Patron: His Majesty King Charles III

Male Champion - Stretchford Herman 7

Male Champion - Stretchford Herman 7

SOUTH DEVON BULLS PEAK AT 8,800 GNS AT EXETER

With all bulls passing a high standard of inspection there was a good choice for potential buyers at the South Devon Herd Book Society’s Spring Show & Sale held at Exeter and conducted by Kivells.

Male Champion - Stretchford Herman 7

Male Champion - Stretchford Herman 7

Judge Richard Ford travelled down from the well-populated South Devon hub of Leicestershire, and picked out his champion as a strong characterful May 2013-born bull from the Stretchford herd, the oldest herd in the South Devon Herd Book. Stretchford Herman 7 is by George Teign Harold, and with female bloodlines going back to Grove Drusus 7 who was a very influential herd sire for Stretchford. The bull went on to sell for 4,600 gns to A & C Farms, Langham, Rutland.

Reserve male champion came from the Tregondale herd in Cornwall. This April 2013-born bull is by Sexton Cavalier 17 and out of Jill 94, with bloodlines going back to the Grove, George Teign and Edmeston herds.

Thornton Cup - Grove Domitian 30

Thornton Cup - Grove Domitian 30

The bull winning the Thornton Cup for performance and inspection was Grove Domitian 30, by the well-proven AI Woodhayes Homer 5, and whose maternal grandsire is a Society AI bull, Grove Bellerophon 3.

Female Champion - Waddeton Mona 29

Female Champion - Waddeton Mona 29

In the much smaller female section, it was The Tully Partnership, Brixham, who took the awards: Waddeton Mona 29 and Waddeton Sallly 58 were champion and reserve champion respectively, and both are by Goffe Cave Persius 9. They also made the best female pair.

Top Price - Sexton General 45 - 8,800 gns

Top Price - Sexton General 45 - 8,800 gns

Top price went to Richard & Shirley Harvey for a homozygous polled bull, Z Sexton General 45 by Z Northwick General 10 and out of Z Sexton Snowdrop 616. This March 2013-born bull sold to Hadley Farms Ltd, from Chesterton, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire for 8,800 gns, and joins their Knightcote herd of polled South Devons.

Two bulls from Douglas Scott’s Grove herd, Moreton-in-Marsh each sold for 4,800 gns. The first, Grove Domitian 30 went to J & B Fentem, Ashbourne, Derbyshire to join their Alsop herd; and the second, Grove Brutus 139 also by AI Woodhayes Homer 5, sold to J R Nicholls & Son, Totnes, Devon.

Next highest priced bull came from Peter & Ashley Rowe’s Trewint herd from Cornwall, making 4,000 gns. Trewint Magnetto 15, with Trewint Magnetto as grandsire on both sides goes to join a commercial herd in Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire and was acquired by C G Bonner & Son.

Mark Bromell, Kivells auctioneer said, “The trade was more selective than in other years, but there was strong demand for the top end of bulls.”

In the female section, the female champion and reserve champion sold for 1,350 gns and 1,300 gns respectively who, together with an unhaltered bulling heifer also born March 2013, were acquired by the same buyer, G K Griffin from Saltash in Cornwall.

Averages: 24 bulls, £3,329; 3 bulling heifers, £1,383

Auctioneers: Messrs Kivells