Sterndale and Peak Elite sale tops 10,000gns

Prices peaked at 10,000gns at Bill Nadin and Yasmin Bradbury’s Sterndale and Peak Elite Sale, Buxton, Derbyshire, on the weekend (28 June).

Top seller was the 11-month-old heifer Sterndale Explode Ashlyn, a daughter of Wabash-Way Explode with four Excellent dams behind her pedigree. Buyer Peter Prior of Designer Holsteins of Essex.

Selling for the day’s second highest price of 9,000gns to Ben and Nia Llewellin, from the Carby herd, Pembrokeshire, was another Goldwyn daughter; the seven-year-old Sterndale Goldwyn Ghost (Ex92).

This powerful black cow boasted big production figures. She gave over 13,000kg in her last lactation at 5% fat and 3.4% protein. She sold carrying her fifth calf to Mardi Gras and is due in November.

Sharing the ride home with her was her yearling daughter Sterndale Meridian Ghost, sired by Sully Hart Meridian, for 3800gns.

Next best at 7,300gns was Sterndale Snowy Rae – the first milking Snowman to be sold in the UK. She calved in April and is currently giving 34kg daily. She is bred from 10 generations of EX/VG dams. Her dam Sterndale Goldwyn Rae won All Britain Senior Heifer in 2011. Purchaser was Andrew McAuley, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Just shy of this at 7,200gns was the August 2011 born Sterndale Alexander Ashlyn (VG87-2yr). Sired by Golden Oaks ST Alexander she is out of Smiddiehill Durm Ashlyn and gave 7,034kg in her first lactation. Due with her second next January to El Bombero she was purchased for 7,200gns by Robert Veitch, Tarbolton, Ayrshire.

Second in the ring was her maternal sister and the top lot’s six-year-old dam Sterndale Gold Ashlyn (Ex91). Sired by Goldwyn she is also out of Smiddiehill Durm Ashlyn Ex90. Ashlyn won the All Britain Junior heifer in milk in 2010. She sold carrying her fourth calf to Bombero, due in January, and currently giving 28kg for 6,900gns to Nick Sercombe Knaptoft, Leicestershire.

Earning 6,500gns was the red October 2013 born calf Sterndale Colts Jodie Red. Sired by Sandy-Valley Colt P Red she is out of Sterndale Sterling Jodie Red (VG87-2yr), who sold for 10,000gns at the Global Classic sale in 2012 and was Grand Champion Red and White UK Dairy Expo last year. She caused an avalanche of bidding, but was eventually secured by D Buchanan of Happy Holsteins, Newry, Co. Down.

The final consignment earning over 6,000gns was the October ’13 calf Sterndale Dorcy S Ghost by Coyne-Farms Dorcy and out of Sterndale Shot Ghost (Ex90-4yr). She was knocked down to MN Davies, Clynderwen, Pembrokeshire, for 6,200gns.

AVERAGES: 15 cows, £5166.00; 15 maiden heifers, £3,885; four heifer calves, £3,438.75; six bulls £2082.50; 44 head, £4035; 27 embryos, £605.89.