The Midland South Devon Cattle Breeders Club’s annual sale at Stratford upon Avon saw a strong entry of high quality bulls which attracted record prices for the Club, and a new high average price, confirming the upwards trend which the South Devon breed is currently enjoying.

The catalogue attracted buyers from far and wide within the bluetongue Surveillance and Protection Zones, although numbers forward were slightly down as a result of changes to Zone boundaries in recent weeks.

Judge, Mr Douglas Scott, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, placed his champion bull and breed champion from a Leicestershire herd – Mr Richard Ford’s Goffe Cave Sturdy 6, a home-bred bull by Trevassack Trusty 4.  His decision was firmly vindicated when the bull went into the sale ring and fetched 5500 guineas to a buyer from Norfolk.

Female champion was M & S Kettlewell’s two year old heifer, Upper Norton Ilex, who also took top female price of 1800 guineas.  The heifer was by Sexton Centurion, out of Upper Norton Elderflower.

The new record high price of 5800 guineas went to A & P Rickett’s Juniper Geronimo, a 2-year old bull by Welland Valley Grazier 2, out of Juniper Zaraffa.  He was purchased by South Devon breeders R & M L Drew from near Redruth in Cornwall.