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The Border Belgian Blue Club held their Fourteenth Annual Autumn Show & Sale on Wednesday 1st October when auctioneers Harrison & Hetherington Ltd, Borderway Mart, Rosehill Carlisle offered for sale the catalogued entry of 82 head comprising 60 bulls and 22 females. The show and sale was kindly sponsored by BBG and The British Blue Cattle Society. The auctioneer David Dickinson commented that there was a good ringside of prospective buyers gathered. The buyers were very quality conscious, with the quality entries being keenly sort after with prices achieved exceeding vendors expectations. Five more bulls and 10 more females exchanged hands than last year.

Top price of the day was 8,200gns for a dark blue and white son of the widely used ‘BBG’ bull Savant De Pierrecome, Ridge Dean Ultrasonic ET who is an April 2002 born bull and out of the herd’s famous dam Jessie. He was bred and exhibited by the well-respected breeder Michele Wilde, Ridge Farm, Dean Farm Lane, Soulbury, Nr. Leighton Buzzard, Beds. Ultrasonic is no stranger to the show ring as he was successfully shown this year by Michele - winning Overall Junior Champion RASE and Junior Champion RWAS. Ultrasonic was placed 1st in his class, Reserve Male and Reserve Overall Champion in the pre sale judging and Ballechin Farms, Ballinluig, Perthshire secured the 8,200gns bid to take him home.

Mountjoy Utopia

Next at 6,800gns was Mountjoy Utopia who was also shown in the very strong class as Ultrasonic, he was awarded the 2nd prize ticket. This all blue 18 month old son of Twyning Ash Nimrod ET and out of Park Popped Out was bred and exhibited by Irish breeder Desmond McAskie, Tully Mountjoy, Omagh, Co. Tyrone and caught the eye of J Leiper & Sons, Black Heddon, Ponteland, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

The judge Mr Stuart Bell, ‘Belldale Herd’, Tregof Uchaf, Cemaes Bay, Anglesey commented that the prize winners in each class were excellent examples of the breed. The Champion and Reserve overall champions were fine examples of the Belgian Blue and had exceptional muscling and excellent mobility. He awarded the Overall Male and Supreme Championship to Devon Breeder Gill Baker, Nutshill Farm, South Molton, N. Devon with her senior imported bull Dompteur ET DE Fooz. This 2 year old son of Radar Van Terbeck and out of Victoria ET De Fooz was knocked down for 4,500gns to A & J Nairn, Clashmoir, Glenlivet, Ballindalloch, Banffshire.

Mrs Jane Wyllie, Pessall Farm, Edingale, Nr. Tamworth, Staffs exhibited her first calf Tamhorn Unite ET out of the herds exceptional show heifer Captive de Fooz. Unite is a blue and white 17 month old son of Jardinier de la Bonne Raie who has a string of high priced progeny to his credit. Unite was 1st in his class in the pre sale show and to his credit was placed 1st at Stafford County Show and 2nd at RASE 2003. Signing the cheque for 4,000gns was Messrs TP & EA Clayton, Low Mills Farm, Boston Spa, Wetherby.

Top price in the female section was 3,600gns for Bonerbo Tulip ET the 1st prize senior maiden heifer that was bred and exhibited by John Stevenson & Co, Bonerbo Farm, Anstruther, Fife. This November 2001 born heifer is by President Des 1000 Fontaines and out of Bonerbo Omega ET. She joins the Greystone herd for fellow enthusiasts J & E Coates, Rainscar Farm, Stainforth, Settle, N Yorkshire.

Next at 3,100gns was the 1st prize imported served heifer Intrepide 7641 Pierrecome shown by ER Hemmings, Hay Lane Farm, Horsley, Nailsworth, Glos and sold to Border Club members Neil & Irene Armstrong, Ambleside, Silloth, Cumbria to join their Goodyhills prefix.

The judge awarded the Female Championship and Best Opposite Sex to The Champion ‘Wilodge Perpetual Shield’ to Claire and Steve Pattinson, Kinkry Hill, Roadhead, Carlisle with their first homebred third calver Kelowna Olympia with her Cornlan Ryan heifer calf at foot Kelowna Very White. Olympia is out of their foundation cow Battlesden Lollipop 2 and by the renowned Lawns Dominic. The unit join the suckler herd of Messrs AC Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld, Perth for 1,800gns.

The Reserve Female Championship went to Lancashire breeders Allan & Deirdre Wilkinson, Springfield Farm, Out Rawcliffe, Preston with their single entry Springfield Unella ET. This black and white August 2002 born maiden heifer by one of the top Belgian sires Visconti and out of the home bred Pepsi was bid to 2,500gns by Mrs A Padfield, Brambles Green Lane, Potter Heigham, Gt. Yarmouth to join her Piggots herd.

The judge awarded the Macmin Cup to the Best Animal owned and exhibited by a member of the Border Belgian Blue Club to Gordon McGregor, Longrigg, Roweltown, Carlisle with his dark coloured bull Springfield Uno bred by the aforementioned Allan & Deirdre Wilkinson. Uno who stood 2nd to the Supreme Champion in his class is a January 2002 born bull by Springfield Ravel ET and out of Springfield Rebecca. He was sold for 3,800gns to join the Besthorpe herd of MR Scott, The White House, Newark, Notts.

Recorded animals, incidentally, averaged £1200 more than those that were not recorded, with the two bulls with the highest Beef Values at the sale making the two highest prices. Recorded bulls that were in the top 25% of the breed or better, averaged £4600.

Averages: -
34 Bulls £2,820.96 (plus £56.05)
4 Heifers, served £2,520.00 (plus £630.00)
7 Heifers, unserved £2,400.00 (minus £85.00)
4 Cows/Heifers served and or suckling £2,178.75 (plus £883.75)

Other leading prices: -
Bulls
JR Potter’s “Westside Ulex” 3,400gns to Mrs A Padfield, Brambles Green, Gt Yarmouth 4th in class 4

A & KM Barnes’ “Bannister Ultimate” 3,200gns to Laga Farms Ltd, Arwick, Evie, Orkney 3rd in class 4

Messrs WT McMiken’s “Clarebrand Ultimate ET” 3,100gns to T Forsyth, Isle Farm, Whithorn, Newton Stewart. 5th in class 4

T Okell’s “Birdswood Upbeat” 3,100gns to DE & G Davies & Son, Llwyndiod, Garth, Builth Wells, Powys

TJ & EA Richardson’s “Sunny Side Tyrone” 3,000gns to D Ellis, Greatastones, Chagford, Devon
1st in class 1

J Barber’s “Astbury Utmost” 3,000gns to SH Troughton (per M MacDonald), Ardachy, North Connel, Oban.

Females
Mrs Helen Illingworth’s “Park Raffle” and her Heifer Calf at foot ”Glenrock Vitesse” 3,000gns, to R Downie, Newton Farm, Crathie, Ballater, Aberdeenshire.
2nd in class 8

J Barber’s “Ecuyere D’Izier” 2,900gns to E & M Jones, Cenarth, 29 Bro Rhiwen, Rhiwlas, Nr Bangor, Gwynedd
2nd in class 7

G Forsyth’s “Wilodge Silicone ET” 2,500gns to JH & SM Mason, Keasden Head, Clapham, Lancaster
2nd in class 5

For further information contact either Claire Pattinson (Secretary Border Belgian Blue Club)
Tel: 016977 48053 ~ Fax: 016977 48205 Email: CPatti5336@aol.com