Beeston Blues Beat The Beast!
10th March 2018
A rescheduled "Blues at Beeston" sale, sadly, saw reduced numbers. However what the sale lacked in quantity, it more than made up for with quality. Buyers travelled in numbers and the buzz around the sale ring was palpable resulting in the top 5 bulls all selling for over 4000gns, returning an average of £4155.
Stealing the show was local pedigree and commercial beef producers Brian and Rob Taylor, Scholar Green. They consigned two fantastic bulls on their first foray into the world of pedigree Blue sales and were rewarded with the day’s top price of 4400gns. Taylor’s Legend, a tremendous May ‘16 born bull by Show calf producer Dragon Blues Factor and out of a Blackstar sired Cow drew a great deal of pre-sale interest and sold after spirited bidding to High Peak suckler man Cliff Percival, Bakewell. Second highest price of the day was a bull from the Almeley stable of Graham Morgan, Herefordshire. Almeley Linford a powerful black bull by the prolific Drybarrows Cawdale, looked the business in the ring and sold for 4300gns to local producers P Studley & Sons, Burton.
Almeley Linford sold for 4,300gns
Another bull from the Taylor family, Taylor’s Lancelot, the youngest bull of the day at just 21 months looked every inch a real powerhouse. Lincolnshire producer JC Crust thought so too and takes the bull back to Spilsby at 4100gns. We are grateful to renowned showman Berwyn Hughes who judged the cattle, Champion male was awarded to a magnificent bull from regular supporter, Nigel Pritchard, Norton Canon, Herefordshire.
Supreme Champion, Norton Nightrider
Norton Knightrider, born August ‘15 by the great Drift Domino and out of a cow that goes back to Ridge Dean Mahogany, he was the oldest bull in the catalogue and the first through the ring, Owain Llyr got the sale off on the right foot, buying the bull at 3900gns. Standing second to the Champion and awarded the reserve ticket was another longstanding supporter of the Blue sales, Rhys Millichap who made the long journey from South Wales with Rhymil Lion King, a May 2016 born son of Wishmaster sired Rhymil Iron Bru, his full brother sold back in 2015 for 4000gns and history repeated itself as the hammer fell 4000gns to JC Crust, Spilsby.
Rhymil Lionking
The first pedigree heifer through the ring and leading price female was Almeley Libby, a real cow maker by Cawdale and born April 2016, she caught the eye of local quality suckled calf producer Jonathan Darlington who takes the heifer home to Scholar Green at 2800gns. Not to be outdone, Jonathan’s farm manager and dad, Rob, purchased Matthew Jones’ 14mo Graymar Minnie at 1400gns to run alongside the family’s Mow Cop herd of pedigree Limousins.
Top priced female, Almeley Libby
Perhaps the highlight of the day was the blistering trade for commercial Blues with show potential. Top call went to a heifer from Matthew Jones, Telford, Shropshire. This 10mths pedigree heifer sold for £2800 to S Carpenter, Stourport on Severn. Demand for smart showy heifers, especially those suitable for the baby beef classes was clearly outstripping supply, Wyn Morgan, Newmills, Powys sold a very smart 9mo heifer at £2100 to Mr Mike Scott, Newark who was in again for a real eye catcher from local producer Wilfred Lomas at £2000. Every crossbred animal forward sold in excess of £1000 with heifers averaging a phenomenal £1393 and steers £1232.
The Auctioneers recorded thanks to buyers and sellers who, despite the disruption to the sales calendar caused by last week’s "beast from the east", turned out and supported this sale. Better weather is on order for future sales!
Judge, Berwyn Hughes
