Meonside Millicent Ninet
The dispersal of the Stanford Park Beef Shorthorn herd on behalf of Mark and Hayley Stoneham on-farm at Stanford in the Vale, Oxfordshire, included a consignment from Simon Bradley Farmer and Tina Russell's Longfield herd, and was described by auctioneer Clive Roads as one of the most 'rewarding and amazing' sales in his long career.
Bidding topped at 7,000gns for fifth calver, Knockenjig Rosie Duchess VG with a bull calf, Vancouver of Longfield, which sold to D. J. Pope, Saunderton, Buckinghamshire.
The 13-year-old cow, Lynthorpe Barrington Dutchess 2, also with a bull calf, Stanfordpark Vangelis, made 4,000gns to Jo Hewitt, Exmoor.
In-calf cows
In-calf cows due from spring to late summer sold to 6,200gns for the Bradley Farmer/Russell third calver, Meonside Millicent Ninet, in-calf to Caramba Kinvara and by the 10,000gns Willingham Kensington, which was knocked down to Bowen Farms, Treharris, Mid Glamorgan.
Sheepdrove Organic Farm, Lambourn, were volume buyers to establish a new herd and purchases included Aylward Rothes Queen 53 EX92, an April calver to Stanfordpark Sasquatch at 5,500gns, Stanfordpark Miss Carnation Rouge EX91 by Lowther Eclipse at 5,200gns, Longfield Lovely Exotic EX93, in-calf to Mineshop Patents Leader at 5,000gns, Stanfordpark Crocus Ranz VG85, in-calf to Stanfordpark Sasquatch at 5,000gns, and Holkin Lass Nancy VG89 by Chapelton Kingsley, also at 5,000gns.
Delefield Bros, Oxford, also paid 5,000gns for Stanfordpark Fieldhouse EX90 in-calf to Derriaghy Samson.
In-calf heifers
Topping the in-calf heifers at 4,200gns was a daughter of Aylward Rothes Queen 53 EX92, Stanfordpark Rothes Queen S913, in-calf to Stanfordpark Special Edition, which went to H. Strawson, Nottingham.
Stanfordpark Wildeyes Ladybird by Glenisal Hercules made 4,000gns to Messrs Sperry, Oxford, and Stanfordpark Foggathorpe by Lowther Picasso also sold at 4,000gns to J. R. Lawrence, Hereford.
Bulling heifers
Bulling heifers peaked at 4,800gns to Sheepdrove Organic Farm for Stanfordpark Rothes Queen T1119 out of the 5,500gns Aylward cow, and they also took Stanfordpark Margo T1126 at the same price.
Another Margo made 4,200gns to L. Wessley, Collihole, Devon, who also bought Stanfordpark Tessa at 4,000gns. R. A. and S. C. Cotton, Ledbury, bought six heifers peaking at 4,000gns for Stanfordpark Augusta by Glenisla Jack Frost.
Maiden heifers
Maiden heifers topped at 5,100gns for Stanfordpark Margo T1130 by Fearn Wyvis out of Pennymuir Margo 17 VG88, which went to A. Bennett, Newtown, Powys.
A feature of the young heifers were the progeny of Crooked Post Compass, whose semen was imported from Canada. Eleven were on sale, peaking at 3,700gns for 11-month-old Stanfordpark Compass Margo taken by Doyleys Farm, Stadhampton, Oxford.
Bulls
Stock and yearling bulls topped at 6,500gns for the homozygous polled June 2022-born Stanfordpark Special Edition which had Breedplan figures in the top 1% and 5% for most traits, and sold to J. W. Hook, Witney, who also paid 4,500gns for 13-month-old Vintage of Longfield by Crooked Post Stockman.
Vagabond of Longfield out of Coxhill Urymaid, the top priced heifer at Stirling in 2023, made 5,000gns to Isla Gibbon, Northwich, Cheshire.
Averages: Stanford Park – 3 cows with bull calves, £3,780; 46 in-calf cows, £3,686.41; 9 in-calf heifers, £3,756.66; 13 bulling heifers, £4,054.61; 31 maiden heifers, £2,667.33; 3 senior bulls, £4,900; 8 yearling bulls, £3,386.25; Longfield – 1 cow with bull calf, £7,350; 1 in-calf cow, £6,510; 8 yearling bulls, £3,793.12.
Auctioneers: McCartneys.
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