Shropshire breeder: Secrets behind our £260,000 record-breaking heifer
From helping her grandfather with cattle as a 16-year-old to breeding the most expensive heifer ever sold, the owner of a world record-breaking Limousin from Shropshire has shed some light on how her cow came to sell for more than £260,000.
Christine Williams said she had never planned to become involved with farming or cattle and left school at 16 with no idea what her future would behold.
The 57-year-old made history last week when she, with her husband Peter Tippets, sold Posh Spice from her Wilodge herd for £262,000 at an auction in Carlisle.
Born and bred in Shifnal, Christine thinks the key to her most recent success is opting to trade such a quality animal on the open market, whereas most breeders would keep the asset themselves to secure the longevity of their herd's success.
Posh Spice was instead snapped up by two cattle breeders at the sale last Friday and, according to the British Limousin Cattle Society, sold for double the previous breed best of £131,250 paid out in 2014.
Her embryos can now be sold for several thousands of pounds each to dozens of other breeders.
"A quality female does command a decent price and I think it is a rarity, unless the herd is dispersing, for a heifer with as much quality as Posh Spice to appear in the open market," Christine said.
Stardom
"It's a rarity for a heifer of that style and confirmation, let alone the breeding that went behind it, to be sold as it was."
Posh Spice has stardom running through her veins, with her dam Ginger Spice winning the prestigious Balmoral Show three times in a row, and coming from the bull Wilodge Fantastic, one of the most successful bulls used for the Limousin breed in the last decade.
Christine and Paul have 130 cattle and about 1,000 sheep consisting of numerous pedigree breeds, but plan on making further sales to reduce their livestock to a "manageable quality".
"We haven't thought too far ahead yet but we obviously intend to keep breeding, but will try to downsize the cattle and sheep here, basically because none of us are spring chickens anymore and it's an awful lot of work," said Christine.
"Our days fluctuate through the year, although I must admit, there's never a quiet time, especially as we're due to start lambing soon which is extremely long hours.
"We need to keep our livestock to a manageable number so we have more time to focus on the quality ones, but we're not expecting another Posh Spice any time soon – nobody expects that type of breeding in a lifetime."
Based at Lodge Hill Farm, Christine's Wilodge herd was established by her late father Don Williams in 1989.
