By Anna Burdett Farming and rural affairs editor

Last updated at 14:51, Friday, 24 February 2012

It took three minutes for Penrith’s Allan Jenkinson to spend £126,000 on a bull and smash world records in front of an elated crowd at Carlisle.

Glyn Vaughan, right, hands over the bull to Ian Scott, Whinfell park farm manager, with stockman Gerwen Jones, centre

There was a sense that something historic was about to happen as Dolcorsllwyn Fabio was led into the ring at Borderway Mart on Saturday.

Mr Jenkinson’s Whinfellpark farm manager Iain Scott held his nerve as the bidding went from 15,000gns to 120,000 gns.

The only other bidder was Andrew Ewing from Annan, acting on behalf of Procters Farm whose manager picked out Fabio as his supreme champion on Friday.

Nick Scholefield, estate manager at Whinfellpark, said: “Iain Scott did the bidding and he’s got no nerves. He does all our buying and selling.

Watch the record-breaking sale. Article continues below...

“Fabio was the overall junior champion, which would normally suggest he would achieve a good price.

“He was the best bull there, but I never dreamt he would achieve the price he made in the end. Allan was on the phone to Iain as he was bidding.

“It’s a big price to pay but it is an investment in the future of Whinfellpark Limousins. The herd is run as a business and we are willing to spend the money for the right cattle to take the herd to the next level.”

Laughs of disbelief rang out as the bidding passed 100,000gns and broke the world Limousin record in front of an estimated 1,000-strong crowd.

Auctioneer Jimmy Little at just 25, was unperturbed as he focused on the job at hand. He said: “It was a massive buzz for me. As the bidding kept going, I started to think there was a chance of breaking the record.

“You could sense that something special might happen as a few of the bigger breeders came forward to the front.”

Fabio came from Gyln and Nia Vaughan’s Powys-based herd of 60 females, which they started two decades ago.

Mr Vaughan said: “I was very lucky that two of the wealthiest breeders in the country wanted him.”

The 17-month-old bull broke the UK and European price record for a bovine animal as well as the Limousin world record.

Mr Scholefield added: “We needed a new bloodline into the herd. Because we have some very big females, we needed a particular style of bull to maintain muscle.

“He’s a big bull for his age. It’s all about getting something different. Bulls like this don’t come along very often and he will do the job we need him to do over the next four to five years.

“He is on an isolation farm at a semen collection centre in southern Scotland at the moment. He will come to Whinfellpark within four to six months.”

Mr Jenkinson has paid big prices before, most notably 50,000gns for Wilodge Cerberus in 2008.

Semen straws from Cerberus sell for £50 a time.

Iain Kerr, chief executive of the British Limousin Cattle Society, said: “ Producers are willing to pay the money to secure the bulls of their choice.”

The sale of 131 bulls grossed more than £1m and there was no shortage of Cumbrians in the bidding for top animals.

William Lawson, of Stubbsgill Farm, Distington, paid 13,000gns for Plumtree Farley forward from the Nottinghamshire herd of Paul Cairns. It was the first big price of the day.

The average of £8,243 smashed the previous UK all-breeds record by more than £2,000.

First published at 14:09, Friday, 24 February 2012
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk