Competitive bidding for the best of the bulls ensured a top of 15,000gns, with a further seven making five-figure prices, at the United Auctions’ May sale of Charolais in Stirling. A more selective trade saw 24 lots sell through the ring, averaging out at £8591.
It was Bombax Van Dyke, a 17-month-old bull in the top 1% of the breed for daily liveweight gain, that secured the lead price of 15,000gns for the Smeaton family, Cotton of Ovenstone, Forfar. He is by the successful stock bull, Harestone Ronaldinho, which was bought jointly back in 2022 for 24,000gns and has sired several five-figure bulls, up to 20,000gns. Out of the Maerdy Osgood daughter, Bombax Scarlet – one of 30 cows in the Smeatons’ herd – Van Dyke sold to AJ MacLean, Heylipol, Tiree.










