‘Fierce competition for future show winners’ – Caithness heifer makes third-top price at Thainstone Spectacular
A Caithness cow was sold for the third-best price of the day at a spectacular sale near Aberdeen.
Graham Sutherland, of The Antlers, Occumster, Lybster, sold his 286kg Limousin cross heifer Belinda, to Slack and Haugh, Plumtree House, Newby, Penrith, for £5600.
The deal took place at the Spectacular Show and Sale at Aberdeen and Northern Mart’s Thainstone Centre in Inverurie on August 23.
J S Baillie, Sebay Farm, Tankerness, Orkney, topped the sale of exhibition cattle at the Thainstone Spectacular when his February 2024-born Limousin cross heifer achieved a top price of £9000. The animal, which took the 2024 Haltered Heifer championship, sold to Susan and Allan Campbell, Alt na Craik, Corrow Farm, Lochgoilhead.
The champion heifer in the 2023 section went on to sell for the second top price of the day, of £6000, which was a 10-month-old Limousin cross heifer, scaling 440kg from G & J Greenlaw, Balgairn Farms, Ballater, to an undisclosed telephone bidder.
Stewart Bett, Boquhan Farmhouse, Kippen, Stirling, judged the show of exhibition cattle, where he awarded the overall champion position to the 2023 champion bullock, a Limousin cross bullock from Balfour Ballie, Sebay View, Tankerness, Orkney. The Limousin cross, sired by Huntershall Rosco went onto sell to John D Work, Mains of Dumbreck, Udny, Ellon for £3400.
£4000 was smashed twice for two Limousin cross heifers both sired by Redriver Powerful, from Balfour Baillie, firstly a May 2023-born calf scaling 450kg and the second was a five-month-old, 243kg heifer selling to Sophie Weir, 8 Tower Place, Morayshire.
A March-born Limousin cross bullock won the 2024 section from the Fraser Family, Easter Clune Farm, Lethen, Nairn, which topped out at £3900, selling to Julie Sedgewick, Ricknall Grange Farm, Aycliffe, Durham.
The Robertson family of Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry, achieved £3500 for their January 2024-born Limousin cross Charolais heifer which took the reserve champion Haltered Heifer 2024. The animal, scaling 302kg, sold to A Ireland, Feoch, Darvel, Ayrshire.
J Scott Watson, Old Repeater Station, Carnoustie, purchased a May 2023-born Limousin cross heifer scaling 590kg from J S Youngson, Westerton, Echt for £3200.
The Robertsons, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry, sold their 495kg Limousin cross heifer for £2700 to Wilson Peters, Cuilt Farmhouse, Monzie, Crieff.
Just behind at £2500 was a six-month-old, 306kg Limousin cross heifer Jojo from G Sutherland, The Antlers, Occumster, Lybster selling to Emslies Livestock, Kinknockie, Mintlaw, Peterhead.
The event, sponsored by Blackadders, saw heifers average 7.657 per kg or £3155.79 and bullocks level at 4.880 per kg or £2301.82 per head.
In total, 30 calves forward sold to the average of £2842.67 (+£509.34 on the year).
Scott Chapman, auctioneer at Aberdeen and Northern Marts, said: “Credit must be given to the producers of the cattle that were forward, who were duly rewarded for their efforts as buyers from nationwide were fiercely competing to obtain future show winners.
“We would like to thank Blackadder’s Solicitors for their continued sponsorship of the event, which makes the event the success it is.”
