Border British Blue Club 33rd Annual Spring Show & Sale at Carlisle
It was always going to be difficult to match last year’s record-breaking sale when two entries broke the 30,000gns barrier, but trade held up well at the Border British Blue Club’s show and sale at Harrison and Hetherington’s Borderway centre on Friday and Saturday, 10 and 11 May 2024.
With the Supreme Champion going on to sell for the top price of 25,000gns, trade was backed up by a strong demand from commercial buyers as four of the five-figure prices bulls sold to commercial producers.
It was a weekend to remember for the Morgan family – Graham and Kathryn together with sons, Owen and Barney – when they secured not only the Senior, Male and Supreme Championship but also the top price of 25,000gns with their Almeley Shaggy, and more impressively saw their 10 bulls cash in to average £8946. They also took home the Kelowna Perpetual Trophy for the Champion animal.
Almeley Shaggy - Male and Supreme Champion - 25,000gns
Leading the way in both the show ring and sale ring was their June, 2022-born Almeley Shaggy, a black and white son of the Pinnacle Hero-sired Almeley Narissa, a very consistent breeder in the Tillington-based herd and from the same lines as the sire of the 30,000gns Gass Okay. Shaggy’s sire is Crackley Bank Oscar which is in turn out of Crackley Bank Iron Candy, a cow bought by the Morgans at the Crackley Bank dispersal a few years back.
Shaggy first caught the eye of Will Sedgley, of the Langstroth Herd near Barbon, Carnforth, in the pre-sale show which was sponsored by NFU Mutual, Alan Gill Agricultural Contractor, Bull Nose Guard, David Allen, Lloyd Land Rover, Flexi Bins, Drainwise and Kevin Watret Electrical. Having bought many of the top priced lots at Carlisle over the last couple of years, Kevin and Sonya Fletcher paid the top price of 25,000gns to take this Mr lover lover home to work in their Coul Herd near Laggan in north Perthshire.
Almeley Sterling 16,000gns
The Morgans claimed the second highest price of 16,000gns when their Almeley Sterling also sold north, this time to Smallburn Farms, Duffus, Elgin, with Andy Anderson. This dark blue road lad was born two months later than his herd mate and this time is by the aforementioned Gass Okay and out of Almeley Kiera, a Drybarrows Cawdale daughter.
Maes Supernova - Reserve Senior Champion - 12,000gns
Two sold for 12,000gns apiece with the first of these being Maes Supernova, the Reserve Senior Champion from the Jones family from Cerrig-Y-Drudion, Corwen. A two-year-old black and white bull, he is the result of a flush between Colos Van Daisel and the Kilowatt D’Ochain-sired Ridge Dean Jasmine, a former show heifer that was Junior Female Champion at the Royal Welsh Show. Forking out the cash were renowned show calf producers from Cumbria, John Smith-Jackson and Neil Hardisty.
Stonebyres Saracen - 12,000gns
The other at 12,000gns was Blair and Shona Comrie’s Stonebyres Saracen, a 23-month-old blue and white bull from the husband and wife duo from near Lanark. Selling to the team at Aucheneck Estates, Killearn, Stirlingshire, Saracen is full of home breeding being by Stonebyres Ninja and out of the Kersey Geronimo-sired Stonebyres Leona. This price saw the Comries take home the Border Club Special Trophy for the highest priced animal sold by a club member.
Topside Seths Lad - 10,000gns
Another commercial producer was behind the final five-figure bull when Shona Laird paid 10,000gns to take Ross and Elaine Pattinson’s Top Side Seths Lad back to work near Cumnock, Ayrshire. Bred via embryo transfer from their renowned Top Side Isla, a Strathearn Carvalho daughter from the herd at Low Row, Brampton, the September, 2022-born Seths Lad is a son of Blanc Dos Du Bois-Brule.
Solway View Supreme - 9,000gns
Having received 12,000gns earlier in the sale, Blair and Shona Comrie then forked out 9000gns for Kevin Watret’s Solway View Supreme, from near Annan. The pedigree of this 20-month-old needs little introduction as his sire is Empire D’Ochain while his dam is Solway View Elegance, making Supreme a full brother to Solway View Milly that bred the 32,000gns Rafa and 30,000gns Ria.
Almeley Schumacher - Res Junior Champion - 8,500gns
The Morgans’ eye-catching 22-month-old red and white bull, Almeley Schumacher, realised 8500gns when he was knocked down to Messrs Whiting near Colchester, Essex. This Reserve Junior Champion is an embryo full of Belgian breeding being by Chocolat D’Ochamp and out of 3924 De Martinpre, a Clinton Du Falgi daughter.
