Brandane Lu Lu hits 18,000gns at the Simmental Next Generation sale
7th December 2022
The demand for pedigree Simmental females saw prices soar with Brandane Lu Lu setting a breed centre record price, while heifers commanded an average price of £5,202, up by £806 on the previous year.
Jimmy & Kath McMillan, Bradwell Ash, Bury St Edmunds sold the in-calf heifer Brandane Lu Lu (above) for 18,000gns to lead the second staging of Simmental Next Generation Sale of females.
Getting the sale off to a fast start the in-calf heifer Brandane Lu Lu was the second lot in the ring. Purchasing the top price was Reece and Andrew Simmers for their noted Backmuir herd at Keith, Banffshire. Brandane Lu Lu is a full sister to Sterling FCUK Impuls who previously sold to the Backmuir herd for 13,000gns at Stirling in February 2019.
Commenting afterwards Reece Simmers, who watched the pre-sale show online and bid by telephone thereafter, said: “We saw Brandane Lu Lu at the Royal Highland this summer and we thought a lot of her sister who has identical breeding and who we purchased back in 2019. Brandane Lu Lu is just a quality heifer. We like the fact that she is due to calf in January and that just gives you a bit of a quicker return. We are looking for ever improving quality over numbers in the Backmuir herd and just to add one or two in that vein when the opportunity arises.”
The establishing Next Generation Sale II again saw some breed record marks set combined with new entrants to the breed buying some of the leading lots on the day. The 18,000gns top price was a centre record for the Simmental breed and eclipsed the 16,000gns price achieved at last year’s sale. Twenty-two heifers sold to average a very healthy £5202 which was up by £806 on the year, and again a new centre record average for the Simmental breed.
Speaking after the sale, the British Simmental Cattle Society’s general manager Iain Kerr said: “The Next Generation Sale is a fixture that the Society aims to become established and recognised for offering primarily Simmental females with style, quality, a depth of bloodlines, and full of forward potential. Quality is the key, and with the ready trade and averages for the heifers, I think this second staging of Next Gen is another positive step forward for the breed.”
Overhill House Luna (above) was snapped up by D&R Holdings, Low Bowhill Farm, Newmilns, Ayrshire.
Richard McCulloch, Over Hill House, Armadale, West Lothian attained the day’s second top price when selling Overhill House Luna for 9000gns. This December 2020 born heifer offered both quality and a depth of bloodlines resulting in a combination of breeding and performance which saw Overhill House Luna being snapped up by D&R Holdings, Low Bowhill Farm, Newmilns, Ayrshire.
The leading maiden heifer price on the day was the 8000gns paid for Denizes Eve’s Beauty 7th from the strong team offered by the Denizes herd of MA Barlow & Sons, Four Oaks, Ulnes, Nr Leyland, Lancashire. With outstanding breeding behind her, this March 2021 born heifer has Royal Highland Show Champions as parents being by the 2018 Champion Blackford Galaxy and out of the multi-title winning dam Auroch Eve who was the Royal Highland Champion in 2015 and 2016, and who was also voted the show’s Simmental Champion of the Decade.
A much-anticipated entry was the youngest calf in the catalogue in the shape of Islavale Nestle from the Islavale herd of WS Stronach, Berrleys Farm, Grange, Keith, and she didn’t disappoint when lifting the Champion Weaned Calf title and going on to sell for 6500gns, the top price for a weaned calf on the day. This young calf was snapped up by the noted Popes herd of JH&VG Wood, Popes Farm, Clitheroe Road, Preston, Lancashire. Commenting, Jimmy Woods said: “We had seen photographs of Islavale Nestle from the Stars of the Future show and thought she looked a lovely feminine calf. When we saw her, she really is a sweet heifer, full of character, and will hopefully go on to prove to be a real asset in the Popes herd. As always, genetics play a big part in our choice of animals to purchase and we like Nestle’s breeding on both sides of her pedigree.”
Leading prices:
Females
Lot 2 Brandane Lulu 18,000gns to Backmuir Farm, Banffshire
Lot 7 Overhill House Luna 9000gns to Messrs Holdings, Newmilns, Ayrshire
Lot 15 Denizes Eve’s Beauty 7th 8000gns to Messrs Steggles, Honingham, Norfolk
Lot 3 Newbiemains Lady Gaga 7000gns to Messrs Morgan, Evie, Orkney
Lot 6 Heathbrow Girlie’s Laurel 7000gns to Backmuir Farm, Banffshire
Lot 16 Denizes Matilda 8th (P) 6000gns to Messrs Anderson & Son, Lauder, Berwickshire
Lot 26 Islavale Topaz 5000gns to Delfur Farms, Rothes, Aberlour
Lot 35 Ranfurly Stella 13th 5000gns to Messrs Morgan, Evie, Orkney
Lot 19 Brandane Mint 4500gns to Messrs Steggles, Honingham, Norfolk
Lot 12 Popes Tarkas Misty 4000gns to Messrs Fairhurst & Son, Austwick, Lancashire
Lot 18 Popes Nellys Maya 4000gns to Philiphaugh Estate, Selkirk
Lot 20 Denizes Cadette 43rd (P) 4000gns to Messrs Stanley, Derby, Derbyshire
Weaned calves
Lot 58 Islavale Nestle 6500gns to Messrs Wood, Dutton, Lancs
Lot 51 Overhill House Nancy 6000gns to Messrs Holdings, Newmilns, Ayrshire
Averages
22 Heifers served or maiden £5,202.27
2 Bull Calves £2,362.50
5 Heifer Calves £3,759.00
