Linlake Holstein dispersal sees 4,150gns top price

The dispersal of the entire Linlake Herd of pedigree Holsteins took place at Beeston Castle Auction, Cheshire in front of huge crowd of buyers from all parts of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland and Eire.

The herd had been developed by Richard Linnell at South West Farm, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire over the last forty years and the catalogue of its dispersal was certainly one of the best ever published for a Breeders dispersal. The depth of pedigree was phenomenal, over half the animals in the sale were bred from dams with between seven and thirteen generations of VG/EX classification and over 70% of the sale animals were out of dams scored Very Good or Excellent.

The very fact the sale was a complete dispersal and that the breeding and the cattle themselves were so good, no doubt contributed to the huge crowd that traveled to the market. At the end of the day, some 80 individual buyers were recorded representing 30 different counties in England, Wales and Scotland as well as others from Co. Down, Northern Ireland and Co. Cork in the Republic of Ireland.

Trade was blisteringly hot from start to finish with bidding coming from all over the ring for all age groups. The top seller at 4,150gns was the fresh heifer Linlake Shottle G Wonder, who had calved just over a fortnight. She, of course, was one of the many great Shottle daughters in the sale and was one of ten head purchased by D and O Coombes for their Yardgrove Herd at Blandford Forum, Dorset.

Earlier in the sale her outstanding dam, Linlake Goldwyn Wonder (Ex90-4yr), a seventh generation VG/EX who had given over 12000 kg in her third lactation sold dry carrying her fourth calf to Aftershock for February, for 3,600 gns to join Richard Gay’s Walkabout Herd based at Musbury, Devon.

The second top seller was Linlake J Spirte Bubble (Ex90-4yr), a 9th generation VG/EX daughter of Spirte who calved her third in August. She was one of forty animals that made the journey to West Wales (to several different purchasers) and was sold to Roger Morse for his Carmarthen based Cowindale Herd.

Two animals realised 3,700 gns each both going to West Wales; the first at this figure was Linlake Shottle Gold Wonder (VG86-3yr), a second calf full sister to the top selling animal, who now joins Tom Phillips’ noted Pedran Herd at Llanfyrnach and the other being the August calved heifer Linlake Outside Lustre who was purchased by Ken Marshall for his Marshall Herd at Rhydygaeau, Carmarthen.

Ian Showell of the Nuneaton based Moordown Herd selected Linlake Baroque Zindra (VG87-3yr), a second calver who freshened in August and bought her 3,600gns whilst at just 100gns less, the red and white Linlake Bookman Roxy Red ET (VG87-3yr), due with her third in April to Apples Absolute Red sold to Jack and Barclay Taylor for their Burnbrae Herd at Myddle, Shrewsbury. Also at 3,500gns was was the second calf Mr. Minister daughter, Linlake Minister Joy (VG86-3yr) who joins the Coombes’ Yardgrove herd.

The in-calf heifers were a fabulous group and sold really well with five making 3,000gns or more. The top seller in this section was Linlake G Jordan Bubble, by Gillette Jordan who sold to John Lawson’s Sweetings Herd at Carnforth, Lancashire. Messrs Jones of Meidrim Road, St Clears purchased daughters of Fever and Gillette Jordan from the Wonder and Jeanette families at 3,000gns each for their Kalana Herd whilst Andrew Paton buying for his Swansway Herd at Milton Keynes also spent 3,000gns on a Fever daughter from the Jeanette family. The final in-calf heifer at 3000 gns was Linlake Mr.Sam Britta which now make the long journey to Cork selling to Bryan O’Connor.

Maiden heifers sold to 3,100gns for Linlake B Shottle Zindra, a fifteen month daughter of Shottle whose Baroque Allen dam earlier sold for 3,600gns. The purchaser was The Baltier Farming Company of Whithorn, Wigtownshire. A Pine-Tree Sid daughter out of the 3,600gns Goldwyn Wonder sold for 2,350gns to Roger Morse and a Goldwyn from the Joy family sold for 2,100gns to Bryan O’Connor.

Trade was good for everything but the trade of the day was for the heifer calves with the average cracking the four figure mark and the great majority born in the last three months. The top selling calf was for the only red and white – the six week old Linlake Destry Rae by Scientific Destry purchased by Steve Kirk for his Kirkholt Herd at Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Her mother earlier stroked her way to a sale price of 2,700 gns selling to Paul Fenton’s Sprinlebee Herd at Haughton, Stafford. At 2,000gns Rachel Williamson of Wardle Holsteins purchased an eight week old daughter of Gillette Jordan out of the Outside Lustre heifer which sold for 3,700gns and at 1,900 Brian Sutton of Atherstone purchased a Fever heifer from the Brita line for 1900 gns.