Monday 2 October 2023
At the Hereford Cattle Society’s autumn show and sale at Shrewsbury, the hammer fell on the top call of 9000gns for Scottish bred, Harveybros 1 Willy-The-Womanizer from G & S Harvey. Tapped out as grand male champion in the pre-sale show earlier in the day, this 2021-born bull sired by Wirruna Matty M288 and out of home-bred Harveybros 1 Crocus N1. Willy has been shown with great success for George and Sophie Harvey, father, and daughter team, having racked up multiple titles and ribbons, a particular highlight on his cv was double win as native interbreed champion at the Royal Welsh show and at Perth earlier on in the season.
Harveybros 1 Willy-The-Womanizer sold for 9000gns
Initially highlighted within the catalogue due to his unusual name by the Gooch family, a name proudly coined by Sophie, estate manager Andrew Allan was further drawn to the Scottish entry after spotting his impressive EBV data. Willy will be making the journey to the Suffolk coast, to play a pivotal role on the Benacre Estate with the reintroduction of cattle, after seeing the last herd leave in the 70’s. Lady Gooch, alongside her two daughters have ambitions of transforming the once arable farm into a regenerative haven. Under the watchful eye of Mr Allan, the farm will undergo work to improve soil health with the combination of herbal leys to help with carbon secretion and establish a large herd of Hereford cattle to contribute to this exciting initiative.
Willy won’t be traveling back to his new home alone, as Mr Allan secured a total of sixteen winning bids on quality heifers from the UK’s top breeders and bloodlines. Heading into further detail regarding the plans at Benacres, Mr Allan explained he is looking for an animal that will thrive on herbal leys, can maintain condition being wintering out on a farm that borders the coast and will offer them a product that they can confidently approach local, highly revered butchers.
Dendor 1 Jano 23rd sells for 6000gns
Another celt that got the attention of the crowd was Wales bred Dendor 1 Jano 23rd, a heifer who has had a successful season in the showring winner her class at both the Royal Welsh and the Poll show last month. Selling for 6000gns, Jano will be heading down country to Totnes to the Wood family. New to the breed, the Allwood herd have been active participants in their local association and attended Devon County show seeing tremendous success taking the supreme championship and reserve as well as both the champion male and reserve titles. Jano will become a part of Gerald Woods plans for his herds development.
Glenvale 1 Sara 789 sells for 5200gns
Opening the sale, Glenvale 1 Sara 798 entered the ring, immediately commanding the attention of prospective purchasers. Travelling from Pembrokeshire, Sara 798 comes from Thorne family, who had been named national herd of the year the night prior. This April-2021 heifer was tapped our in the pre-sale show 1st in her class and reserve female champion. The hammer fell on 5,200gns seeing Sara head home with M Ludgate, Thame, Oxfordshire to join the Rempstone herd.
Moorside 1 HC Jane 24th
The energy for good quality heifers continued as the auction lots progressed. G & MC Shepherd brought forward a large consignment and were met with demand throughout, their first lot Moorside 1 HC Jane 24th created a stir as the bids climbed settling on 5000gns heading to Creuddyn Herefords owned by Gwyndaf Davies from Felinfach, Lampeter. Five of the seven entries from the Shepherd herd will be heading to the Benacres estate in Suffolk.
Barwise 1 Wordle sells for 6000gns
Moving to the top selling bulls, behind Willy-The-Womanizer, saw Barwise 1 Wordle NP W1298 from Carolyn Fletcher, heading to his new home within the LLynon herd owned by HO Davies, Amlwch, Anglesey. A buyer who attended the Lewis Family Bicentenary sale last year last year purchasing polled heifer, Havenfield 1 Ruby 4th.
Harveybros 1 William Wallace sells for 5600gns
Another highlight within the sale for the Harvey bros team saw Harveybros 1 Williams-Wallace being whisked away to West Wales to get to work adding star power to D Evan’s majority Hereford suckler herd. The underbidder for Willy-The-Womanizer, Mr Evans wasn’t disappointed for long as he snapped up William-Wallace, who earlier in the day won his class and was awarded the trophy for the best pair exhibitor bred bulls, for 5600gns.
Normanton 1 Warnie W980 reserve grand male champion and reserve junior male champion
Normanton 1 Warnie W890 from TD & WT Livesey took reserve grand male champion and reserve junior male champion. Sired by Gouldingpool 1 Gold Spice, out of homebred Normanton 1 Fistulina 20th R192.
Thornysure 1 Willy Wonka sells for 3000gns
Sighted as the top pick for senior male champion following his win in the senior bull class, Thornysure 1 Willy Wonka, later sold for 3000gns to NW & J Kent, Penkridge, Staffordshire. Sired by Fisher 1 Monarch M414 out of a Kinaston 1 Neala cow.
Newtoncroft 1 Whole-Lot-Of-Fun sells for 2500gns
Standing reserve senior male champion, bred out of a Dendor bred cow, sired by Hawkesbury 1 Swift, Newtoncroft 1 Whole-Lot-Of-Fun. Heading across the road from the market to the Albrighton Estate.
Bulls to an average – £4,121.25
Show heifers sold to an average – £3,431.84
For sale only females – £3,255.00
The clearance for the show heifers was 83% and 71% for the bulls.
