Demand for females remained strong throughout the Hereford Cattle Society’s autumn sale, with show heifers averaging £3,327 and clearing to 96 per cent. The day’s proceedings concluded with two reduction sales which saw a consignment of seven females from Staffordshire-based Sky High Herefords owned by Boomer Birch and Graham Brindley with a total clearance at an average of £6,315.

The Medforths and their Sky High purchases

Peaking at 7,000gns, Sky High 1 Miss Staffordshire lead the day’s trade which was purchased by Will Medforth, Llanrug, Gwynedd along with the following lot, its daughter, Sky High 1 Staffordshire Lass at 6,500gns. The Sky High entries saw Gouldingpoll 1 Duchess 967 hit 6,800gns, with Steven O’Kane putting in the winning bid on behalf of a client. The consignment also included Sky High 1 L’amour Lucy which sold at 6,200gns to G and A Redmayne, Kendal while the hammer went down at 5,800gns for Sky High 1 Lady Leshurr to A Newton, Antrobus, Cheshire and 5,400gns for Sky High 1 Demeter to an undisclosed buyer.

Read more about the Sky High reduction sale here.

Harveybros 1 Crocus S6 sold for 5,500gns

First lot through the ring, Harveybros 1 Crocus S6 from George and Sophie Harvey, Balfron, Glasgow, started things off with a bang at 5,500gns, selling to Bosolo Farms, Isle of Arran. By the legendary Normanton 1 Laertes, its full sister Crocus Tiara was reserve female champion at the Royal Highland Showcase this year. April 2019-born, it was sold AI’d to Wirruna Matty M288.

Moorside 1 New Dawn 4th sold for 5,500gns

Moorside 1 New Dawn 4th from G and MC Shepherd, Preston met strong demand, selling at 5,500gns to Ian Wilkinson of Redstroke Herefords, Inchture, Perthshire at 18 month of age. By Hoghton View 1 Gold Mine, it is out of a home-bred female from two Moorside-bred parents. The purchaser took home two other Moorside females on the day, having also purchased Moorside 1 Julia 4th at the 2020 Designer Genes sale for 5,600gns.

Milovaig 1 Lady Jane 2nd sold for 5,300gns

At 5,300gns, Milovaig 1 Lady Jane 2nd sold to Tom and Di Harrison, Mickley, Northumberland. This March 2020-born heifer is by Shraden 1 Perestroika and out of a home-bred Solpoll 1 Ferrari daughter. The breeders had travelled to the society sale with their first females offered at public auction to mark their 25th year within the breed, selling three females to average £3,800.

Dendor 1 Echo 39th sold for 4,600gns

Dendor 1 Echo 39th, the only female entry from DE, ED and AL Jones, Caersws, Powys sold to a top call of 4,600gns from Saltire Herefords’ Willie and Pauline Wason, Kinglassie, Fife. The youngest show heifer entered at just nine months old, it is by Dendor 1 Nairobi, the 2018 National Poll Show supreme champion, while its dam, Dendor 1 Echo 36th was reserve champion at the National Calf Show in the same year.

Glenvale 1 Sara 730 sold for 4,200gns

TG, EI and EN Thorne, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire were named 2021 national herd of the year the night before and led Glenvale 1 Sara 730 through the ring to a top call of 4,200gns. September 2019-born, it is by AI bull Netherhall 1 OZ Daffy M024 and out of a Bosa 1 Hereward daughter. It was purchased by B Nicholls, Parracombe, Devon.

In the for sale only female section, trade topped at 4,000gns for another from G and MC Shepherd, this time Moorside 1 Jane 19th, which sold to A Whitfield, Bronington, Shropshire. It is a daughter of the 13,000gns Coley 1 Pilot and out of Romany 1 Jane A51 E66.

Not far behind at 3,600gns was herd mate Moorside 1 New Dawn 5th, which is another Pilot daughter but this time out of a daughter of Australian sire Injemira Advance Z080 and was part of Ian Wilkinson’s purchases.

Rempstone 1 Fashion E436 from M Ludgate, Thame, Oxfordshire sold for 3,300gns to Jim Speirs of Pepperstock Herefords, Luton and is out of Kinglee 1 Fashion 3045, which goes back to the Costhorpe herd.

There was less demand for bulls on the day, with Barwise 1 Tango MU T1139 from Carolyn Fletcher, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, leading the trade at 4,000gns, having previously taken the top price at the spring sale at the same venue. With a good set of figures, including a calving ease direct index in the top 1 per cent, this bull sold to commercial man Mark Spendlove, Northamptonshire to use on British Blue cross cows.

Barwise 1 Tango MU T1139 sold for 4,000gns

The hammer went down at 3,500gns for Free Town Talent from RA Bradstock, Tarrington, Herefordshire. November 2019-born, this bull is by Irish-bred sire Moyclare Quinlan and out of a Mara Humorous-bred daughter. It was purchased by N Hooper, Leigh Sinton, Worcestershire.

Also selling at 3,500gns was Vexour 1 Theodore from Jan Boomaars, Surrey, which was purchased by ELL and CE Evans, Talybont, Dyfed. Several other bulls sold for 3,000gns.

The reduction sale of Harold Hatt’s Basingstoke-based Weybrook herd saw the senior section of his herd’s females go through the ring, with 19 lots averaging £1,995. The price leader from this breeder was Weybrook 1 Dawn 16th, a Romany 1 Kryptonite daughter, which sold to CMG Sutton Scott Tucker, Bowden, Devon.

Averages: 22 show females, £3,327; 11 bulls, £2,989; 11 for sale only females, £2,401; 7 Sky High females, £6,315; 18 Weybrook females, £2,106.

Auctioneers: Halls