County bulls' sale makes history

A Shropshire farmer has made history by selling two pedigree bulls for a record-breaking 60,000 guineas, and said it was "as exciting as getting married".

Robert Lane, who rears Aberdeen Angus cattle at his Edgmond farm, amazed onlookers at the annual Perth bull sales when Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary paid 32,000 guineas - £33,600 - for his prize bull.

And the news got even better when his second bull fetched 28,000 guineas moments later.

"My knees were knocking," Mr Lane explained. "The only feeling I can compare it to is getting married. You know, the bit where you're standing in the church waiting for your bride to walk down the aisle. When the second bull fetched 28,000 guineas it was like having a honeymoon again."

Mr Lane and his wife Vanessa have bred the Aberdeen Angus cattle for the last 30 years but have never got anywhere near the price paid at the auction on Tuesday.

The highest price they had received before was 13,000 guineas. The pair have been faithful exhibitors at the February Perth sales for a quarter of a century but won the two top prizes for the first time.

Mr Lane added: "The atmosphere in the ring was electric. After the first bull sold there must have been about 200 people in the ring and they all stood up and started clapping. Then the same happened when my second bull sold."

The fact that buyer number one was the boss of Ryanair made the experience all the more surreal. Mr Lane said: "I still can't quite believe the chain of events. When I spoke to Mr O'Leary afterwards he said there was no way he wasn't going to go home with my bull. The money just kept going up and he just kept bidding."

It's not only a huge boost to the Lanes bank balance but to the farming industry as a whole, showing that premium prices can still be attained. Of course, for Mr Lane there was another factor too. "It's always nice to beat the Scots in their own backyard," he said.