The opening day of the second week of the February Stirling Bull Sales certainly drew in the crowds.
The ringside was packed, and bidders seemed to be in a tenacious mood as the Simmentals took centre stage.
This was backed up by the figures, with an 80% clearance and 129 bulls sold.
However, the average price of £4,964 was slightly below the £5,260 and £5,066 achieved by the Aberdeen-Angus and Shorthorns respectively a fortnight ago.
A year ago 119 Simmentals sold to average £303 more at £5,267.
Pre-sale judge Michael Barlow, from Leyland in Lancashire, praised the show of bulls, especially his champion from Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh, which he described as an “easy winner”.
Mr Barlow said he was paying particular attention to locomotion, and broke with tradition to make the point. Instead of relying entirely on seeing the bulls walk around the perimeter of the ring he made them walk briskly in parallel the length of the ring.
British Simmental Breed Society chief executive Neil Shand was “absolutely delighted” with the trade and the clearance.
“It is clear that those who are sticking with suckler cows are going to be using Simmentals. Apart from a few stud purchases, all the trade today was commercial,” he added.
The overall and junior champion from Northern Ireland breeders Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh sold for the day’s joint top price of 12,000gns.
Unusually, it only needed three bids to secure Derrycallaghan Ernest for judge Michael Barlow.
Bidding opened at 10,000gns, promising much, but quickly stalled.
Nonetheless it was a good price and beat the duo’s previous best by 2,000gns.
Ernest, is an AI son of Kilbride Farm Newry and out of Popes Laird granddaughter Derrycallaghan Beauty.
At only 14 months old he was the youngest bull in the sale.
Iain Green, Corskie, Garmouth, may have impressed the showring with his huge senior reserve champion Corskie Envoy, but it was to be his second-prize senior bull which was to make his best price. Corskie Elgin was knocked down for 12,000gns to Fife pedigree breeder Gordon Clark, Broombrae, Auchtermuchty.
Elgin is by the privately purchased Greencap Ace, whose sons have already sold to a top of 11,000gns, and is out of Popes Laird daughter Corskie Amaryllis.
Corskie Envoy, the heaviest bull in the showyard at 1,250kg, was not too far behind, selling for 10,000 gns to Mr I Wilson, Fordie, Torphins. He is by the 2014 Royal Highland champion Dirnanean Bradley, a 22,000gns Stirling purchase in October 2011.
Until Monday Mr Green had sold nine Bradley sons to average 9,000gns.
Hector MacAskill, Woodhall, Dunbar, found a useful trade for his second-prize junior bull Woodhall Enfield, which was to sell at 10,500gns to A&D Clark, Stratheast, Holm, Orkney.
This one is by the Raceview King son Raceview All-Star and out of Woodhall Angela. This bull’s impressive performance figures include a Terminal Sire Index of +113 and a Self Replacing Index of +120 .
Prominent Northern Ireland breeder Billy Robson made 10,000gns for his first-prize junior bull Kilbride Farm Emperor, an AI son of Kilbride Farm Warren and out of the prolific Kilbride Farm Eunice dam line.
The buyer was Mr Wood, Orkney.
The last five-figure price came in the dying minutes of the sale with father and son Alex and Ross, King, Wolfstar, Tranent, East Lothian, fetching 10,000gns for Wolfstar Elusive, a Team Celtic son out of Wolfstar Tequila.
The buyer was pedigree breeder Stewart Stronach, Berrieleys, Keith.
The intermediate reserve champion from Kenny Veitch, Drumlone, Lisbellaw, Northern Ireland, sold for 9,500gns to Aberdeenshire farmers J Innes & Co, Dunscroft, Huntly.
Drumlone Engineer is by the Corrick Kentucky Kid son Omorga Murray and out of Brookwood Pretty-Polly.
There were two 9,000gns transactions, with the first seeing Gerald and Morag Smith, Drumsleed, Fordoun, selling to WA Galloway & Son, Culnoag, Newton Stewart. This was for Drumsleed Eminem by stock bull Grangewood William.
The second 9,000gns trade was between vendor Brian Cowan, Fivemiletown, Northern Ireland, and buyer L Forster & Son, Wester Nubbock, Hexham, for Omorga Volvo son Owenskerry Excellent.
Senior reserve champion Dirnanean Eskimo from Finlay and Neil McGowan, Incheoch, Alyth, sold for 8,800gns to Mr Van der Gucht, Appley Court, Gloucestershire.
Eskimo is an AI son of Dirnanean Salvador, a bull sold to Rory Bell, Teviot. He is out of Perth Show champion Dirnanean Timone.
Show judge Michael Barlow of the Denizes herd at Preston achieved the top price in the female sale realising 5,400gns for the Ashland Tornado daughter Denizes Melody.
April 2011 born, she was sold in calf and with a bull calf by Drumlone Anchor at foot.
Simmental champions were as follow.
Judge: Michael Barlow, Four Oaks, Leyland, Preston.
Senior champion and reserve overall: Iain Green, Corskie, Garmouth, with Corskie Envoy, by Dirnanean Bradley.
Senior reserve: Finlay and Neil McGowan, Incheoch, Alyth, with Dirnanean Eskimo, by Dirnanean Salvador.
Intermediate: Cecil McIlwaine, Corrick, Newtonstewart, Northern Ireland, with Corrick Extreme, by Kilbride Farm Bantry.
Intermediate reserve: K Veitch, Drumlone, Lisbellaw, Belfast, with Drumlone Engineer, by Omorga Murray.
Junior and overall champion: Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh, Innisrooisk Road, Ballindaragh, Northern Ireland, with Derrycallaghan Ernest, by Kilbride Farm, Newry.
Junior reserve: John Moore, Coolesker, Beragh, Northern Ireland, with Omorga Ennis, by Kilbride Farm Bantry.
Female: J Wilson, Dorans Hill, Newry, with Ballinalare Farm Ellie, by Auchorachan Wizard.
Female reserve: LA Richardson, Hillview, Maguiresbridge, Northern Ireland, with Cleenagh Eliza, by Drumlone Anchor.