Tripleblues top out at 2900gns
North Yorkshire dairy farmers Gordon and Claire Beresfords’ decision to leave dairying saw 156 Holsteins from their Tripleblue herd reach a top price of 2900gns.
Sold on farm at Halton West, near Skipton, the total herd of 136 head averaged £1037, with 92 cows levelling at £948.
It was a grand-daughter of the renowned matron Grantchester Heather 8th that stirred most interest among salegoers.
The calved heifer Tripleblue Jordan Heather 2nd, a Roylane Jordan daughter, is out of Ensdon Prelude Heather 4th, who was part of the 140 head bought from the Ensdon and Claybury herds for restocking after foot-and-mouth.
She calved in May and was giving almost 40kg when recorded at 48 days.
The buyer was C Middleton for his Mittonvale herd.
Geoff Booth, who runs the Dowshawdale herd at Keighley, West Yorkshire, made the next two highest bids.
He gave 2100gns for Tripleblue Capri Empress, a VG-87 Capri daughter that gave 10,144kg as a heifer and calved with her second in March. She is out of the 15,695kg Ensdon Jewel Empress.
Mr Booth also gave 2000gns for Tripleblue Jordan Heather 3rd, a freshly calved heifer with the Grantchester cow as third dam.
Calved heifers were the talk of the sale, with 17 averaging over £1600.
And even served heifers for autumn calving were chased hard.
Only three failed to make four figures with the top of 1450gns paid for a Jordan daughter.
Mr Booth was busy throughout the day making two 1900gns calls for a Grantchester Combination second calver, in-calf to Far-O-La Debbie-Jo Decker and a calved heifer by Zenith from the Ensdon Nightmare family.
Messrs Booth and Middleton accounted for most of the cattle over 1600gns although Latham Farms from Newark, Nottinghamshire, were volume buyers lower down the list adding to their Mickleborough herd.
The sale of the Tripleblue herd – the highest yielding herd in Yorkshire for the past two years with a yield of 11,241kg – will enable the Beresfords to develop their expanding dairy hygiene business.
Averages: 92 cows £948. 17 calved heifers £1609 and 19 served heifers £1144 and eight recently served and maiden heifers £592.
(Norton & Brooksbank)