The Devon Cattle Breeders Society (DCBS) held their Autumn Show and Sale at Sedgemoor Auction Centre on Thursday October 3.

Although a smaller entry than in past years, the official DCBS sale proved that quality outweighs quantity and as always provided excellence of pedigree animals forward, therefore attracting an admirable trade far better than expected in these uncertain times.

There were many new faces at the sale with new DCBS members and new buyers strong in attendance. The quality of animals in this sale provided an ideal opportunity to set up new herds with fantastic cattle from well-known established prefixes such as Forde Abbey, Bollowal, Ashway, Dittisham, Colleton, Bagnell, Hillside and Efford Down.

Mr Henry Dart was show-judge on the day which started with the female classes. George Vellacott’s Ashway Joan 4th was the winner of the in-calf heifer class and went on to claim overall Female Champion.

Two classes of maiden heifers followed, both with an exceptional standard of females. Mrs Roper’s “Forde Abbey Beauty 151st” out of Colesden Maximillian was top of the first class, going on to take Reserve Female Champion. Herd mate “Forde Abbey Plum 58th” took second place in this first class, followed by Simon & Grania Phillip’s home bred Colleton Zita 10th.

The second maiden heifer class proved just as difficult to judge for Mr Dart, but it was also topped by a Forde Abbey heifer “Plum 61st”, with Sue Fildes’ home bred showing heifer “Dittisham Daisy 3rd” coming a very close second. Mr & Mrs Phillips’ heifer from the Colleton herd, “Colleton Mary 19th”, came third in the class.

Bulls sold to 2500gns for Mrs ED Roper’s much-admired bull, Forde Abbey Taurus, the February 2018 born son of Colesden Maximilian and grandson of Yeomadon Ferdinand out of the Jaca line. He was shown this summer and chosen as Male Champion in the pre-sale show by Judge Henry Dart of the Champson Herd. He now joins the Backstone herd of DJ & S Cocks of Rackenford.

Another spectacular bull, Bollowal Perfection 1, who has also been successfully shown over the 2019 season took Reserve Champion Bull in the pre-sale show.

The show’s female champion “Ashway Joan 4th” from George Vellacott rightly topped the females on the day selling for 1600gns to Powys. She was sold due in January to Ashway Daimler. The best trade of the day proved to be for in-calf heifers with Philip & Caroline Gay selling two Bagnell Javelin daughters due in January for 1220 and 1100gns.

Maiden heifers sold to 950gns for Mrs Sue Fildes “Dittisham Daisy 3rd” who had been successfully shown throughout the year. Other maiden heifers from the Forde Abbey Herd sold to 800gns for members of the Plum & Beauty families, they joined five others purchased on the day to found a new herd for the Thomas family from Washaway Cornwall.

There was good demand for the four steers which sold to 680gns for one born in June 2018 from David Barker’s Efford Down Herd.

READ MORE: Sedgemoor auction report Saturday October 5