Philip Halhead of leading AI company Norbreck Genetics has announced this week the private purchase of the Aberdeen-Angus bull Rawburn Fast Ball P844. 

Commenting on his purchase, Mr Halhead, who also runs a small pedigree herd of Aberdeen-Angus and intends to use Fast Ball for his use said: “Fast Ball brings with him a host of opportunity for beef producers with his rare combination of high performance figures and show winning type.

“Predominantly picked for his calving ease EBVs combined with high growth EBVs, our dairy farmer customers will benefit from using Fast Ball as cows will be easily calved and calves will have great vigour and growth rates.”

Bred by Messrs John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, Fast Ball is by Rawburn Dublin K218, the highest Terminal Index Sire index bull in the UK with a figure of +68 and the second highest Self Replacing Index sire in UK, with a figure of +79. Fast Ball himself is ranked in the top 1% for both TSI and SRI. Dublin’s sons this year are the highest averaging sire group in the herd’s history, according to John Elliot Jnr.

Fast Ball’s dam, Rawburn Flower K096, is a product of the Rawburn embryo programme and is out of a female purchased at the Hoff Scotch Cap dispersal in South Dakota who is by the Canadian show bull GH Coverboy Eric.

Breeder John Elliot added: “Fast ball is one of the most complete bulls we have bred for both performance and phenotype. It is rare that a bull with such staggering growth has such easy calving. We had intended to keep Fast Ball as a herd sire at Rawburn primarily for use on the heifers to ensure easy calving without compromising growth potential. Now through AI we intend to use the bull heavily in the Rawburn herd in 2016.”

Semen will be available in September from Norbreck Genetics and, following the completion of a calving survey, from Semex UK.