The autumn show and sale of pedigree and commercial Salers, sponsored by Tithebarn Ltd and Caleb Roberts Insurance Services, took place at Welshpool on Thursday 9th November 2023.
The pre-sale judge was Mr Arfon Hughes, who first purchased two Salers heifers in November 1990 after being introduced to the breed by his good friend Mr Donald Gilder. In 1991 Arfon and his wife Siân visited Ann Owen of Banc Salers and bought a further two in-calf cows. These four females were the foundation of their herd. Arfon and Siân bought cattle in France as well as from breeders in the UK and went on to breed their own replacements being the first breeders of Salers in North Wales.
Arfon found his overall champion in Gentons Salvador from Mr Bertie Facon, Banbury. He was brought on the day by Ben Bellew and his assistant Jake Pamplin and boasted impressive milk figures. Salvador was a January-2022 born son out of imported Ondee and by Murphy who stood champion at the National show in France in 2019.
Standing reserve overall champion was March-2022 born Seawell Signature from P.M. & S.M. Donger, Seawell Salers, Towcester. This Seawell pacific son, out of homebred Seawell Ripple possessed short gestation figures whilst featuring strong growth rates.
In third place, commanding the top price in the sale ring at 3,000gns was another lot from Mr Bertie Facon, this time Gentons Shere Khan born in February-2022, again by Murphy but out of imported cow Opale which sold to pedigree breeders, A D & P M Rogers, Coland Rise, Haverfordwest. Seawell Selector was placed fourth, a March-2022 Omarsy son out of Seawell Kama and fifth prize was awarded to Angus and Kerry Gowthorpe’s Approach Farm Simba, a Seawell Lithium sired son out of Approach Farm Gemma.
Buyers were cautious but commercial Salers remained sought after with six commercial females selling to an average of £1563 and a top price of £2450 for an in-calf heifer from Mr Bertie Facon, Gentons Pedigree Livestock, which sold to pedigree breeder Andrew Powell, Knighton, Powys. This heifer beat last year’s commercial sale leader by £550 and heads home alongside the top price commercial female from Angus and Kerry Gowthorpe at £1400. Bertie Facon won the Best Pen of Commercial Salers sponsored by Caleb-Roberts and Angus and Kerry Gowthorpe took the reserve spot. The second in-calf female heifer from Gentons made £1900 to D Andrew, Meifod, Powys and the final Gentons commercial lot sold for £1400 to W J Barnett & Son, Knighton Powys. A further two lots were forward from Angus & Kerry Gowthorpe, one sold to I W Roberts, Dolwyddelan, Conwy for £1180 and the next at £1050 to D Williams, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire.
The Best Pen and Reserve Best Pen of Production females was also awarded to Bertie Facon, Gentons Pedigree Livestock. Pedigree Production females peaked at 1,900gns twice for Gentons Sienna and Gentons Stella both Murphy sired daughters who had been running with homozygous polled bull Gentons Sargent and were bought together by pedigree breeders R Evans & Son, Ebnal Lodge, Shropshire. New to the breed, G F E Beazley, Craven Arms, Shropshire purchased two Gentons lots, the first at 1,800gns was Gentons Saige, an in-calf Murphy sired daughter out of Pipette and the second at 1,750 gns for in-calf Gentons Saskia out of Gentons Oracle.
The seawell production draft reached 1,500 guineas for Inka sired, May-2021 born Seawell Saphir, she was bought by pedigree breeder Gwawr Griffiths for her Parys herd, based in Anglesey. Gwawr also purchased a second Seawell heifer, Seawell Teasel at 1,220gns. I W Roberts took home two Seawell heifers for 1,400gns and 1,380gns respectively, Seawell Tamalika born in March-2022 out of Seawell Kavita was sired by Omarsy, and Seawell Tourmaline a Seawell Leonardo daughter out of Seawell Noreen.
Male Class
1st & Male Champion – Gentons Salvador, Gentons Pedigree Livestock
2nd & Reserve Male Champion – Seawell Signature, Seawell Salers
3rd – Gentons Shere Khan, Gentons Pedigree Livestock
4th – Seawell Selector, Seawel Salers
5th – Approach Farm Simba, A & K Gowthorpe
Overall Champion
Gentons Salvador, Gentons Pedigree Livestock
Reserve Overall Champion
Seawell Signature, Seawell Salers
Champion Pen of Commercial Salers
Gentons Pedigree Livestock
Reserve Champion Pen of Commercial Salers
Angus and Kerry Gowthorpe
Champion Pen of Production Salers
Gentons Pedigree Livestock
Reserve Champion Pen of Production Salers
Gentons Pedigree Livestock
Commercial Female Section
Lot 201 In-Calf Heifer 2450 A Powell Knighton, Powys
Lot 202 In-Calf Heifer 1900 D Andrew Meifod, Powys
Lot 203 In-Calf Heifer 1400 W Barnett & Son Knighton, Powys
Lot 204 Bulling heifers 1050 D A Williams Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
Lot 205 Bulling heifers 1400 A Powell Knighton, Powys
Lot 206 Bulling heifers 1180 I W Roberts Dolwyddelan, Conwy
Pedigree Female Section
Lot 208 Seawell Saphir 1500 G Griffiths Cenmaes Bay, Anglesey
Lot 211 Seawell Tamalika 1400 I W Roberts Dolwyddelan, Conwy
Lot 215 Seawell Tourmaline 1380 I W Roberts Dolwyddelan, Conwy
Lot 218 Seawell Teasel 1220 G Griffiths Cenmaes Bay, Anglesey
Lot 221 Gentons Saskia 1750 G F E Beazley Craven Arms, Shropshire
Lot 222 Gentons Sienna 1900 R Evans & Son Ebnal Lodge, Oswestry
Lot 223 Gentons Stella 1900 R Evans & Son Ebnal Lodge, Oswestry
Lot 224 Gentons Saige 1800 G F E Beazley Craven Arms, Shropshire
Pedigree Bull Section
Lot 227 Gentons Shere Khan 3000 A D & P Rogers Coland Rise, Haverfordwest
