Stirling champion Lockerley Kougar sold to Beech Hay herd

Lockerley Kougar, the overall Aberdeen-Angus champion at the first UA Sales at Stirling has been sold privately after failing to reach his reserve at the sale.

Lockerley Kougar champion at Stirling Aberdeen-Angus sale

Kougar, a tremendously fleshy and robust bull, has been bought by the Beech Hay herd for an undisclosed sum. The Grinnall family, owners of the Beech Hay Angus, have long been taken with the Lockerley cattle the opportunity to buy this bull was too good to miss.

The herd was started with cattle from the Lockerley and Nightingale herds, the former supplying females from their show team. This gave the herd a great start in building up a small number of superior animals. Rob Grinnall said “The cows are intended to be easy fleshing with good limbs and manageable temperaments. Our mentor told us to look at what ‘each acre can produce for us, rather than each individual animal’ and our grazing suits these cattle. We don’t need big rangy animals, but cows that can do at grass and out-winter with no supplementary feed unless the snow covers the ground. We had not been able to get to Stirling, and so the opportunity to buy this Champion bull is a tremendous boost for the herd.

The Lockerley cattle have been built up with careful selection, by Mr David Batch (farm manager), of bloodlines that have complimented the traditional Burningfold cows. The herd’s record at Perth and in the show ring is proof that these lines are working. The Beech Hay herd hopes it will benefit from the selected breeding begun at Lockerley and is looking forward to the offspring of this first Stirling Champion.