9th October 2017

SOUTH DEVONS TOP 3600 GNS FOR BULLS AND 2600 GNS FOR HEIFERS AT CIRENCESTER

The South Devons’ Autumn Show & Sale at Cirencester saw interest from across the country, including purchasers from Northumberland, Essex, Cornwall, and Powys.

Judge of the pedigree show was Mr Richard Harvey whose Sexton herd is based near Ermington in South Devon. His male champion was from Mr O Brewin’s Thorpe Langton, Leicestershire herd - North View Alfie, a March-2015 born, shapely and well-grown bull by Stretchford Herman 4, and out of North View Claudia 1. He went on to sell for 3200 gns to M R & R J Rowe, Menheniot, Cornwall.

Reserve male champion was Trevoulter Talan 2, from G W J & L F Pluess, Bude, Cornwall, an August-2015 born bull by Welland Valley Crusader 5, and with bloodlines including from the Kestle and Carlydnack herds.

Best bull judged on performance and inspection was from Mr W H D Scott, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire – Grove Darius 28 - by Lumbylaw Magnus 25, and out of Grove Daisy 26 – and in the top 5% of the breed for Breedplan Quality Beef and Suckler Replacement Indexes.  Best pair of bulls was from G W J & L F Pluess; and best polled bull was Z Lumbylaw Juno from Mr A R Lee, Alnwick, Northumberland.

In the female section of the Show, the champion was Welland Valley Claudia 14, an in-calf heifer born in January 2015 by Welland Valley Crusader 9, from M E & T E Broome, Thorpe Langton, Market Harborough, Leicestershire.  Reserve female champion came from K V & M A Plain, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, another smart in-calf heifer by Z Colcharton Hallmark 12 and out of Foxhole Willow 7 – Foxhole Cassie.

Best heifer on performance and inspection was Welland Valley Candy 31, also from M E & T E Broome, in the top 5% for Breedplan Quality Beef and Suckler Replacement Indexes.  Best polled heifer was Z Mutterton Pansy 12, from A H & E M Bartley’s Cullompton, Devon herd.  Best pair of heifers was also from the Bartleys’ Mutterton herd.

In the Sale ring the highest price was Z Crowndale Dylan Galileo, a heterozygous polled bull from N & M Holt-Martyn, Tavistock, Devon, with bloodlines including Torr Down, Waddeton, Colcharton, and Crowndale.  He sold to Mr A R Lee, Alnwick, Northumberland for 3,600 gns.  Next highest bulls were the male champion North View Alfie at 3,200 gns; and Kestle Nimrod 3 from Mr R K Rundle’s Newquay, Cornwall herd, selling to Skreens Park Farm, Chelmsord, Essex for 3,000 gns.

Highest priced heifer was the female champion Welland Valley Claudia 14, also selling to Skreens Park Farm for 2,600 gns; then 2,100 gns each for Mr R K Rundle’s AI Kestle Buttercup 138 to Mr W H Sandford, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and Kestle Buttercup 140 to Mr C Grisedale, Aberystwyth, Powys.  The reserve female champion Foxhole Cassie sold for 2,000 gns to Mr T J Warhurst, Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Averages: 4 bulls £3,255; 5 haltered in-calf heifers £2,153; 4 haltered yearling heifers £1,956.  Non-haltered heifers averaged £1,426.

Auctioneers: Messrs Kivells