

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• Bull sale grosses £286,750 • 62 Bulls average £4,625

Beef Value of LM+30, the Champion headed south when purchased by LD Carr, Upper Higham, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire. At the Stirling October 2014 Sale, Messrs Carr had purchased the 11,000gns Spittalton Imperial from the same seller. Speaking of his Champion, the judge Alistair MacNab said: “I was looking for bulls to meet the market and carrying length, width, having good growth potential, and good locomotion. This bull just fitted the bill and plenty of style and breed character. He is a bull that could easily do the job both pedigree wise and commercially”. Spittalton Ionesco is the second Bolide sired calf sold at sale from the herd with the first having made 7500gns. Also at the Stirling Sale, Andrew Burnett sold three further Spittalton bulls at 4,000gns and 3800gns twice. In addition to his top price, Ian Nimmo enjoyed a good sale day all round with a strong line-up of bulls. From class four, the April 2013 born Maraiscote Iggypop made 8,000gns to pedigree breeder and commercial producer Mr J Thomson, Hilton of Beath Farm, Kelty, Fife. This bull is another by Goldies Comet and is out of the Tyddyn Mei-sired Maraiscote Allie. At 6,500gns was the first prize winner Maraiscote Ike. By the Irish-bred Rocky son, Macschoice Chris, this bull is out of the

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Virginia Andy daughter Maraiscote Doreen. July 2013-born, he sold to B Buchan, Clinterty, New Aberdour, Fraserburgh. Other Maraiscote bulls realised 5200gns, 3000gns and 2500gns respectively. Selling two bulls, both heifers’ calves, at 8000gns and 7500gns respectively was the Elrick herd of Michael Massie, Mains of Elrick, Auchnagatt, Ellon. Both bulls were sired by the Haltcliffe Underwriter sired Craigatoke Dundee. At 8,000gns was Elrick Inca the second prize bull to the Supreme Champion. April 2013-born, this bull is out of Elrick Flash, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter. Elrick Inca was purchased jointly by Graham Cameron of Wester Bonhard and Roy Fisher of Marlepark Limousins at Airdrie, Anstruther. At 7,500gns was the Reserve Supreme Champion Elrick Icon the red ticket winner from class four. This long stylish bull again by Craigatoke Dundee is out of the heifer Elrick Foxglove, a Ryedale Paragon daughter. Elrick Icon, who had ran with 30 cows in the summer, had placed second in the young bull section of the Scottish Limousin Club’s herd competition in 2014. Purchasing the Reserve Champion was J Lyon, Little Kilchattan, Kingarth, Isle of Bute. At the corresponding 2014 Stirling Sale, the 40 cow Elrick herd

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Limousin Sales secured the Supreme Championship and top price of 12,500gns for another Craigatoke Dundee son, Elrick Handsome. Securing a final bid of 6,500gns was the well-bred Reserve Junior Champion Springsett Islander from Dougie McBeath & Sarah-Jane Jessop, Lower Greenyards Farm Bannockburn, Stirling. By Hafodlas Garnedd, he is out of Blairpark Utopia, a Ronick One daughter. July 2013-born, this young bull calf sold to Messrs Cadzow, Duncrahill, Pencaitland, East Lothian. Hafodlas Garnedd was originally purchased as the first son sold at sale by Hafodlas Domino the Individual Interbreed Supreme Champion at the 2012 Royal Highland Show. At a sale from the Springsett herd in 2014 Hafodlas Garnedd made 11,000gns. Blairpark Utopia made 5500gns at the same sale. Another at 6,500gns was the senior March 2013-born bull, McInnes Igolo, consigned by the establishing herd of Ashley McInnes, Cowick Farm, Thorne Road, East Cowick, Goole. A first prize winner in the day’s opening class, this bull is by Strattons Donis, a Lowgate Adonis son. A heifer’s calf he is out of the homebred McInnes Florence (by Vagabond). Heading to the islands he was purchased by BG & J Abbott, Duich Farm, Bowmore, Isle of Islay. Redpath Farms, Bowmont Court, Heiton, Kelso sold Redpaths Indigo for 6,000gns to J&J Wylie, Knockhouse Farm, Crossford, Dunfermline. This May 2013 born bull, by the noted Ampertaine Foreman, is out of Redpaths Classy, a Roundhill Ufestin daughter, and carries a Beef Value of LM+42. Also at 6,000gns was Grahams Iceberg from Mr & Mrs R&J Graham, Airthrey Kerse, Bridge of Allan, Stirling. An embryo calf by the German polled sire Tigris, he is out of the Jersey-sired Nova, the dam of the multi title winning bull Samy. Purchasing this bull was J Paterson, Kildarroch Farm, Kirkcowan, Newton Stewart. The very first bull into the ring made 5,800gns when knocked down to W&J Brown, Hilton of Culsh, New Deer, Turriff. This was Cillcon Hiphop from WJ Smith, Fairview, Old Greentowers, Cartland, Lanark. Bred in Ireland by John Moloney, this September 2012-born bull is by Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the French-bred dam Etole, making him full brother to Ardnacrusha Hilarious Female Champion at the Limousin All-Ireland Derby in July 2013. Trading at 5,700gns was Homebyres Islay from John Logan, Humebyres, Kelso. The second prize bull to the Reserve Supreme Champion, Homebyres Islay is by the homebred sire, Homebyres Gregory (a Kaprico Davelle son), and is out of the Homebyres Vanhee-sired Homebyres Goralie. JW Fullerton, Corsbie, Earlston, Berwickshire are the new owners. Dyke Iggy from Messrs JR MacGregor, Dyke Farm, Milton of Campsie, Glasgow was bought for 5,600gns by Herries Farms, per Smiths Gore, Castle Street, Dumfries. By Cloughhead Ace, this May 2013-born

