Record breaking price for Shropshire Limousin bull

In what is believed to be one of the highest priced private deals for some time for the Limousin breed and a new herd record, Christine Williams and Paul Tippetts of the Wilodge herd, Shifnal, Shropshire, have sold their January 2010-born bull Wilodge Fastrac in a five figure private deal to David and Emma Armstrong's Gritstone herd at Chorley, Lancashire.

By the acclaimed sire Wilodge Vantastic, he is out of the Sympa daughter Hazelhead Annie and has a beef value of 41, placing him within the top 1% of the breed.

Fastrac, has had a more than impressive show season culminating in the overall junior championship, overall male championship and reserve breed championship at the Royal Welsh and at the 40th Anniversary Show in Carlisle he was junior male champion and overall reserve male champion.

Commenting on the sale, Christine Williams said: "Although the price is undisclosed I can say this is the dearest bull to be sold to date from Wilodge, surpassing the 50,000gns achieved for Wilodge Cerberus in 2008.

"Fastrac has been a stand out bull from day one, always showing the deep muscling and stylish stamp of his father. His dam, Hazelhead Annie, has produced quality offspring to three different sires, has been flushed earlier this year and is a real asset to the herd. Fastrac has attracted a great deal of interest throughout the summer and numerous enquiries regarding semen. We're delighted he is heading to a pedigree herd and will hopefully have a great future with the Armstrongs."

Buyer David Armstrong added: "Fastrac's sire Vantastic continues to breed well and the cross of his genetics onto a Sympa dam has produced something very impressive indeed. We have been incredibly impressed with Fastrac both on the show circuit and at home when we viewed him privately. He has immense muscling coupled with style and breed character and will no doubt be a great asset for our herd and many others in the future."