Spring Show & Sale, Exeter, 26^th March

An excellent range of quality bulls forward at the South Devon Herd Book Society’s Spring Show & Sale attracted buyers from across the country with bulls finding new homes as far afield as Herefordshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.

Judge for the day was Mr Paul Harrison from Tollerton, near York, who selected his male champion from an impressive line-up in seven bull classes – polled bull Z Colcharton Jasper 2, who also won the Thornton Cup based on Breedplan performance as well as inspection.  Jasper 2 is by another high EBV bull, AI Ridgemere Jasper, and out of a homebred polled cow.  He went on to sell to Mr Andrew Watkins from Kentchurch in Herefordshire for 3,700 gns.

Top price went to Mr & Mrs Richard Burrough’s polled bull, Z Godworthy Starbuster 17, from Axminster in Devon, who sold for 6,500 gns to G K & M A Garrett & Son, Okehampton Devon.  Starbuster 17 is by Brafferton Starbuster 17, a bull bred by the Show Judge Paul Harrison, and out of a homebred Godworthy polled cow.  A second bull from the same stable, Godworthy Starbuster 15, sold to P A & D E Cleave, Holne, Devon, for 4,000 gns.

Reserve Male Champion from Mr Richard Ford’s Leicestershire herd, Goffe Cave Sturdy Away, sold for 5,000 gns to Mr Roger Rundle’s Kestle herd from Newquay in Cornwall.  Sturdy Away carries the Trevassack Trusty hallmark – a strong-boned, well-structured bull.

Three other bulls sold for 4,000 gns each – A & C Farms’ Z Langham’s Kubla 1 selling to Mells Park Trust, Frome, Somerset; W P & S L Harper’s X Bedford Noble sellington to Mr E L Foale, Newton Abbot, Devon; and P S & A P Rowe’s Z Trewint Hallmark 2 selling to Mr R J Throssell, Holsworthy, Devon.

In the female section the champion came from The Tully Partnership’s Waddeton herd, Brixham, Devon.  Waddeton Ann 137 is a stylish strong bulling heifer by Goffe Cave Persius 9.  She took the top price in the sale ring at 1,950 gns, selling to Mr David Smallridge from Ermington, Ivybridge.  The same buyer also bought the second highest priced heifer from the Grove herd, Grove Buttercup 140, another bulling heifer with bloodlines going back to the well proven Trevowah Joe Louis 11.

Averages: 30 bulls, £3406; 7 haltered heifers, £1,725

Auctioneers: Messrs Kivells