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Spittalton Ionesco 9,000gns

Elrick Inca 8,000gns

Elrick Icon 7,500gns

Springsett Islander 6,500gns

intermediate bull is out of the Cappaduff Aaron daughter Dyke Damsel and sold with a Beef Value of LM+46. At 5,500gns was Ronick Itunes, the May 2013-born Intermediate Champion from Ronald Dick, Mains of Throsk, Stirling. By Rathconville Eugene and out of the Bailea Olympia-sired Ronick Utella, he was snapped up by Messrs Taylor, Alves, Elgin. Ronick sold two more bulls, Ronick Impulse & Ronick IQ at the 5,000gns mark. The herd secured two first prizes, as well as the Intermediate Championship and sold seven bulls in all. Leading the trade for Limousin females at 4,000gns was the homozygous black and

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Ronick Itunes 5,500gns

polled December-2012 born heifer Aintree Hallieberry from Steve Jones and Richard Pilkington, Shordley Hall Farm, Hope, Wrexham. Sired by Kajo Responder, she is out of Belldoon Dutchess, a Cole Magnum daughter and sold in-calf to Goldies Forever Black.

AVERAGES 62 bulls 3 Females

£4,625.00 £2,625.00

Auctioneer: United Auctions

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Limousin Sales

5,000GNS TRUEMAN BULL LEADS DUNGANNON LIMOUSIN SALE

Dungannon

Trueman Impressive 5,000gns

FEB 2015 • 30 Bulls Average £2,726 • 88% Clearance Rate • Averages up £170

rueman Impressive led the British Limousin Cattle Society (BLCS) Bull & Female sale at Dungannon on Monday 9th February when going under the hammer for 5,000gns. An embryo calf combining the notable breeding of Ampertaine Elgin with Trueman Euphonium, Trueman Impressive was consigned by H Savage & Sons. This was the second year running that Henry Savage, Altnamackin, Newry had led this fixture. In the pre-sale Show under Judge Leslie Hood of the Broadhooks Cattle Company, Ballymena, the August 2013-born Trueman Impressive had stood Reserve Junior Champion. The Dungannon Spring Show & Sale saw a very solid trade with a clearance rate of 88% for bulls averaging £2,726 (+£170) for 30 sold with a 100% clearance on 5 females which levelled at £1,722 per head (+£80). Trueman Impressive is sired by the 32,000gns Ampertaine Elgin, by Glenrock Ventura, and is out of the homebred dam Trueman Euphonium, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter who won the National Limousin Show in 2011. This young bull has a Beef Value LM+32 and is a full brother to Trueman Isabella who sold in Carlisle for 9,500gns at the age of 9 months in May 2014. He now heads to the new home of commercial breeder Mr D McParland, Camlough, Newry. The Trueman herd also sold Trueman Ignite for 3,300gns, who had been placed second in his class behind Impressive. This August 2013-

