A number of polled and horned Limousin sires have been used in the herd to good effect throughout its history, with a widening number of polled bloodlines in recent years giving access to improved genetics.

We took a conscious decision to keep breeding back to the horned lines to maintain a broader genetic pool and to avoid any potential conformation loss from the introduction of North American polled genetics. For reasons mainly associated with calving ease and mobility their animals have less extreme conformation.

The aim when buying service sires is to source them from strong cow families with a proven track record to ensure both consistency and longevity in their offspring.

Notable horned sires of the past include;

Dyfri Impact, a Rake Denver son with Tanhill Toujour as grand-dam on his maternal side this bull was purchased at Carlisle for 6800gns.

Homebyres Newbiggin, a Ronick Dumby son out of a strong Homebyres dam line of Audrey and Jacaranda. He was purchased for 7200gns.

Cambridge Nation. This son of Almscliff Alexander, a perennial trait leader for calving ease, is out of Greensons Fern, a full sister to the renowned Greensons Gigolo.

Broadmeadows David a son of the famous dam Broadmeadows Ainsi and sired by Grahams Volcanic, himself a Sirocco son.

Scabreux, a son of Magic with Ferry, Domino and Dauphin in his back pedigree. A few polled females have been retained from this leading sire, but he was sadly injured before having a significant impact on the herd.

Westside Benedict. This Ocean son was again bought for his dam line, being out of Broadmeadows Jiji, a Cannon daughter out of Broadmeadows Didi.

Ewdendale Fandango

This horned sire is by Limo Tanat. Fandango comes from another leading strong line, being a maternal grandson of the 32,000gns Fieldson Alfy. He also goes back to Greensons Gigolo and has a beef value of +43, in the top 1% of the breed. Fandango was bought primarily for use on heifers.

Over the years the herd has used AI from horned bulls to try and expand the relatively narrow genetic pool of polled animals, with these included Haltcliffe Hercules, Ferry, Ronick Hawk, Normande Tuscan, Nealford Omar, Milbrook Alistair, But, Castleden Sundance, Correze and Chaumeil.

Cockleshell Otamendi

The intention had been not to use another horned sire, but an injury to Knock Maximum meant needs must. This bull is a well bred addition to the team, being a son of Mereside Hannibal with a great breeding value.

Polled bulls of note in the herd’s history include;

McTurk Phalanx, a homebred Haltcliffe Hercules son out of a dam by Dyfri Impact.

McTurk Umbogintwini, a son of Cambridge Nation out of a Haltcliffe Hercules sired dam.

McTurk Bushbuck, a son of the German polled sire Silverbird and out of a Cambridge Nation daughter. McTurk Bushbuck is listed amongst the breed’s Top 10 Maternal Stock Sires with an impressive MV35.

French polled sire Bastide, a son of the Danish sire Ryde Uranos which was imported in 2008

Bailea Black Dawson

This son of French sire Salomon is out of Bailea Skylark and goes back to the Belldoon Delite family in Canada. Purchased at Newark in April 2010 for 5000gns he was bought for his excellent muscling and stature together with a proven female family.

Dawson’s progeny are among the best bred in the McTurk herd in recent years and a number of females have been retained by him. He is heterozygous polled and carries 1 copy of the F94L gene and one copy of the nt821 gene.

Emslies Hboss

Hboss is a heterozygous polled son of the former record priced black Limousin Bailea Black BMW out of Ballymoney Veronica, the Royal Welsh interbreed champion from 2009. Maternal sisters sold to 15,000gns at the Emslies Sassy Lassies sale in January 2014, including Emslies Duchess and Emslies Ieryl.

Carrying breeding from both Requin and the famous Dutchess Olivia family from Canada, this bull was a superb combination of Limousin genetics and had an impressive impact on the herd, with a top 1% Beef Value of 60. Hboss carried one copy of the F94L gene and one copy of the nt821 gene too.

Grahams Harris

This heterozygous polled son of imported French polled sire Bagou and out of the well bred Grahams Evelyn, a dam with Broadmeadows Tombola and Ronick Hawk in her dam line. This 100% pure bull carried two copies of the F94L gene and was purchased at Stirling in February 2014 for 5500gns.

