6000gns Indianhead cow tops Leachfield Holsteins
The Leachfield Holstein herd, owned by the Leach family at Barnacre, near Preston, Lancashire, was dispersed to a top price of 6000gns this week for a third calver imported from the Indianhead herd.
Colin Leach and his wife Karen are heading for Canada, following Mr Leach’s brother Kevin’s emigration two years ago.
Their decision to disperse the herd put 300 head on the market with genetics that contributed to the herd’s show successes in the 1990s.
The catalogue boasted descendents of the famous Glenridge Cocoa and Roybrook Corrie families, but it was the Indianhead entry that created most interest.
Indianhead Storm Dancer, bought at the Black and White sale in 2002 for 4200gns, is full sister to Indianhead Stormy, sold at the Indianhead sale in 2002 for CAN$34,000.
She is classified Excellent-90 and was one of several leading bids from Tegwyn and Mary Davies of South Wales’ Henllan Farms, home of their Caeremlyn herd.
Leachfield Dancing Blackrose, her April-born calf by Mesland Duplex, heads for Northern Ireland with Co Armargh buyers Willis Farms at 4700gns.
But the success of the Cocoa family saw a 3500gns call from R M Lucas, buying for his Meinspride herd at Blackburn, Lancashire.
He chose Leachfield Stormatic Cocoa, a VG-86 daughter of Leachfield Silky Cocoa.
She had given 8662kg as a heifer and was AI’d in March to Terrason.
Leachfield Leduc Blackrose, an in-milk heifer out of the top-priced lot, realised 3400gns to join her dam at Caeremlyn.
At 3000gns P Mercer of Crewe took Leachfield Progress Mitzie – an in-milk heifer bred from nine successive generations of Excellent and VG cows and out of an 11,100kg Enhancer dam.
Also at 3000gns and bound for Caeremlyn was Indianhead Leduc Royal.
This ET-bred third calver is out of Ernest-Anthony HR Rozine and had given 11,800kg with her second.
Northern Ireland breeder Hugh Find took two ET-bred sisters at 2700gns securing served heifers from the Yvonne family by Terrason and Stormatic.
Averages: 110 cows and calved heifers 1352; 44 served heifers 976; 54 maiden heifers 640. (Norton & Brooksbank)