Selling down to Macclesfield, Cheshire, with Messrs Hatch & Co for 8500gns was Jean Mackay’s Harelaw Streaker, an embryo by Toscan VD Ijzeri and bred from the Kersey Geronimo-sired Woodend Leonna, a favourite and consistent producer in the herd from Kirkmichael, Ayrshire.
Two sold with an 8000gns price tag including Ali Jackson’s own Topgun Sergio which is out of the same Bedgebury Flat Out-sired Solway View Osesha that also bred Ali’s 22,000gns Topgun Splash. Selling to Liam Muir all the way up on Orkney, Sergio’s sire is Empire D’Ochain.
Also at 8000gns was one of the youngest on offer, Warehams Someboy from Jason and Sarah Wareham, from Broadoak, Heathfield. A show winner on the winter circuit, this 17-month-old Solway View Firecracker son is out of Warehams Lovely, a Bluegrass Cyclone daughter. He was knocked down to Messrs Gamble, Easingwold, North Yorkshire.
Dragon Blues Suburu - Jumior Champion and Reserve Male Champion - 7,500gns
Females
Quality shone among the female entry as stylish females with show potential met the best of the trade and having passed through the ring unsold, it was Kevin Watret’s Solway View Stella that sold out the back for the top price of 7500gns.
Solwayview Stella - 7500gns
Offering a rare chance to buy a direct daughter of the herd’s noted brood cow, Stella is bred from Solway View Elegance, a Gitan Du Pti’T Mayeur daughter that features in the pedigree of many of the herd’s top show and sale leaders. Sired by General De L’Ecluse and born via embryo transfer in August, 2022, she sold across the water to Corrigan Loughcrew Enterprises, Meath, Ireland.
Close behind on 7000gns when knocked down to an undisclosed buyer was Solway View Sunlight, a first prize winner from the AgriExpo and LiveScot. Born in October, 2022, her pedigree includes Colos Van Daisel on to another consistent breeder, the Solway View Firecracker-sired Solway View Kesha.
A couple lots later and Solway View Sydney was one of three heifers to sell for 5500gns when she was chapped down to Messrs Hunter, Insch, Aberdeenshire. Bred from Solway View Majestic, a Tweeddale Ironman daughter which has bred daughters to 13,000gns, she is by Tweeddale Hamish.
Matching that 5500gns was another Kesha daughter, this time Solway View Tesha that was Champion at the English Winter Fair. Selling to Messrs Simpson, Hope Valley, Derbyshire, her sire is Felicien De Courriaulx.
The Morgan family was back in the spotlight when their 14-month-old Almeley Tangerine sold for the second highest female price of 7200gns to Messrs Owens, Shobdon, Leominster. This flashy red heifer is another got by embryo and is by Negrita Du Lac and out of Almeley Miss Unique, an Almeley Arlequin daughter.
The Jones family’s Maes herd also featured strongly in the female section and it was one of their embryo calves with recipient mother that led their entry at 6000gns when sold to Joshua Jack, Milton Keynes. At just six months old, Maes Topgirl is out of the same Ridge Dean Jasmine that produced the 12,000gns Maes Supernova sold earlier in the sale, while her sire is Bringlee Blackstar.
Messrs Alderson from Northallerton paid 5800gns for Maes Tesni, a yearling Empire D’Ochain daughter that also goes back to Jasmine being out of the Dafydd-sired daughter, Maes Nadia.
Another at 5500gns was J Taylor’s Brookley Blue Taylor Swift, an Istamboul De L’Orgelot daughter bred from Brookley Blue Nicki Minaj which is in turn by Tenace De La Praule. She caught the eye of C Dick and heads to a new home near Stirling.
Averages: 49 bulls, £6777.14; 25 heifers, £4670.40.
Sunnybank Sexy Girl - Female and Reserve Overall Champion - 5,000gns
156
PEDIGREE BRITISH BLUE
BULLS AND FEMALES
(SOLD UNDER THE BBCS AUCTION RULES AND CONDITIONS OF SALE)
comprising
96 bulls, 50 maiden heifers, 2 cows,
4 recipients with calves at foot,
2 implanted embryos
FRIDAY 10th MAY 2024
JUDGING OF ALL CLASSES � 10.30am
SATURDAY 11th MAY 2024
SALE � 10.30am
Auctioneers: Harrison & Hetherington
Photos: Wayne Hutchinson
