A busy weekend for British Charolais breeders in Carlisle last week kicked off on Friday, 10 May with the Charolais White Gold show of females. Following on from this, the annual Spring show and sale took place in Borderway Mart on Saturday 11 May where 31 bulls sold to an average price of £6,076 (€7,066) and 14 bulls sold to an average of £4,822.50 (€5,608), both up significantly on the same sale last year.

The judge for the show classes was Neil Brown, from the Sams Herd and shadow judge was Edward Scott from Angus, Scotland.

Topping the trade at Saturday’s sale was Thrunton Trouper from the herd of J H C Campbell and Sons from Northumberland. The November 2022-born bull was homebred on both sides and carries one copy of the Q204XD myostatin gene. He sold to a breeder in Roxburghshire for the sale topping figure of 10,000gns (€12,210).

Selected

Neil and Edward selected their Overall Champion from the senior classes, Elgin Teuchter from the Elgin Herd of Robert Milne.

The October 2022-born Glenericht Pegasus son out of home bred Elgin Ovette, had been shown successfully in 2023 securing breed champion at Nairn and Grantown show and in Carlisle picked up the Perpetual Challenge Trophy for the supreme champion. Elgin Teuchter was purchased for 8,000gns (€9,768) by a breeder in Lanarkshire. The Reserve Senior Champion in the pre-sale show came from the herd of I & D Goldie from Dumfriesshire. The October 2022-born bull, Solwayfirth Thor sired by Glenericht Ralph was snapped up by Dean Paul OB for 6,500gns (€7,937).

Female trade

Meanwhile in the female ring, the trade was topped at 6,000gns (€7,326) by W P Bruce Ltd from Perthshire with his May 2022-born heifer, Balmyle Tiara.

Sired by Maerdy Onedirection who also sired the Balmoral Supreme Champion, Balmyle Sandy who sold for 28,000gns and Balmyle Tremendous that sold for 13,000gns while the dam Balmyle Horoscope had been judged best cow in the herd at the Balmyle open day.