Chinauley Ian 3,700gns

Gleneagle Icon 3,600gns

born bull with a Beef Value of LM+37 is bred by Ampertaine Commander and is out of Trueman Fantasia, a Haltcliffe Vermount daughter, and was purchased by J & J McKeagney, Upperlands, Maghera. Taking second top price of 3,700gns was the Senior Champion Chinauley Ian bred by Mr A Finney, Banbridge. This May 2013-born bull is sired by Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the dam Limo Dot, a Ronick Hawk daughter bred at Greenmount College. With a Beef Value of LM+44, he was purchased by Mr P Burns, Ballinamallard. Third leading price of the day at the 3,600gns mark went to the Overall Reserve Champion

Judge Leslie Hood

and Junior Champion Gleneagle Icon bred by Mr JB O’Kane, Garvagh. This October 2013 bull is sired by Ampertaine Foreman and is out of Scotchtown Colga (by Homebryres Visitor) and now heads to pedigree breeder Mr I Davidson, Larne to join his Ballyrickard Herd. Top priced female at 1,900gns came in the form of the youngest catalogued entry, Togherdoo Jenny, bred by Mr V Keys, Gabally. This April 2014-born heifer calf is sired by Swarland Eddie and is out of the homebred dam Togherdoo Glow, a Sympa daughter with Broadmeadows Cannon bloodlines. She now heads to the new home of A Donaghy, Galbally. Second top priced female went to the Female Champion Heathmount Ivory, bred by Messrs McKinney Brothers, Maghera. June 2013-born, this heifer is sired by the herd’s stock bull Bailea Bullion and is out of the homebred Heathmount Tango. Purchaser was D Strathern, Bellaghy.

AVERAGES 30 Bulls 5 Females

£2,725.80 (+£170) £1,722.00 (+£80)

Auctioneer: Dungannon Farmers Mart

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Limousin Sales Shannas Illusion 7,000gns

Livet Ike 6,000gns

Emslies Imij Reserve Champion 4,800gns

7,000GNS SHANNAS BULL WINS INTERBREED SUPREME AT THAINSTONE

Thainstone FEB 2015 • 83% clearance rate • 15 bulls average £4,256 • Averages up by £702

hannas Illusion from John & Margaret Penny, Shannas, Mintlaw, Peterhead sold for 7,000gns and led a strong Limousin trade at the British Limousin Cattle Society Sale held at Thainstone, Inverurie

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on Wednesday 25th February. The sale was within the Aberdeen & Northern Marts Royal Northern Spring Show & Multibreed Sale of pedigree cattle. In front of the judge Anne MacPherson, Blackford Farm, Croy, Inverness, the April 2013-born Shannas Illusion had secured the Limousin Championship before moving on to take the Overall Supreme Interbreed Championship. Illusion is by Craigatoke Bart, a Haltcliffe Underwriter son, and is out of the Dyke Thunder daughter Shannas Ballerina. Selling with solid performance figures for growth and muscle, the Champion bull was purchased by Liam Muir, Upper Onston, Stenness, Stromness. The first bull in the ring, Shannas Irnbru, got the Limousin sale off to a good start when selling for 4,000gns to E Jaffrey, Candyglirach, Drumoak, Banchory. This bull is another by Craigatoke Bart and is out of Shannas Champagne. Rounding off a good sale for the Pennys was the 4,500gns Shannas Invincable, an April 2013-born Dyke Thunder son (by Haltcliffe President) and out of Shannas Tinkerbell who now heads to HJ Arnott, Westerton, Memsie, Fraserburgh. A good show of Limousin bulls met with an excellent trade that saw averages up by £702 on the year to £4,256 for the 15 bulls sold. The clearance rate was 83%. At 6,000gns was Livet Ike from Stephen Duncan, Achdregnie, Glenlivet, Ballindalloch, Banffshire. July 2013-born, this bull is by

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the 28,000gns AI sire Procters Cavalier and is out of the homebred dam Livet Brooke who carries Bailea Imij and Ronick Member breeding. Purchasing this bull was Rhindu Farm, Rhindu, Chapeltown, Ballindalloch. Albert Howie, West Knock, Stuartfield, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire made 5,500gns when selling his black Limousin bull Knock Black Inferno to Robert Chapman, West Cockmuir, Strichen, Fraserburgh. By the Irish sire Baileys Finalest, a Queenshead Altea son, this April 2013-born bull is out of the Newhouse Billy daughter Knock Felicity. Emslies Imij made 4,800gns when selling for Harry Emslie, Kinknockie, Mintlaw, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. Sired by the herd stock bull Procters Cavalier, he is out of Emslies Doreen, a Milbrook Vintage daughter. The June 2013-born Imij had earlier stood as the Reserve Overall Champion in the Limousin section. Emslies Imij was bought by RA Finnie, Bush Farm, Crathie, Ballater. Selling at 4,200gns was the Bailea BMW son Emslies Black Istabraq also from Harry Emslie when purchased by G Wilson, Fichlie, Glenkindie, Alford. The dam of this July 2013 bull is Hafodlas Bronfraith, a Saphir daughter.

