Haltcliffe herd proves to be highlight at bull sale

May 9 2008 by Tom Patterson, The Journal

THE prolific Haltcliffe herd of Messrs Ridley, Haltcliffe, of Hesket Newmarket, Cumbria, provided the outstanding highlight of a buoyant 25th Annual British Limousin Cattle Society Sale at Carlisle.

One hundred and twenty five bulls averaged £5,048 – 83% clearance – with 24 bulls over £6,500.

A tremendous line-up of Haltcliffe bulls with shape, muscle and top bloodlines saw the Ridleys – father and son Matt and Craig – gross £120,330 from their team of 12 bulls to average a mighty £10,028 apiece.

A measure of the quality was reflected in the fact that a half share in one of them took the day’s top price of 25,000gns.

Haltcliffe Braveheart had been placed at the pre-sale show as Reserve Junior Champion by the judge, Aberdeenshire breeder Michael Massie.

The 16-month-old calf had the combination of tremendous shape and conformation underpinned by high quality breeding.

Braveheart, with a Beef Value of LM+26, is sired by Cloughhead Umpire who was purchased for the Haltcliffe herd for 42,000gns at Carlisle in February 2005. A heifer’s first calf, Braveheart is out of the dam Haltcliffe Voluptuous, who is a full sister to the 100,000gns world record-priced Limousin bull, Haltcliffe Vermount.

Purchaser of the half share was Keith Redpath, of Redpath Farms, Spylaw, Kelso, Roxburghshire, whose immediate plans are to collect semen from Braveheart at his newly established facility which has been set up in partnership with UK Sire Services.

The line-up of Ridley bulls secured a number of leading sale prices including 25,000, 19,000, 15,000, 14,000 and 10,000gns respectively.

As a whole, a tremendous demand for the 151 bulls offered saw averages jump £567 to level at over £5,000.

Two bulls made 20,000gns or over, with 11 five-figure prices in all and 40 lots making 5,000gns or more.

The junior section was again strong with 39 bulls averaging just under £6,000. The sale grossed a very respectable £710,060. BLCS chief executive Iain Kerr said: “There was a tremendous depth in demand and this demonstrates the commercial producer’s confidence in the breed. Ease of management and ease of calving were the buzz words as you spoke to buyers around the market.” Another strong contingent of bulls from Northern Ireland made their mark with no fewer than five class winners.

Best of these was the Irish Republic- bred Carrefour Ben, brought out by John McGrane who runs the Drumeland Prefix at Annvale Road, Keady, Co Armagh. Carrefour Ben is the son of Elite Popsi and is out of the dam Marlhill Stasia. His purchaser at 20,000gns was undisclosed.

Third top price at 19,000gns was the Reserve Senior Male Champion, the August 2006 born Haltcliffe Bravo, again from Messrs Ridley, Haltcliffe, Hesket Newmarket, Cumbria.

With a Beef Value of LM+40, Haltcliffe Bravo is a full brother to Haltcliffe Underwriter, Junior Champion, Carlisle, May 2004, when selling for 10,000gns and sire of the 30,000gns Craigatoke Apache – top price at Carlisle in May 2007. He was bought by JW & ME Fieldson, Poplar Farm, Corringham, Gainsborough, Lincs, who run the Fieldson herd of pedigree Limousins/

The aptly named Haltcliffe twins, Bill and Ben, set a record mark for twins at 24,000gns.

The show’s Overall Supreme Champion was Normande Bruce from N and E Cruickshank, Cowford Farm, Cleghorn, Lanarkshire, which came from the Senior Section. Normande Bruce was sold for 13,000gns to the Shire herd of DBD and CA Edgar, Fellside, Ousby, Penrith, Cumbria.