Oban Autumn Sale 2022

Averages: three-year-old heifers, £5385; two-year-old heifers, £3133; yearling heifers, £1914; heifer calves, £2341; cows, £3166; males, £916.

Highland Cattle breeders enjoyed a good day at the 125th annual autumn show and sale held at Oban on Monday, when a three-year-old heifer from the Glengarnock fold topped at 20,000gns.

Claggorm 51st of Glengarnock, 20,000gns

A packed ringside of buyers and spectators witnessed increased averages on the year as two-year-old heifers traded £1260.50 dearer on the year and yearling heifers increased by £597.92.

Leading the way at 20,000gns was Andrew and Helen Kirkpatrick’s March 2019-born heifer named Claggorm 51 of Glengarnock from their fold at Beith, North Ayrshire.

Carrying on her winning ways after being breed champion at Neilston Show, she was tapped out as champion three-year-old and reserve female champion by judge Lesley Lacey of the Beinn-Latha-ur fold.

Sired by Alasdair 4 of Woodneuk, out of Claggorm 42 of Glengarnock, she is due to calve down to Gille Coir of Pennygowan, and was purchased by Andrew Polson, Glenfinnan, Findon.

The second top price of the day came from the heifer calf section when The Applecross Trust’s Ila 10 of Applecross made 9000gns to Neale and Janet McQuistin, High Airyolland, New Luce, Newton Stewart.

Ila 10th of Applecross, 9,000gns

Securing a new record price for a heifer calf, she stood second in her class the previous day and is a February-born daughter of Angie Beag of Miungairigh, out of Ila 7 of Applecross.

Tordarroch Estates, Inverness, stood overall champion with Alice 22 of Tordarroch, a May, 2020-born heifer which had already secured several breed championships in the summer show circuit, as well as inter-breed champion at Lochaber and reserve inter-breed championship at Nairn.

She is a daughter of Macrae Charles of Maol, out of Alice 20 of Tordarroch, and sold for 6000gns to Chris Bane, Borlum House, Dorchester.

Alice 22nd of Tordarroch, 6,000gns

Selling for 5000gns to Star Lake Cattle Company, New Hampshire, was the reserve three-year-old champion Dossan Ruadh 7 of Glengoyne, from Ewan Mackay, Little Drumquharn Farmhouse, Balfron Station, Glasgow.

A half-sister to the 10,000gns Iain Ruadh of Glengoyne, sold in February, she is by Ceannard of Eilean Mor and is in-calf to Fear-Bata of Achnagoul.

Dossan Ruadh 7th of Glengoyne, 5,000gns

Claggorm 58th of Glengarnock, 4,200gns

The second prize winner to the champion, Claggorm 58 of Glengarnock, made the next best price of 4200gns when purchased by Balrownie Farms, Menmuir, Brechin. This two-year-old heifer is also by Alasdair 4 of Woodneuk, and out of a similarly bred dam as the lead price heifer.

Three animals sold with a 4000gns price tag including a second prize two-year-old from Ewan Mackay’s Glengoyne fold. This was Oighrig Ruadh 5 of Glengoyne, by Ceannard of Eilean Mor, which also sold to Balrownie Farms.

The Applecross Trust also received 4000gns for another heifer calf by Angie Beag of Miungairigh, out of Sara 5 of Applecross. She was knocked down to Star Lake Cattle Company.

Oighrig Ruadh 5th of Glengoyne, 4,000gns

Igo of Applecross, 4,400gns

Last to hit 4000gns was Ken and Eva Brown’s four-year-old cow, Bileag Bhaite 3 of Craigowmill, by Ruaridh 1 of Ubhaidh. She is in-calf to Seamus Dubh of Craigowmill and was purchased by Glenlyon Estate, Aberfeldy.

The heifer calf champion named Lady Jane Dubh of Cladich, from Jon and Queenie Strickland’s Cladich fold near Dalmally, sold for 3500gns to Chris Bane, Borlum House. She is by Balach Dubh of Craigowmill, out of Lady Jane of Kilchoan.

