The British Blonde cattle society held this years Autumn show and sale at Borderway mart, Carlisle on Friday 26 th October 2007, kindly sponsored by Borderway Insurance and judged by Andrew Quick from Devon.

Eric Mutch from Banff, Scotland took top price of the day with Whitefield Bulawayo pictured above. A February 2006 born bull sired by Whistley Dollar out of Whitefield Ursel. Not only did he take top price of the day but also the awards for Senior bull, Overall Male Champion and Supreme Champion along with picking up the trophy for Best Turned Out. Selling at 5,600 gns to Mr Clarke of Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire.

Following price was April 2006 born bull Ramrig Bond James Bond sired by Ardmore Upgrade out of Ramrig Tertia being show and sold by George Hamilton also from Scotland making 3000gns being sold to Mr Chris Lewis of Farringdon, Oxfordshire.

T & K Coney from Pembrookshire purchased David Knights bull Doncombe Beowulf out of Rodleigh tempo sired by Doncombe Valhallaat for 2,800gns. Droit Alpha out of Sornfallow and sired by Ardmore Steakhouse owned by Richard Mowbray also made 2,800gns going to PJ & ES Rogerson’s Castleview herd in Preston Lancashire. Islandhill Bongo out of Ballygowan Star and sired by Glenvale Tarzan owned by Paul Gribban made 2,700gns going to PL Morris to join his Rymans herd in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

John Stott from Wigton took top heifer price with his junior heifer Felltop Bella at 1500gns. Born April 2006 out of Felltop Princess sired by Whistley Dollar. Overall Female champion of the day went to John Bradleys April 2006 born junior heifer Penyghent Betty (pictured right) from Skipton. This heifer was out of Penyghent Tasha sired by Madden Paternak.

Reserve Female Champion went to Mike Harrisons heifer from Penrith, Shapfell Bianca out of Droit Olive sired by Quicks USA.

Top priced heifer Felltop Bella sold at 1500gnsbelonging to John Stott. Out of Felltop Princess sired by Whistley Dollar, was heading off to join A.R Walkers Gleniffer herd in Ayre. J.M Smith from Windermere, Cumbria was the very proud purchaser of the next two heifers sold by David Knight at 1000gns a piece. First was Doncombe Baba-Yaga out of Doncombe Octavia and sired by Druk Thor, born March 2006. The second heifer going home with Mr Smith was Doncombe Bandeira out of Doncombe Tacana and again sired by Druk Thor. Mr & Mrs W.E Thompson from Aberdeen purchased Nicholas Rogers heifer AaronBree at 1000gns. This heifer was out of Eilean Unison and sired by Rayneside Ultimate born May 2006 and will be joining the Fabian herd.

Average bull price £2528.75
Average female price £1181.25

Numbers entered were strong seeing members travelling the distance to support this prestigious sale. Blue Tongue clearly had an effect on the day however this was not going to discourage members and supporting public.

The presentation for the National Cross Bred Herd competition took place following the show. Mr and Mrs W Thompson from Fraserburgh, who had won the competition in 2005 judged this years competition and awarded the prizes. Champion Cross Bred Herd was awarded to Mike Harrison of the Shapfell herd, from Shap, Penrith, Cumbria. The Reserve Champion Cross Bred Herd was awarded to P and N Rogers from Broadheath, Presteigne, Powys, whose fifteen year old son Nicholas started the Aaron herd four years ago and was delighted to sell his first heifer at this years sale.

The Autumn dinner was held the evening prior to the sale which was enjoyed by all. The Scottish regional club provided huge entertainment for the evening along with a raffle. Proceeds of the evening resulted in a donation of £80 being made to The Childrens Hospice.

