These heifers would make a great addition to any breeding programme or offer an excellent genetic base for an ambitious new herd.

For more information contact John Elliot

M: 07795 165 140

E: johnrelliot@aol.com

W: www.rawburn.com

Purchased from the Rawburn herd of Messrs John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, El Torro was the highest weight gaining bull in the 2008 calf crop and was used for two years in the Rawburn herd. He is the highest Terminal Index (+59) and Self Replacing Index (+79) proven sire in the UK herd book and is the sire of the highest Terminal Index bull ever recorded in the UK to date, Rawburn Dublin who has a TI of +67 and a SRI of +81. His maternal brother Rawburn Edge sold to the Eastfield herd in 2010 for £20, 000.

By the renowned high performance Rawburn Transformer, a sire who has more registered offspring than any other bull ever in the UK, he is out of Rawburn Ellen Erica D298, a daughter of the Rawburn owned Canadian embryo donor Cudlobe Ellen Erica 46D and maternal sister of the dam of Rawburn Emblem K127 that sold to Ballathie this year for £30,000.

Speaking about the sale, Ranald Pottinger said; “We’re delighted to have been able to purchase El Torro. He’s an incredibly powerful bull with great size and width. He has tremendous shape and muscle for a bull that is so correct. Figures wise, he’s one of the top proven sires in the breed for both Terminal and Self Replacing index. His pedigree is also one that will no doubt compliment the breeding programme at Isauld. After seeing his fantastic offspring at Rawburn we were sure this bull would have a great impact in our herd.”

John Elliot Jnr added: “It was not without a great deal of consideration that we decided to release El Torro from the Rawburn herd. His impact at Rawburn over the past two years has been outstanding, but due to the concentration of his sire’s genetics within our herd, we are very limited to what we can breed him with. El Torro has the potential to become even better than his sire.”

Rawburn Emblem K127

Emblem is by Rawburn Enigma, himself a son of Hoff Limited Edition out of Rawburn’s North American Donor cow Royal Eston Annie. Enigma was used for two years in the Rawburn herd before being sold last year to the Carruthers herd, Lockerbie.

His Dam Rawburn Ellen Erica E405 is one of the top cows at Rawburn and is an embryo daughter of the US Sire TC Freedom 104 out of Rawburn’s Canadian donor Cudlobe Ellen Erica 46D. Ellen Erica E405 is a maternal sister to the dam of Rawburn Edge that sold for £20,000 to the Eastfield herd last year.

This particular dam line is proving to breed consistently well, with Ellen Erica’s previous two bull calves both being used in pedigree herds in England; Rawburn El Chester is at the Oak Moor herd, Haxby, York and Rawburn End Point is at the Cragg herd, Harrogate, Yorkshire.

Along with a strong pedigree, Emblem’s figures don’t disappoint either, with a Terminal Index of 46 (Top 1%) and a Self Replacing Index of 65 (Top 1%). His milk figure is +19 (Top 1%) and he recorded an actual 400-Day Weight of 872kg.

Speaking about the sale John Elliot Jnr said: “Emblem is truly an exceptional individual. It is rare to breed a bull with good calving figures that also has such unbelievable growth and muscle. Emblem has all of the attributes to become one of the very best sires in the breed.”

Ballathie herd manager Jim Woodward also commented: “Rawburn Emblem epitomizes everything we are trying to achieve at Ballathie with our Angus breeding programme. Emblem stood out in Rawburn’s pen of young bulls when we visited in May to select a new herd sire. His power and appearance caught our eye immediately and combined with excellent breeding on both sides of his pedigree we could not look past him.”

Next from this offering was Rawburn Miss Princess C229 (lot 16), an April 2003-born daughter of Rawburn Transformer out of the Elgar of the Moss daughter Rawburn Miss Princess Y372. With a positive calving value, a TSI of +34 and a SRI of +50, she sold for 6000gns due in calf to Lockerley Legolas G850 to Marsden farms, Penistone.

Next in the money from this string was Elliot Ebony H858 (lot 19), this time an April 2008-born daughter of Rawburn Lord Ross C216 out of the FAR Kruggerand 410H daughter Elliot Ebony D006. She was knocked down at 5000gns to Gordon Brooke, Yorkshire.

