Strong demand for commercial calves at Thainstone Spectacular

The sale leader was the Robertson's August-2022 born overall reserve haltered champion heifer which sold for £5,800.

Next at £5,000 was a second prize winning five-month-old 208kg Limousin cross heifer from Balfour Baillie, Orkney, which sold to S. and L. Bett, Stirling.

Messrs Robertson sold a 12-month-old 448kg Limousin cross heifer for £4,200 to Scott Watson on behalf of B. T. Kitson, Hutton Rudby, who also paid £4,000 for the Caithness County Show champion, a 14-month-old 442kg Limousin heifer from Kris Sutherland, Dunbeath.

J. D. Blair, Drumlithie bought a 10-month-old 417kg Limousin cross heifer from Barry Paterson, Sauchen for £3,200.

This was closely followed at £3,100 by the overall haltered and 2022-born champion, a 10-month-old 484kg British Blue cross heifer from J. Munro and Son, Ardgay.

A four-month-old 224kg Limosuin cross heifer from Messrs Ballie, sold for £2,700 to Finlay Hunter, Culsalmond.

W. Robertson and Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul had the overall reserve champion, a five-month-old 246kg January 2023-born Limousin heifer which sold for £2,500 to J. Porter, Bridgend, Islay. They also sold a 585kg British Blue cross heifer for £2,500.

W. A. Talyor, Aboyne, bought a 19-month-old 632kg Limousin cross heifer for £2,200 from Willie McLaren, Kirriemuir.

A 20-month-old 535kg Limousin cross Heifer from Messrs Baillie, sold for £2,200 to John D. Work, Udny.

Judge, Julie Sedgewick, Co Durham awarded the championship to an eight-month-old 300kg Limousion cross bullock by Pabo Old Spice out of a British Blue dam from Messrs Baillie which she went on to buy for £2,000.

Averages - heifers, £6.488/kg (£2,671.05/head); bullocks, £3.713/kg (£1,750/head); overall, 30 calves, £2,333.33.

Auctioneers: Aberdeen and Northern Marts.

Prize List

Class 1 - Unhaltered Heifers  

1^st - Lot 1- Willie McLaren, Muirhouses Farm, Kirriemuir - £2,200 

2^nd - Lot 2 - Maggie Lawrie, Muirhouses Farm, Kirriemuir - £1,900 

3^rd. - Lot 3 -Angus Greenlaw, Sheep Park Farms, Bridge of Marnoch - £2,000 

4^th - - Lot 4 - Steven Mitchell, Ben Craig, Aberlour - £1,050 

Class 2 - Unhaltered Bullocks  

Lot 5 - J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry  

Class 3 - Haltered Heifers born on or before the 31^st of December 2022 

1^st. - Lot 6 -W Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul - £2,500 

2^nd. - Lot 8 - Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness - £2,200 

3^rd. - Lot 7 - W Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul - £2,050

4^th. - Lot 9 - Steven Mitchell, Ben Craig, Aberlour - £1,600 

Class 4 - Haltered Bullocks born on or before the 31^st of December 2022 

1^st. - Lot 11 - Stuart Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld - £1,900 

2^nd. - Lot 13 - Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness - £1,850 

3^rd. - Lot 10- B & S Scott, Odmoston, Laurencekirk - £2,200 

4^th - Lot 12 - Meikle Coull Farms, Meikle Coull, Tannadice - £1,600 

Class 5 - Haltered Heifers born on or before the 31^st of December 2022 

1st. - Lot 14 - J Munro & Son, Invercharron, Ardgay - £3,100 

2nd.- Lot 16 - J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry -  £4,200 

3rd.- Lot 17 - Kris Sutherland, The Cottage Achaverole, Dunbeath - £4,000 

4th. - Lot 15 - Ester Grant, Seaview Cottage, Gairloch  

Class 6 - Haltered Bullocks born on or before the 31^st of December 2022 

1^st. - Lot 18 - Marshall & Fraser, Little Croy, Inverness  

2^nd - Lot 19 - Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness - £1,850 

3^rd. - Lot 20 - W Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul - £1,400 

Class 7 - Haltered Heifers born on or before the 31^st of December 2022 

1st. - Lot 21 - J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry - £5,800 

2nd.- Lot 22 - Barry Paterson, Cairndaie Croft, Sauchen - £3,200 

3rd.- Lot 24 - Ian and Christine Grant, Seaview Cottage, Gairloch  

4th. - Lot 25 - Ian and Christine Grant, Seaview Cottage, Gairloch - £1,500 

5th. - Lot 23 - Ian and Christine Grant, Seaview Cottage, Gairloch - £2,100 

Class 8 - Haltered Bullocks born on or before the 31^st of December 2022 

1st. - Lot 26 - J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry - £1,650  

2nd.- Lot 27 - J S Baillie, Sebay, Tankerness - £1,900 

3rd.- Lot 28 - Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness - £1,300 

Class 9 - Haltered Heifers born after the 1^st of January 2023 

1st. - Lot 30 - W Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul - £2,500 

2nd.- Lot 33 - Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness - £5,000 

3rd.- Lot 29 - Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness - £1,200 

4th. - Lot 31 - Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness - £2,700 

5th - Lot 32 - Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness - £2,000 

Class 10 - Haltered Bullocks born after the 1^st of January 2023 

1^st. - Lot 35 - J S Baillie, Sebay, Tankerness - £2,000 

2^nd.- Lot 34 - J Munro & Son, Invercharron, Ardgay - £1,600 

Haltered Heifer Champion 2022 Born  

Lot 14 - J Munro & Son, Invercharron, Ardgay - £3,100 

Reserve Champion 

Lot 21 - J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry - £5,800 

Haltered Bullock champion 2022 Born 

Lot 26 - J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry - £1,650 

Reserve Champion  

Lot 27 - J S Baillie, Sebay, Tankerness - £1,900 

Overall 2022 Born Haltered Champion 

Lot 14 - J Munro & Son, Invercharron, Ardgay - £3,100 

Overall Reserve Champion  

Lot 21 - J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry - £5,800 

Haltered Championship 2023 Born  

Lot 35 - J S Baillie, Sebay, Tankerness - £2,000 

 Reserve Champion 

Lot 30 - W Robertson & Son, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul - £2,500 

Overall Spectacular Champion 

Lot 35 - J S Baillie, Sebay, Tankerness - £2,000