Weeton Holsteins disperse to 38,000gns

A mouth-watering catalogue of Holstein cattle from one of the UK’s leading herds, offered in a blue-tongue free zone to a massive crowd of buyers committed to spending plenty of cash. It doesn’t get much better.

So it was no surprise that the second sale to disperse the milking portion of the Weeton herd in Lancashire netted £670,000, produced a top bid of 38,000gns and levelled 153 lots at £4370.

Herd owners John and Doreen Loftus witnessed a phenomenal trade for their cattle at Weeton, near Kirkham with 11 deals over 10,000gns including 41 over 4000gns – a clear indication of the depth of the demand.

Weeton Oralie Talent Very-Good-87 2yr, a November calved heifer out of a 10,274kg Canyon-Breeze Allen, has a PLI+£144. AI’d in March to Emerald-Acr-SA T-Baxter, she was on everyone’s wish-list and realised 38,000gns to one of the UK’s top herd’s – although the owners wish to remain anonymous.

The top three bids came for members of the Oralie family and it was Anthony Wills who made the day’s second highest call of 25,500gns to add yet another gem to the family’s breath taking collection of Holstein genetics in its Willsbro herd in Cornwall.

He secured Weeton Talent Oralie Very-Good-87 2yr (PLI+£137) who had given 9700kg with her first calf and was sold dry to calve in June to Nor Bert Calypso.

The dam of the sale’s two top prices – Weeton Oralie Allen (PLI+£158) – made 22,000gns but didn’t appear in the sale-ring. She had just calved and was “off-colour” – a minor inconvenience that didn’t deter Anthony Wills who took her as one of his four purchases.

The third calver Weeton Journalist Helen, reserve supreme champion at the Northern Expo event in 2005 and Hon Mention RHS 2006, joins Paul Rawcliffe’s Almond herd in Scotland at 15,000gns. She’s out of an Excellent-95 Integrity dam and was in-calf to Goldwyn.

Also at 15,000gns was Weeton Gold Star Ebony Very Good-97 2yr, an in-milk heifer by Goldwyn and out of the 50-tonne show winner Weeton Blackstar Ebony. She goes to Michael Potter for his Liberty View herd at Stonehouse, Gloucestershire along with her T-Baxter sired heifer calf taken at 7000gns.

Goldwyn daughters were once again fiercely in demand. Edward and Euan Morgan of the Erie herd in Carmarthenshire gave 11,500gns for Weeton Goldwyn Irene Very Good-87 2yr.

Cheshire breeders Roston Partners from Winsford paid 11,000gns Weeton Lyster C Ebony Very Good-89 – a second calver in-calf to T-Baxter and tracing back to the 17,000kg Mascot daughter EB Carmen.

Jimmy Hodge added Weeton Allen R Annette Very Good-86 2yr to his Leamington herd in Berwickshire and F Allan, Co Antrim matched the bid to secure Weeton Freeman Balise – a second calver who has the big winner Weeton Balise Excellent-95 as third dam.

Volume buyers included T and G Vaughan, Pembrokeshire who took 11 head while Kevin Thomas from Whitland, Dyfed went home with 10.

Averages: 136 cows and calved heifers £4525; six served heifers £3605 and 11 bulls £2873. (Norton and Brooksbank with Wright Manley).