Rawburn Edge

Semen will be for sale exclusively through Cogent and will be priced at £12.50 per straw with a £75 royalty fee. Cogent beef specialist Boomer Birch says: “After seeing the bull and reviewing his performance figures we knew that we had to secure Rawburn Edge for our 2011 Cogent beef catalogue. Our pricing strategy for Edge allows great value for money to both our commercial and pedigree customers and gives access to the best Aberdeen-Angus genetics at a very competitive price.”

Semen will be available for domestic and international markets by February 2011.

Hoff Blackbird 5218 purchased for $25,000

This highest selling female in the sale was originally bought as a heifer calf by Lagrand at the 2006 Hoff Scotch Cap Dispersal for $17 500. Maternal sister to Hoff Limited Edition, her sire, SVF Bandolier, is renowned as one of the greatest female producers in the breed and whose semen sells for $1000 per straw.

John Elliot Jnr says: “We have followed the progress of Blackbird since she sold as a heifer at the Hoff Dispersal. Her performance and pedigree make her one of the most exciting cows in the world and a great addition to our Embryo transfer program.

“With many of the top herds in the UK now having to line breed due to a lack of genetic variation, it has never been more important to source the top outcross genetics wherever they may be.”

Vern Frey, from the American Angus Association adds: “Blackbird is the most powerful female I have seen sold in the US this year. Her length of body and muscle is unique for a cow that remains so feminine and correct.”

Blackbird will remain in South Dakota to be flushed later in the year.

Sold at just seven months old in a private deal for £10,000, with a quarter of the semen share retained, Marshall is by Ankonian Elixir 100 (AI) ( IMP) and is out of Southfield Felicity, who is by Dalrene Cruz 11F and is out of the TLA Northern Samurai (IMP) daughter Netherton Frances 02. Felicity was one of two full sisters bought by Mr Price for flushing.

Oakchurch Field Marshall sold privately for £10,000 to the Rawburn herd

Weighing 380kg at just 170 days, his performance, coupled with a pedigree jam packed with some of the breed’s greatest stars, Mr Price says he has known this bull was destined to be a stock bull from birth and although he was reluctant to sell him at such a young age, he is pleased he has sold to the Rawburn herd and looks forward to working with the Elliot family.

Field Marshall caught the eye of John Elliot Jnr for being a tremendously well fleshed young calf and a potential stock bull for the future. “This bull has heavy muscling, yet remains correct in structure with great locomotion, as well as plenty of breed character.

“He has been purchased to add superior carcass quality to the herd and follow in the footsteps of our past stock bull Rawburn Lord Ross C216, who has left some phenomenal progeny in the Rawburn herd.”

The Rawburn herd is one of many herds from the Borders and Scotland who will have females forward at the Best of Blacks sale, which is to be held at St Boswells Livestock Market on Saturday 25^th September.

Contact Martin Whiting (Lakewood): 07979 657 447

He found his champion in the form of the winner from the yearling heifer class, Rawburn Duchess Prairielane J928, a 13 month old heifer, which was exhibited by relatively new breeder Neil Ainsworth, Blackburn, having bought Duchess in a private deal for £12,000.

GYS champion Aberdeen-Angus from Neil Ainsworth

By the Hoff Limited edition-sired Rawburn Enigma, she is out of Rawburn Duchess F504, who is a product of the extensive embryo program carried out at Rawburn and stems back to the high performance lines of the Prairielane herd in Manitoba, Canada. Duchess Prairielane is in the top 1% for all growth traits and Terminal Index with a figure of +41.

Described by Mr Logan as; “an outstanding heifer with great breed character”. Every inch a champion in his eyes, he added: “She has a great top and carcass attributes to her as well as the potential to make a great cow for the future.”

His reserve also came through from the strong female section and this time went to the winner of the two year old heifer class. No stranger to the show ring the much admired Belhaven Ruisseau H062 from John and Tina Gilmour, followed Duchess through to take the reserve female championship and overall reserve breed championship.

reserve female and reserve overall from John and Tina Gilmour

This ET-bred heifer is by Vermilion Payweight J847 and is out of the Prairielane Ideal daughter Prairielane 8116 Rosebud. Described as a: “powerful, correct heifer that moves exceedingly well round the ring.” Like the overall champion, Mr Logan said she had a phenomenal top line to her with great plates and a good depth of fleshing.

