BUYERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY
March 2012
The sustained growth in demand for Red Ruby Devons was reflected in strong bidding at the Devon Cattle Breeders’ Society’s Spring Show & Sale at Sedgemoor Auction Centre, 15th March.
Buyers came from across the country and were not disappointed in the quality of cattle which was consistently high across the board. Demand for bulls was particularly strong. Mr Gavin Hunter’s trip down from Cambridgeshire was rewarded with top price of 4,800 gns for his 2 yr old polled bull Tilbrook Hat Trick; an excellent example of a modern type of Devon bull bought by Mr Wayne Copp of Ilfracombe, Devon.
Prodigious Devon breeder, Malcolm Hurd of the Whitefield Herd, Somerset, took Breed Champion with his bull Whitefield Knight-of-the-Realm, a bull of true Devon type, bought by Mr RM Auvray to take home to Bideford for his Stone Farm herd.
Females also sold well with demand outstripping supply. George Vellacott of Dulverton Somerset, had a good day taking Champion Female with his two year in-calf heifer Ashway Poppy 2nd, and reserve champion female with Ashway Holly 1st, who was also the highest priced female at 2000 gns, bought by Mr M A Collins who came down from Warwickshire and went home with Champion and Reserve Champion females.
Although West Country buyers were as well represented as ever, plenty of Devons were making the trip to new homes further afield including Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, and Norfolk, underlining the strength and depth for this favourite west country export which is increasingly seen by mainstream beef farmers as the “x factor” in their quest to produce premium beef from minimal inputs.
Average Prices
Bulls 2680 gns
Maiden heifers 1164 gns
In-calf heifers 1995 gns
Cows & calves 1550 gns
Steers 1002 gns
Auctioneers: Greenslade Taylor Hunt Sedgemoor Auction Centre Somerset.