Ken and Eva Brown’s yearling champion, Kirsty 17 of Craigowmill, made 3000gns to Sam Hunter, Windy Ridge Quarry, Holmfirth. She is by Ruaridh 1 of Ubhaidh.

Jim and Catherine McKechnie’s reserve yearling champion named Conni of Gartocharn, by Brodie of Culfoich, sold for 2200gns to Michelle Shaughnessy, Graffogue, Ballinalee.

Meanwhile, the reserve heifer calf champion Bana-Phrionnsa Riabhach 3 of Cailaich, from the Strachans on the Isle of Mull, made 2000gns to Neale and Janet McQuistin.

Katrina MacArthur

Connie of Gartocharn

Bana Phrionnsa Riabhach 3rd of Cailaich

Robina Riabhach 3rd of Cailaich

Claggorm 59th of Glengarnock

Prize list

Class 1 - Three-year-old heifer

1, champion three-year-old and reserve female champion, A and H Kirkpatrick’s Claggorm 51 of Glengarnock; 2, David Soutar’s Seudag Bo Fionn of Strathellie; 3, Glasgow City Council’s Susan Ruadh 64 of Pollock

Class 2 - Three-year-old heifer

1 and reserve three-year-old, Ewan Mackay’s Dossan Ruadh 7 of Glengoyne; 2, KWW & EM Brown’s Capleadh 17 of Craigowmill; 3, Glengorm’s Morag Mingeal of 16 of Glengorm

Class 3 - Two-year-old heifer

1 and reserve champion two-year-old, RD Schuster’s Luss Fosadh 3 of Glenkinglass; 2, E Mackay’s Oighrig Ruadh 5 of Glengoyne; 3, R Tylden-Wright Seonasag of Ubhaidh

Class 4 - Two-year-old heifer

1, champion two-year-old and overall female champion, Tordarroch Estates’ Alice 22 of Tordarroch; 2, A and H Kirkpatrick’s Claggorm 58 of Glengarnock; 3, Alan C Prentice’s June 23 of Hyndford

Class 5 - Yearling heifer

1 and reserve champion yearling, Mr & Mrs JS McKechnie’s Conni of Gartocharn; 2, Tordarroch Estates’ Heather 18 of Tordarroch; 3, The Keys family’s Bhanna Prionnsa Ruadh of Ardentraive

Class 6 - Yearling heifer

1 and champion yearling, KWW & EM Brown’s Kirsty 17 of Craigowmill; 2, Mr & Mrs JS McKechnie’s Kirsty 7 of Gartocharn; 3, R & S Strachan’s Frangag Ruadh 33 of Cailaich

Class 7 - Heifer calf

1 and reserve calf champion, R & S Strachan’s Bana-Phrionnsa Riabhach 3 of Cailaich; 2, The Applecross Trust’s Ila 10 of Applecross; 3, R & S Strachan’s Robina Riabhach 3 of Cailaich

Class 8 - Heifer calf

1 and calf champion, Mrs Jon H Strickland’s Lady Jane Dubh of Cladich; 2, The Applecross Trust’s Igo of Applecross; 3, Mrs Jon H Strickland’s Lady Alma Inver 4 of Cladich

Class 9 - Cows

1, KWW & EM Brown’s Bileag Bhaite 3 of Craigowmill; 2, The Culloden Fold’s Heather 2 of Culloden; 3, S & E Haley’s Evie Ruadh Eilidh of Richmondhill

Young handlers

14 years and under – 1 and reserve champion, Ruaridh Mackay; 2, Tara Adams; 3, Eoin Brown

15-18 years – 1 and champion, Sophie Adams; 2, Emily Armstrong; 3, Eilidh Mackay

Yearling bull

1, Thor of Drium An Lochain

Bull calf

1 and champion male, 702435 of Craigowmill; 2 and reserve male, 300069 of Seam; 3, 200068 of Seam

Best pair of suckled calves

The Applecross Trust

Best pair of in-calf heifers

Glengorm