By Ewan Pate, farming editor

THE FINAL day of the Perth February Bull Sales saw what could only be described as a steamy trade for the Charolais offering.

As well as the top pedigree breeders there were plenty of commercial buyers around the ringside and they were looking slightly anxious in case they would not be able to make a purchase.

It was perfectly obvious from the very start of the five-hour selling stint that there would be no such thing as a cheap bull.

The overall champion, Solitude Attaboy, sold for 32,000 guineas in a three-way split to Drew and Bob Adam, Newhouse of Glamis, Bill Bruce, Balmyle, Meigle, and Adrian Ivory, Strathisla Farms, Meigle.

This September 2005 bull is by Allanfauld Superscot and his dam is a grand-daughter of Killadeas Jack, which sired both the male and female champions at the 2006 Royal Show.

Vendor John McMordie, from Ballygowan, Northern Ireland, keeps eight Charolais cows alongside four Simmentals and 40 Herefords.

Bill Bruce commented, “We thought he had the most character of any bull here today and a tremendous back end.

“His sire, Superscot, is one of the best breeding bulls in the country.”

The second top price of the day went to Welsh vet and veteran Charolais breeder, Esmor Evans, Mold, Flintshire, selling from his 200-cow Maerdy herd.

His reserve intermediate champion, Maerdy Andes, soared through the bids, eventually being knocked down at 30,000 guineas to Aberdeenshire breeder and butcher Ian Thomson, Airdlin, Ythanbank, Ellon.

Andes is an AI son of Fairway Soprano and out of Maerdy Nosda.

Mr Thomson, who has 50 pure cows and a butcher’s business in Keith, said, “I was just impressed by his size and shape.”

Mr Evans cannot be accused of not supporting the Perth bull sales.

This week alone he consigned a total of 23 heifers and 32 bulls.

Another strongly fancied junior bull from his Maerdy herd sold for 26,000 guineas yesterday to Banffshire breeders Wilson and Geradine Strachan, Mill of Balmaud, King Edward.

Although they have 200 commercial cows and 20 Simmentals they have only been breeding Charolais for three years, and now have 25 cows.

Their purchase was Maerdy Amontillado, a Maerdy Padraic son.

“He was bought for his sheer power,” said Andrew Reid, manager at Balmaud.

Mr Pat Hackett, Shanco Road, Clogher, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, was delighted with a sale at 18,000 guineas for the intermediate champion Fury Action, a bull full of French breeding on the paternal side.

His sire by AI was the French bull Domino, while his dam Fury Treasure is an Oldstone Egbert daughter.

Fury Action was inter-breed calf champion at the Armagh Show.

He is heading back to Northern Ireland with the McKenna Brothers, from Clogher.

The senior and reserve overall champion, Ravens-worth Alder, from Snowdon Oates, Ouston Farms, County Durham sold for 16,000 guineas to Mortimer’s Farm, Eastleigh, Hampshire.

His dam is Oona of Ravensworth and he is by Maerdy Shane.

Mr Oates runs a herd of 60 pure cows.

Alec Cant Easter Knox, Arbroath, and his daughter Audrey Anderson were in the market for a quality stock bull for their 20-strong Charolais herd.

They paid 15,000 guineas for a first prize winner from Gilbert Crawford, Maghera, County Londonderry.

Coolnaslee Admiral is, like the overall champion, an Allanfauld Superscot son.

Derryharney Ablaze, a third prize bull from Harold Stubbs, Crummy, Lisnaskea, Northern Ireland, sold for 14,000 guineas to Mr Fraser, Auchnarrow, Glenlivet.

He is an AI son of Derryharney Outstanding, and was one of the few bulls forward without performance figures.

Four bulls sold at 12,000 guineas.

George Henderson, Bushmills County Antrim, Northern Ireland, sold the reserve senior champion, Sandleford Antrim, to A. L. Davies Park Farm, Powys.

Aberdeenshire father and son Neil Massie, Blelack, Aboyne, and Michael Massie, Elrick, shared Gilbert Crawford’s Coolnaslee Adversary, and Sandy Innes, Moyness, Nairn, sold Moy- ness Alasdair to Kenny Riddoch, Claymires, Cornhill, Banff

The last at that price was from Alastair Houstoun, Gretna House, Dumfries, selling the junior bull Gretnahouse Amazon to Mr Montgomery, Drumskinney, Drumore, Northern Ireland.

Messrs Irvine and Lawson, Mains of Inverourie, Glenlivet, sold a first-prize winner, Ballindalloch Aero, for 11,000 guineas to Mr Vooght, from Little Bovey, Newton Abbey, Devon.

Will Short, Woodpark, Omagh, Northern Ireland, sold Woodpark Arizona at the same price to Terry Coghill, Muce, Birsay, Orkney.

In all, there were to be 17 prices at 10,000 guineas and over.

The overall average was £5426.38 for 197 sold, a clearance rate of 84%.

The average is up £781 on the year.

David Benson, breed secretary, was jubilant, hailing it as a £1 million sale.

International breed president Murray Lyle commented, “The breed is ticking all the boxes for weight gain and growth.”

One feature of the sales has been the huge presence of both vendors and purchasers from Wales and Northern Ireland.

Welsh buyers qualify for a 40% grant up to a limit of £2800 on their purchases.

Those from over the Irish Channel do even better, with a grant of 50% up to a £6000 limit.

Bulls must have satisfactory EBVs and easy calving figures but it still puts Scottish and English buyers at a considerable disadvantage.

Taken to a logical conclusion it could mean the cream of the crop is going to Wales and Northern Ireland, giving breeders there an increasing chance of continuing to dominate Perth Bull Sales in future.

* The top price Charolais heifer, Dunesk Victoria, from Jim McMillan, Craigmore, Brechin, previously sold for 5500 guineas to Adrian Ivory, Strathisla Farms, Meigle.