January Newsletter 2023

Stirling October
Falleninch takes
Stirling by Storm
Judge: Duncan Macgregor
Junior Judge: Annabelle Howell
The Stirling
Bull Sales
kicked off
on Sunday
16 October,
beginning
with the
show of
Charolais
animals
expertly
judged by
Duncan
MacGregor
of the wellknown
Corrie herd.
The sale
followed on Monday 17 October, with
84 bulls changing hands, to a top price
of 28,000gns and an average price of
£7467.50 with an 82% clearance.
Commenting on the sale, Chairman
Allen Drysdale said “This was an
incredible sale for everyone involved
in the breed with an improvement of
21 more bulls sold when compared
to 2021’s October sale – this equates
to a whopping 33% increase in the
number of bulls sold and a 7% increase
in clearance rate. The facts are there to
see in black and white, with Charolais
sired suckled calves topping the
markets week in week out throughout
the country. Commercial farmers are
striving to produce the most efficient
animal that will leave them the best
return on their capital, this being a
Charolais.”
Following the bull sale, 13 females
were sold – including a draft of quality
heifers from the Caithness herd.
Finally, proceedings closed with the
dispersals of the renowned Lochend
and Ravensworth herds, which reached
top prices of 21,000gns and 8,500gns
respectively.
Taking the top price, at 28,000gns, was
the day’s Reserve Junior Champion –
Falleninch Stormzy from A B Hornall of
Top price at 28,000gns Falleninch Stormzy
the Falleninch herd in Stirlingshire. This
wasn’t Stormzy’s first taste of success;
he had previously attained the title of
Charolais Junior Champion at the Royal
Highland Show earlier in the year. This
impressive 17-month-old was sired by
the well-known 70,000gns Barnsford
Ferny, and his dam is Falleninch Orla,
a homebred daughter of Falleninch
Imperator. Stormzy was purchased
under a 4-way joint ownership
agreement between R A Milne & Sons,
Elgin herd; R & N Barclay, Harestone
herd; A MacGregor, Allanfauld herd;
and H Goldie, Goldies herd.
Close behind Stormzy, at 26,000gns,
was the Senior Champion Rutherston
Sonny from the herd of A Anderson
of the Rutherston
herd in Angus.
Sonny had
previously
found success
in the Junior
Bull Interbreed
Championships
at the Perth
Show 2022, and
boasts impressive
400- and 600-
day weight EBVs
of +88 and +103
respectively. This
growthy lad is a
son of Balmyle
Oscar, and his dam
Rutherston Jenna is
by Alwent Goldbar
Rutherston Sonny at 26,000gns
– a trait leader in 200-, 400-, and
600-day weight EBVs. Sonny was also
purchased under a joint ownership,
this time going to J H C Campbell &
Sons of the Thrunton herd, and R A & J
Blyth of the Marwood herd.
The final bull to reach the 20,000gns
mark was Glenericht Superb, who
dominated the previous day’s judging
and won the titles of Overall Male
Champion and Intermediate Champion,
and formed part of the Group-of-Three
Champion team. This 18-month-old
is from the Glenericht herd of W K &
P Drysdale, Perthshire, and was sired
by their successful stock bull Caylers
Oxford. Superb’s dam is Glenericht
Jackie, a daughter of the 12,000gns
6
No bull works harder for the farmer, the plate and the planet