AVERAGES 15 Bulls Auctioneer: ANM

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£4,256.00 (+£702)

Limousin Sales

Ballymena JAN 2015

4,000GNS GLARRYFORD

COW & CALF TOP BALLYMENA LIMOUSIN SALE

he first British Limousin Cattle Society (BLCS) Sale of 2015 saw a solid trade at Ballymena Mart on Saturday 10th January for haltered and unhaltered females with a top price of 4,000gns for a cow and calf outfit. Overall, there was a 91% clearance rate with 42 of the 46 lots finding homes, 10 more lots than the corresponding sale last year. Averages were also up resulting in an overall average of £1,663 (+£87) with cow and calf units averaging £2,790 and heifers £1,551. Altogether the sale grossed £75,909, up by £25,453 on the year. Taking the top price of 4,000gns for Mr R Coleman, Dunminning Road, Glarryford, Ballymena was the 2009-born cow Glarryford Egnima, sired by Goldies Astrix (a Domino son) and out of the dam Milbrook Titanya, who sold with her July 2014-born heifer calf at foot Glarryford Jersy, a daughter of the herd’s stock bull Teeshan Elmo, a Wilodge Vantastic son. The mother-and-daughter duo now head to Hugh Quinn, Woodhouse Road, Killycolpy, Dungannon who also purchased a further two lots at the sale including the 1,700gns maiden heifer Glarryford Honeypottwo together with Rahoney Isabel for 2,100gns from H&D McFarland, Trillick. Mr Coleman also sold two more cow and calf outfits for 2,600gns, the first being Glarryford Dannie, sired by Goldies Astrix

and out of the homebred Glarryford Amy together with her July 2014-born calf by Teeshan Elmo who now heads to Mike Frazier, Templepatrick. This was followed by Glarryford Edith, sired by Hafodlas Llion, a Broadmeadows Cannon son, and out of the dam Glarryford Blossom, a Milbrook Tanko daughter, who went under the hammer with her heifer calf Glarryford Jen - again sired by Teeshan Elmo. This pairing was sold to TA & P Paul, Dunloy. The next leading price of 2,400gns also went for another cow and calf unit bred by Mr R Coleman in the shape of Glarryford Crystal and her bull calf Glarryford Jackpot when snapped up by pedigree breeder Geoffrey Rodgers, Dromara. Top maiden heifer price and second top price of the day at 2,800gns went to L & R Allison, Limavady for Scotchtown Ivory. This stylish September 2013-born heifer is sired by Ampertaine Elgin and is out of the homebred dam Scotchtown Velvet, a Nenuphar daughter, and now heads to the pedigree Clydevalley Herd of Tom Clyde, Antrim. Mr Clyde purchased a further 7 lots with bloodlines including Guards Boomer, Swarland Eddie, Plumtree Deus, Limo Esso, Ronick Hawk, Sauvignon and Loosebeare Fantastic. These included the second best price for a maiden heifer at 2,500gns for Knocknacloy Iggy bred by Bartley Finnegan, Dungannon. This August

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• 91% clearance rate • Averages up on the year by £87 • Gross up on the year to £76,000 • Ten more lots sold 2013 born heifer is sired by Sauvignon is out of the dam Bodearg Dove which carries Nenuphar bloodlines. Third best price for a maiden heifer came in the form of the 2,250gns Scotchtown Ibis, another from Messrs Allison, being an August 2013-born heifer sired by Haltcliffe Dancer and out of Scotchtown Fidget (by Wilodge Vantastic). New owner is RJ Mowbray, Newtownstewart. AVERAGES 7 Cows & Calves 35 Heifers

