Actonfarm herd doubles Western Holstein success
Two heifers from Michael and Jean Gould’s Woodmarsh herd took the championship and reserve honours at last week’s Western Holstein Club show and sale, but John Tomlinson’s Actonfarm herd made the top price of 2000gns.
Another day of lively bidding at Beeston Castle maintained the New Year trend of four-figure averages with the sale’s 56 calved heifers settling at 1221.
Three in-calf heifers levelled at 1032.
And it was a double success for Nantwich dairy farmer Mr Tomlinson who had begun the year with a 6000gns price at this venue three weeks ago.
This time his sale topper was Actonfarm Zenith Sweet – a PI daughter of the popular bull Ocean-View Zenith – offering a glittering pedigree of great cow families.
From nine generations of Ex and VG cows and giving 30kg on the day from an early December calving, she is out of an 11,048kg dam by Highlight Mr Mark Cinder.
Her female line is built on breed matriarchs including Swampy Hollow Elevation Sweet (Ex-94). Buyer was R Hughes, Kilgetty, Dyfed.
Minutes later bidding moved up a gear when Cheshire-based SFR Farming paraded the Pennview Ice Pack-calved heifer Townhouse Ice Pack Eclipse 210th.
Three weeks calved and out of an 11,138kg dam by Cousteau, she stood second in the intermediate heifer class at the club’s calf show.
She was giving almost 35kg on the day and realised 1850gns to Beds buyer Gary Speirs.
Two calved heifers reached 1700gns.
The first, taken by a local but un-named buyer was Burton-on-Trent vendor John Allan’s Leaventhorpe Gibson Amber PI, who has a sire stack including Rubens and Starbuck.
Matching the bid was John Suenson-Taylor’s Grantchester Reggie Dana, a Townson Jed Reggie-daughter taken by F H Cookson and Sons, Altrincham.
A strong consignment from the Goulds’ herd at Shrewsbury included the champion Woodmarsh Integrity Flora 19th taken at 1600gns by Stockton Heath, Newport, which also secured the reserve ticket winner from the herd’s successful Torch family at 1680gns.