SOME of the finest Belted Galloway cattle in the land drew buyers from as far as Scotland to a Worcester production sale held by noted breeder and Wales and Border Ram sales secretary Jane Smith.

The high prices achieved and the fact that at least three of Jane’s best cattle were sold north of the border left her “utterly delighted”.

She said: “Selling to the Scots, to people who really know cattle, and to the home of Belted Galloway cattle was really tremendous.

“We have reached a point with the cattle where we have some very good cow families with daughters retained and with farming here on a very small scale we decided that it would be best to have the production sale.

“I am very much in favour of the auction system. I like the transparency and it is fair for everyone.

“The day started well when the older cows sold better than expected and when we got to the younger cows, Whitepool Christobel sold for 2,650 guineas to W & J Landers of Newton Stewart, Scotland. They later went on to buy the high-priced junior heifer Whitepool Melody for 2,500 guineas.”

The top price paid at the sale was 3,000 guineas for a yearling red heifer sold to JC Oliver of Hexham, Northumberland.

Whitepool Leona was sold for 2,750 guineas to another Scot, Caroline Macmillan. All of the 15cattle forward sold.

Jane Smith, who farms near Usk, Monmouthshire, has been breeding Belted Galloway cattle for 10 years and has consistently taken championships at the main UK shows.

This year her stock bull Southfield Double-O-Seven took Supreme Champion at the Royal Show. The championship was one of five for Southfield Double-OSeven in 2009 including Interbreed Champion at the Three Counties and the Bath and West shows.

The sale featured six cows in calf to Southfield Double-O-Seven and all are due to calve shortly.

Belted Galloways have seen an enormous turnaround in their fortunes since they were on the endangered species list after the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001.

They are in demand for grazing schemes and have been used by the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at their Brecon farm.

They are a hardy breed, originally from the exposed uplands of Galloway in the south west of Scotland. Colours are black, dun, or red, all with the characteristic white belt, which completely encircles the body.

Naturally polled hill cattle, they readily convert rough grazing into lean meat.

Their double coat of long hair, to shed the rain, and soft undercoat for warmth, means they don’t need expensive housing.