McTurk Bushbuck

This homebred bull came from a strong family, being out of McTurk Vetch, a Cambridge Nation daughter which goes back to Agate on her dam’s side. His sire Silverbird was influential in the German polling programme.

Esmors Jetset

This heterozygous polled son was by the £18,000 previous Royal Welsh Show male champion, Knock Glencoe, and out of the imported French heifer, Gazelle, a Brutus daughter. Jetset has left an impressive legacy of female progeny.

Grahams Hawkeye

Heterozygous polled bull Hawkeye was by the German sire Tigris and out of French dam Nova, herself the dam of the famous sire Samy, a multi-interbreed winner for the Grahams herd. He carried two copies of the F94L gene

He went back to Jersey and Espoir on his dam’s side and was purchased as a junior herd sire in 2013. He had a beef value of +38.

Knock Maximum

This bull was a heterozygous polled son of the 14,000gns Foxhillfarm Justthejob. His grandsire on his sire’s side was the noted Loosebeare Fantastic, while his granddam on the same side was the renowned cow Bankdale Alice. Sadly this bull was injured while at work in the summer of 2019. He left good evidence of his potential.

McTurk Madras

Madras is a homozygous polled Tigris son out of a McTurk Bushbuck daughter and has a beef value of +38. He has left some good daughters in the herd.

Another heterozygous polled bull, MrFrosty is by Greensons Howlett with Haltcliffe Vermount and Brontemoor Ace of Spades genetics on his dam’s side. He is proving a reliable sire on heifers.

Current Herd Sires

Goodrest TorbjørnThis homozygous polled son of the admired Swedish bull Oddbjorn av Stromvik is out of the well bred heterozygous polled cow Grahams Poppy.

Goodrest Unpocoloco

Sired by the renowned easy calving Swiss bull Ultimo, he is out of a Greensons Isla, a cow with strong North American bloodlines.

Tredon Oniel is a homozygous polled son of the much heralded polled bull Volvo and is adding value in all departments as well as being easy calving.

Hannas Oman

This bull is a heterozygous polled son of Junior, himself a son of the impressive polled bull Jost. His dam is a Kaprico Eravelle daughter. He is living up to his pedigree and figures for easy calving, as well a leaving progeny with great length and shape.

Milord

This is an exceptional heterozygous polled bull, with great length and shape. He was imported from the renowned Chastenet herd in France where he has some impressive progeny on the ground. His strong pedigree includes the much respected Fleuron as his sire.

Greensons Tactician 

This is a new homozygous polled acquisition by the imported French homozygous bull Lego, out of a Tigris-sired dam, with Jacot and Rossignol in her pedigree.

Current polled AI Sires

A number of polled AI sires are currently in use in the herd.

Tigris

This German bred homozygous polled Limousin has been used in recent years to good effect, with a number of females retained by him. He is also sire of our senior stock sire Grahams Hawkeye and homebred junior sire McTurk Madras.

Hinz

Hinz was been used for the first time in 2014. He is potentially a homozygous replacement for Tigris in the breeding programme and we look forward to seeing how his first progeny develop.

Diamant

This heterozygous French bull has been lightly used so far in the herd with good results and we fully expect to use him more widely in due course. He is a son of polled sire Uranos who has himself left some great progeny in many countries.

Greensons Howlett

This bull is an exciting prospect for the future, with this being the first homozygous polled semen available from a UK bred bull. Combining pedigree with excellent figures he goes back to Tarvis and Greensons Gigolo.

Karlos

A German bred homozygous polled bull, he has been used on heifers in the spring of 2018 and carries two copies of F94L gene. We have a number of promising calves on the ground by Karlos.

Sokrates

This German-bred homozygous polled bull carries a copy of the nt821 double-muscle gene.  He is bred from a very strong female line that is consistently producing quality animals with natural heavy fleshing.

Tom 

Another German-bred homozygous polled bull, Tom is long and clean, with a wide top and a great temperament. He carries two copies of the F94L profit gene.