£2,789.85 £1,551.15

Auctioneer: JA McClelland & Sons Sponsor: Connon General Merchants, Ballymena

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EWDENVALE IVANHOE LEADS NEWARK LIMOUSIN BULLS AT 5500GNS NEWARK APRIL 2015 • In-calf heifer Brockhurst Holy makes sale top price of 5800gns • 36 Bulls average £3136 • 151 Pedigree females sold • 293 Limousin sired commercial animals sold • Pedigree animals gross £301,182

wdenvale Ivanhoe from Mr S Wilde, Spike Winter House, Bradfield, Nr Sheffield made 5500gns and led the bull trade at the Newark Limousin Day Sale held on 11th April at Newark Livestock Market. The bull sale was held for the first time under the auspices of the British Limousin Cattle Society. Over 150 pedigree females were also sold on the day in a BLCS supported Breeders’ Sale. The August 2013 born Ewdenvale Ivanhoe is by the AI sire Wilodge Tonka and is out of the homebred Ewdenvale Gemma, an Ampertaine Abracadabra daughter. Purchasing the top price was Andrew Bishop, Pitfield Farm, Glos. Commenting on his purchase Mr Bishop said: “The bull has been purchased with a view to producing show calves out of Limousin cross Blue cows. He has a sweet head, a good top line and has lots of shape with a good end.” Earlier in the day, Coachhouse Infielder from Messrs Heald, Home Farm, Grove, Retford, Notts had been placed as the pre-sale show Junior & Supreme Champion by the judge Martin Irvine of the noted 80-cow Anside Herd, Braehead Farm, Banffs, Moray. He went on to make the second top price of 4800gns when selling for pedigree use to RF Turner & Son, Bassingbourn Farm, Isleham Road, Fordham, Cambs. Entirely homebred this August 2013 bull, with a Beef Value of LM+45, is by Coachhouse Eebygum and is out of Coachhouse Verve a Haltcliffe Picasso

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Ewdenvale Ivanhoe 5,500gns

daughter. Commenting on his Champion, Martin Irvine said: “This is a very good bull and well put together. He’s very even, has a nice head, is round from every angle with plenty of shape, and walks extremely well.” A big Limousin day all-round, 189 pedigree Limousin bulls and females were sold. Beyond the pedigree sale a further 293 Limousin sired commercial animals were sold. The pedigree animals sold to gross £301,182. The bull sale saw a clearance rate of 66%. There was an understandable ‘industry caution’ in the air but with some determined bidding for the best lots on offer leading to a solid sale with Newark

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auctioneer Paul Gentry commenting, “ those vendors who presented well bred, correct cattle, were well rewarded.” Three bulls sold at 4500gns. The first of these was the Reserve Intermediate Champion, the April 2013-born Gascoines Iain from the Gascoines Group, Southwell, Notts. This bull is by Fieldson Beefy and is out of the Overthwaite Crackerjack daughter Bailea FeeFee. Purchasing this animal was Messrs FS Knight, Stock Doyle, Oundle, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Also at 4500gns was the first prize winner from class 6, Coachhouse Illyria, another from the Heald family. This July 2013 born bull is by Rachels Ferrari and is out of Coachhouse Udolphi, by the noted Haltcliffe Picasso. This bull went commercially to Frank Page, Lodge Farm, Elkington, Northampton. The third bull at this 45000gns mark was the

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Limousin Sales Champion Bull Coachhouse Infielder 4,800gns

BROCKHURST HOLY LEADS THE LIMOUSIN FEMALES AT 5800GNS

Newroddige Imperial 4,500gns

Gascoines Iain 4,500gns

Reserve Male Champion, Newroddige Imperial, from Mallaber Partners, Park Farm, Walton Road, Drakelow, Burton on Trent. With plenty of breeding behind him this September 2013 bull is a Haltcliffe Underwriter son and is out of the past Royal Highland Show champion Grahams Butterfly, a Samy daughter. With a beef value of LM+40 this bull was purchased by Bill Stewart, Bridge of Marnoch, Huntly, Aberdeenshire. Continuing a good day, the Heald family sold Coachhouse Intelligent for 4000gns. This bull, who stood second in his class to the Heald’s Overall Champion, is by Mereside Daytona and out of Coachhouse Ulyssa, a Goldies Necho daughter. This July 2013 born bull was another knocked down to Bill Stewart, Aberdeenshire. Making 3800gns was the Intermediate Champion Gascoines Iceman, another from the Gascoines Group. This March 2013calf is another by Fieldson Beefy and is out of Bailea Fancybabe. Purchasing this bull was S and C M Jones, Alton Manor Farm, Belper, Derbyshire. Another at 3800gns was Hannem Imacelebrity from J G and J A Evans, lower Ffrydd, Caersws, Powys. Bred by Mike and Sarah Potter this May 2013 born bull is by Millington Frenchie and out of Hannem Devina. Buying this lot was the Lattenbury Farming Company, Godmanchester, Huntingdon. A further bull at 3800gns Scorboro Inc from JCG Bloom, Decoy Farm, Driffield. A son of the 21,000gns Procters General, this October 2013-born bull is out of Scorboro Emmy, a Scoroboro Aramis daughter. This was another bull purchased by Bill Stewart, Huntly and one of six in all in the day to head to Aberdeenshire.