Making 3,000gns was one from R G Davies’s National Champion Pedigree Herd at Fronfedw, Ciliau Aeron, Lampeter. They presented Fronfedw Ben, a twin who’s dam Fronfedw Fflur is in her seventeenth year, and rearing a heifer calf again this year. Fflur is a Sornfallow VIP daughter out of a Totterridge Sceptre daughter. Ben was sired by Genus’s succesfull bull, Whitefield Leader. He heads back to Wales with M Wakelin, Cwm Clyd, Llanilar, Aberystwyth. This 3 rd prize winner boasted an EBV of BA24 which was in the top 15% of the breeds and which qualified him for the Welsh BQI scheme.

The bulls eligible for the Welsh BQI scheme at Carlisle were in hot demand - averaging £3,700. It is surely the case that Performance Recording is seen as a valuable tool by commercial farmers when honing in on bulls. Performance recorded bulls with good figures and conformation found homes easily.

Making the trip up from Bristol was David Knight with Doncombe Artic Roll, another son of their influential senior herd sire, Druk Lance. His dam was a homebred cow, Doncombe Pavalova, and Aveton Monet daughter. Interestingly this bull featured a double cross of Druk Heathcliffe, who is the sire of Druk Lance and was also maternal great grand sire. He was sold for 2,600gns into South West Scotland to Messrs Barrowman of Stanraer. Artic Roll was also performance recorded and had an EBV of BA18.

Champion female was Allerston Belle from R T Ward, New South Farm, Allerston, Pickering, North Yorkshire. Belle was the youngest female forward being just 13 months on sale day. She was sired by Douthwaite Sid, a Joyau son out of a Ustin daughter. The dam was Broomley Urn, bred by John Gibb, she was sired by Hackleton Phoenix out of a Hallfield Mitterand daughter. She tempted TB Moorhouse & Sons, Fouldshaw Farm, Dacre, Harrogate to pay 1200gns for her.

The reserve female champion was Broomley Ailsa from J & M Gibb, Jubilee Buildings, Broomley, Stocksfield, Northumberland. An April 05 heifer she was sold as running with Millend Voodoo. She heads over the water to Southern Ireland to new owners B Mooney, Dunbur Farm, Dunbur, Wicklow, Co.Wicklow, Eire who gave 1200gns for her.

Reserve overall & male champion went to, Drumraymond Boy owned by Mr. H Griffin, Toomebridge. This January 05 bull was purchased by Mr. Joe Renaghan, Keady for 1800gns. Mr. Joe Renaghan also purchased the female champion, Drumraymond Bunny, a year old heifer also owned by Mr. H Griffin for 1150gns.

Top price of 2700gns went to Cromkill Aston, a November 05 Superior Carcass bull owned by Mr. R N McBride, Ballymena. This bull was purchased by Mr. Donald Mackey, Market hill.

Top female price of 1700 went to Mr. & Mrs. I McFadden, Castledawson, for Moyola Venus with her 1 ½ month old calve at foot, Reserve female champion went to Mr. N McKnight, Newry for Silverwood Alisa, a June 05 heifer purchased for 1200gns.

The NI Blonde cattle club would like to express it thanks once again to the Northern Bank for sponsoring their annual spring Show and Sale.

Records were broken at the Early Spring Blonde sale at Carlisle with a new Blonde RECORD price for a Bull. Demand for Bulls was high with the trade underpinned with a high demand from Commercial buyers from throughout the UK. Overall sale average was up £451 from the corresponding sale last year.

Breaking the record was the reserve Junior bull Blackwater Ainsley from Mr and Mrs I R Calderbank from Maldon, Essex. A much admired, classy and stylish young bull he was sold for a record price of 8,500gns to the new Blonde Society Chairman - Mr James Weightman of P Weightman and Sons' Hallfield herd based at Easington, Co. Durham. A June 2005 son of Druk Genesis he tipped the scales at just over a tonne - 1005kg. His dam, Blackwater Maisie is a daughter of the French Bull Yogi who is out of an imported dam Daisie. Maisie is a consistent breeder of quality stock. Ainsley boasted an EBV of BA20.

