Limousin

The Foxhillfarm Limousin herd was established in 2011 with the aim to create an elite herd based on strong family lines to produce top quality males and females in to pedigree herds.

Initial purchases came from the Bankdale dispersal of Gordon Wilson and family, the most prolific being Bankdale Alice who was purchased for 15,000gns. Sired by the noted Sympa, she is out of the Nickel daughter Princesse. She is dam of the 38,000gns Bankdale Exfactor, sold at Carlisle in May 2011 and also the 65,000gns Bankdale Erin which we were under bidders on at the sale.

To date, progeny from Alice (six females and one bull) have grossed 168,700gns. Alice has been flushed consistently well to Wilodge Vantastic.

We also purchased Alice’s October 2009-born daughter Bankdale Elizabeth for 35,000gns. Elizabeth is an embryo calf by the prolific 42,000gns Wilodge Vantastic.

Her maternal sister Bankdale Chanel was also purchased that day. She is a 2007-born Sarkley Volt daughter making her a full sister to the 65,000gns Bankdale Erin. Foxhillfarm Impressive, her first bull calf by Hartlaw Excaliber was sold at Red Ladies Weaned Calf Sale 2013 for 7000gns at 10 months to Eric and Elaine Norman for their Norman herd. She has since flushed successfully to Hartlaw Excaliber and Wilodge Tonka.

In the same year we went to the Sarkley sale and purchased Sarkley Fadajen as a heifer. This Sarkley Thunderbolt daughter goes back to the Jen family on the dam line and the Ola line on her sire’s side. She was purchased due to her blood lines for 10,000gns.  Her first heifer calf Foxhillfarm Iris, by Guards Boomer calf was sold Red Ladies Weaned Calf Sale 2013 for 2500gns to Andrew Morton, Denny, Stirling.

The next additions to the herd came from the Dinmore reduction sale in the form of the January-born embryo heifer calf Dinmore Hester who was purchased for 6800gns. She is by the Vantastic son Carmorn Copilot and out of Aghadowey Alix, a Broadmeadows Cannon daughter and was sold suckling her recipient dam.

September 2012 saw the arrival of two females from the Janos sale at Welshpool Market. Corridan Chelsea, a Goldies Terence daughter out of the Ronick Iceman daughter Corridan Trinket was the first to be purchased at 5000gns and at the time was AI’d to Dinmore Foreman. Then we secured her December 2011-born daughter Janos Galye, by Lowerffrydd Ahoy.

Embryos have also been purchased both privately and at sales including eggs out of the Wilodge herd’s queen Ravenelle by Wilodge Tonka, Croftlimousin Princess by Wilodge Vantastic and Ronick McKenzie by Vantastic. Some of these embryos have been implanted and are due in 2014.

AI sires currently in use in the herd are Wilodge Vantastic, Sympa, Loosebeare Fantastic, Guards Boomer, Sablier, Hartlaw Excaliba and many more.

When we purchased Bankdale Alice she was in-calf to Wilodge Vantastic and produced a wonderful homebred heifer in the form of Foxhillfarm Gracie. Gracie had a good start to her showing career as a baby heifer standing second in an incredibly strong class at the Royal Welsh Show 2012 and then clinched the Limousin championship at the Scottish Winter Fair that year before dominating the 2013 summer show circuit. Her accolades include six breed championships, a Continental interbreed title, a reserve interbreed title and two overall interbreed titles.

As a result of the successful flushing programme we now have four full sisters to Gracie in the herd. January born Foxhillfarm Izzy has been the most successful of the ET heifers. She was Limousin and then Continental champion at Cornwall Calf Show, reserve Limousin champion at the Scottish Winter Fair, Limousin champion and reserve interbreed at Smithfield, as well as being a member of the Duke of Norfolk Trophy along with her full ET brother and sister.

Also born January 2013 was Foxhillfarm Ivy. She stood second at both Cornwall Calf Show and the Scottish Winter Fair. Foxhillfarm Isla is a March-born ET sister and stood first in the March-born class at Cornwall Calf Show, third at Stars of the Future and part of the winning Duke of Norfolk Trophy group at Smithfield with Izzy. The fourth sister is Foxhillfarm Iola who was second at Cornwall and third at Stars of the Future.

We now have three daughters of Chanel, the February 2013-born Foxhillfarm Infinity and June 2013-born Foxhillfarm Isobell who are both sired by Hartlaw Excaliber. Then Foxhillfarm Isabelle, a January 2013-born Wilodge Tonka daughter.

The latest addition to the herd is Emslies Intoxicate, a March 2013-born heifer calf by the 22,000gns Derriaghy Enfield. Her dam is the Louxor daughter Emslies Adultress, from the same family as the 2009 Royal Welsh interbreed champion Ballymoney Veronica. We purchased her for 4200gns at the Emslies Sassie Lassies Sale, January 2014.