Ruisseau, led out by Carol Rettie, has already picked up championship tickets at Drymen Show and a first prize at the Royal Highland Show.

In the male section, the championship was awarded to the winner of the junior bull class, Oakchurch Diplomat J118 from Jeremy Price. By Oakchurch Dominator G035, stock bull for the Massie’s Blelack herd, this February 2009-born bull is out of Oakchurch Red Delia F021, a daughter of Rawburn No Limites out of a royal Added value 19D daughter.

Taking the reserve male championship was the three time champion winning bull Chathill Eugo F230, a March 2006-born bull from Brian McClintock. By Vermilion Payweight J847 again, he is out of Cudlobe Eugenie 2J and has picked up championship tickets at Newark, Staffs and Cheshire.

Pics to follow shortly….

Full class results:

Bull, born before 1 January 2008

1                     B J McClintock’s Chathill Eugo

2                     J Brooks’ Bon Lea Ellisand

3                     J C Lister Farms’ Ellenthorpe Replica Kai

Bull, born on or after 1 January 2009

1                     J and A Price’s Oakchurch Diplomat

2                     T Rennie’s Mosston Muir Elgin

3                     G R Brooke’s Linton Gilbertines Percy

Cow, in milk or in calf, born before 1 January 2008

1                     T Rennie’s Mosston Muir Elsie

2                     G R Brooke’s Lockerley Primrose

3                     J Porter’s Netherton Kim

4                     J Brooks’ Bon Lea Petra

Heifer, born in 2008

1                     Messrs J Gilmour and Co’s Belhaven Ruisseau

2                     G R Brooke’s Belhaven Polestar

3                     C S Addison’s Castlegate Ruby

4                     T A and P Johnson’s Yearsley Portia

5                     J B Swires’ Cragg Melrose Belle

6                     J C Lister Farms’ Ellenthorpe Patience

7                     V F Dobson’s Water End Jewel Erica

Heifer, born on or after 1 January 2009

1                      N Ainsworth’s Rawburn Duchess Prairielane

2                      G r Brooke’s Linton Gilbertines Dorris

3                      T Rennie’s Mosston Muir Edwina

4                      C S Page’s Foulness Whipper Snapper

5                      Turnbull family’s Foxfoot Bonny

6                      V F Dobson’s Water End Jacky Erica

7                      T A and P Johnson’s Yearsley Delia

8                      J Brooks’ Bon Lea Esta

Group of Three Animals

1                     G R Brooke

Pair of animals by the same sire

1                     G R Brooke

Rawburn Edge J983, bred by the Elliot family at Rawburn, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, is by Rawburn Lord Histar G722, a homebred grandson of the legendry Rawburn Transformer who has been responsible for putting great shape, growth rate and figures in to Aberdeen-angus cattle throughout the UK.

Rawburn Edge J983

His dam, Rawburn Ellen Erica D298, is a daughter of Hoff Limited Edition out of the Rawburn owned Canadian donor cow Cudlobe Ellen Erica. She bred Rawburn El Torro, the highest TI bull in the UK born in 2008 who was retained as a herd sire at Rawburn.

Edge’s figures rank him in the top 1% of the breed for both Terminal Index (+55) and Self Replacing Index (+65), he also has a milk figure of +12 and an Eye Muscle Area figure of +6.9.

New owner Ewan Brewis of the Eastfield herd at Kelso, had no hesitation in securing this April 2009-born yearling bull as a future stock sire for his 45-cow herd. Mr Brewis said: “Having monitored Edge since he was weaned we were always impressed by his figures. As he has matured he has developed into a well muscled, strong boned yearling, showing lots of breed character. In today’s market we require a bull that is both impressive to the eye and has good figures - such bulls are not easily found and we are delighted to have been able to secure Edge.”

Commenting on the sale breeder John Elliot Snr of the Rawburn herd said: “Edge is more than just a set of huge performance figures. His structural correctness, docile temperament and immense breed character make him one of the most complete bulls we have ever bred at Rawburn.”

The Rawburn herd have retained a half share interest in semen from Rawburn Edge J983.