eading the BLCS Breeders’ Sale of females, and setting the top price of the day, was Brockhurst Holy at 5800gns from Messrs WJ&M Mash Ltd, Torrington Farm, Chesham, Bucks. Full of breeding this September 2012 born embryo calf is by the prolific Wilodge Vantastic and is out of the multi title winning show cow Brockhurst Bolshoi, the Grahams Samson daughter. Also sold in calf to another show winning bull, Ardglasson Highlander, the top priced animal was purchased by pedigree breeder Andrew Gammie, Drumforber, Lawrencekirk, Aberdeenshire. The Champion Female and Reserve Overall Supreme Champion was the maiden heifer Coachhouse Ibiza from the Heald family who made 4200gns. June 2013 born Ibiza is a Mereside Daytona daughter out of Coachhouse Calafornia, another Haltcliffe Picasso daughter. Purchasing the Champion female was V&G Bowring for their Elmton herd at Lakeside Bungalow, The Park, Nether Langwith, Nr Mansfield. The six-year-old Mereside Ebony, from RM Hazard & Sons, Saltby Heath Farm, Skillington, Grantham, Lincolnshire, made 4000gns when selling to the Olympia herd of Messrs Stamper, Leighton Bromswold, Huntingdon. This 2009-born cow by the French sire Bloomben is out of Mereside Urena, a Malibu daughter. She was sold in-calf to Bolide with her September born bull calf at foot by Honeymoor Favourite. At 3400gns was the in-calf heifer Brockhurst

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Harmonica from Doug Mash, Torrington Farm, Grove Lane, Chesham, Buckinghamshire. This April 2012born Netherhall Chancer daughter is out of Fenrose Verity, a Fenrose Neptune daughter, and was sold to T P Jarman, Newtown, Powys. A 3300gns bid then secured Springsett Danni, a January 2008-born Newhouse Aristocrat daughter, also from Doug Mash. This one was bred by Dougie McBeath and Sarah-Jane Jessop and is out of Drumadarragh Annie, a Malibu daughter. She sold with her heifer calf at foot, by Ardglasson Highlander, and was bought by J and G Sharp, Stock, Essex. In a solid trade, a further nine females made 3000gns or more.

AVERAGES 3 senior bulls: 13 intermediate bulls: 20 junior bulls: 21 cows with calves: 9 heifers with calves: 11 in-calf cows: 31 in-calf heifers: 79 maiden heifers: 7 commercial bulls: 126 commercial heifers: 160 commercial steers:

£3045.00 £2978.85 £3252.38 £2699.00 £2669.33 £1699.09 £2282.90 £1658.47 £885.71 £995.00 £1022.81

Auctioneer: Newark Livestock Market

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KBS GENETIC

IMPORTING PEDIGREE LIMOUSINS AND SEMEN Our service offers the opportunity for customers seeking high quality & high health status pedigree limousins to visit elite herds within France. You will be accompanied and taken around selected herds by the KBS team who are all fluent English speakers. Alternatively, customers can have specific cattle selected on their behalf by Owain Llyr, our agent in the UK. We will arrange all necessary import documentations and transportation. Join us at Prestige XVIII in Brive on Saturday 29th August 2015 and at the dispersal sale of the Broussaud herd on Monday 31st August 2015 near la Souterraine

Joli 23 : polled and double muscled, top price at Simbeef 2015 purchased by Crabwell Farms

For further details, please contact Jean-Luc Kress on 00 33 608 95 02 36, Beppe Pantaleoni on 0033 640 51 43 70 or Mickael Claval on 0033 673 93 41 60 KBS Genetic, Beauvalet, 87520 Veyrac, France Tel: 00 33 555 48 00 00 Fax: 00 33 555 48 41 31

E-mail: Kbs-genetic@wanadoo.fr

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CASIMIR (Neuf x Sucrette)

WANTED Muscly Cows, Stock Bulls & heavy Young Bulls E & U+ grades to feed or finished

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