Senior and Overall champion as judged by Mr David Grant of the Ardmore herd, Aberdeenshire was Stubbswalden Aaron, bred and shown by Messrs K & AC Jackson & Son, a January 2005 son of Hallmark Tornado out of a homebred dam Stubbswalden Nectarine a Feoffee Henry daughter. His attractive pedigree had a double cross of Whistley Dollar and also the consistently breeding Ballygowan Noble. He weighed in at 1057kg.. Aaron heads far north to Messrs A G Flaws, Ringesta, Quendale, Shetland, Scotland who purchased him for 3,800gns. Aaron was very successful during the 2006 Summer show circuit cumulating in him being awarded the Junior Male Champion at the Great Yorkshire Show.

Reserve Senior Champion and first prize winner was Rayneside Ali from L & P A Haygarth of Kelleth Rigg, Penrith, Cumbria who sold for the second top price of 4,000gns. He was sold to Messrs G Johnstone & Son, Orton Hall, Great Orton, Carlisle. He is sired by Easterton Rowan and out of Grayrigg Elvira. The Haygarth's had a very successful day and also sold a three quarters brother to Ali, Rayneside Arnold - sired by Easterton Rowan and out of a homebred heifer Rayneside Uxor who is a daughter of Grayrigg Elvira. He was sold for 3,000gns to volume buyer Messrs P Morris, Chilton Park Farm, Brill, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire and joining him on the lorry downwards were two other Blonde bulls.

It was another good day's trading for Bristol's David Knight who was awarded Junior Champion for Doncombe Awesome. Awesome was the heaviest bull forward weighing in at a massive 1075kg. Druk Lance features in the breeding again. Awesome is sired by Druk Thor and out of a Druk Lance daughter Doncombe Organza. He boasted some impressive figures of BA27 and tempted Mr F M J Forster of Girrick Farm, Nenthorn, Kelso to pay 3,800gns for him. Druk Thor was also the sire of the Doncombe Anapurna a May 05 bull who's mother Doncombe Tatiana was sired by Knight's successful senior herd sire Druk Lance. Giving 3,300 gns for him was Messrs GS & SE Wilson, High House, Marwood, Barnard Castle, Co Durham.

Mike Harrison from Shap, Penrith was awarded the best turned out animal by Mr Mac Jamieson of Hexham for Shapfell Agolddigger, he stood second in his class to the record breaker. Making the final bid at 3,500gns was Paragon Blondes, Teasdale Cottage, Hexham, Northumberland who was purchasing on behalf of a client. Agolddigger boasted an impressive pedigree, being a Forthview Rosco son out of the tremendous breeding cow Glenvale Rusty. Rusty has bred sons to 3,500 and 4,000gns and is a Ballygrainey Jack daughter with yet again a double cross of Whistley Dollar in her.

Helping to pay for the record breaker for P Weightman and Sons was Hallfield Alcatraz and Hallfield Alex both sired by the Weightman's successful senior herd sire Ballygowan Noble.Hallfield Alex is out a Ramo daughter, Hallfield Jasmine and was purchased for 3,400 gns by Mr W & M Linton & Son, Waterlands Farm, Carluke, Lanarkshire. Hallfield Alcatraz is out of a homebred dam "Hallfield Linnet" a Whistle Dollar daughter and was knocked down for 3,000gns to Mr JR Boon, North Farm, Beamish, Stanley, Co Durham.

The Blonde Babe champion was the second youngest heifer forward Penyghent Alison from Messrs E Telfer & Son. Alison was bred by Mr and Mrs J Bradley and purchased privately by the Telfers. Sired by Elmhirst O-aye and out of Penyghent Millie a Newlands Fortescue daughter this impressive young lady caught the eye of many breeders round the ring but placing the final bid of 6,500gns was Mr Richard Mowbray of Newton Stewart, Northern Ireland. Mr Mowbray also paid 2,600gns for Alison’s half sister from the Telfer’s, the second prize winner Penyghent Avrura who was also bred by Mr & Mrs Bradley.