Tarnbrook Holstein dispersal reaches 5800gns

Tarnbrook Holsteins

 One of Lancashire’s most respected Holstein herds went under the hammer this week as part of a business re-organisation plan for the France family who run the Tarnbrook herd at Quernmore near Lancaster – and from the overall average of £2582 for 109 head and a top price of 5800gns it was clear that buyers were keen to make substantial investments in the proven achievements of this 70-year-old herd.

In-calf and maiden heifers drummed up some of the day’s fiercest competition among the 400-strong crowd and it was the in-milk heifer Tarnbrook Melody that finished on top making 5800gns to North Yorkshire buyer J Metcalfe, Leyburn.

This Shottle daughter is out of Woodmarsh Journalist Melody 16(Ex-90) and goes back to the heavy milking Comely Southwind Melody Ex-93 that achieved four lactations over 15,500kg. Tarnbrook Melody was AI’d in November to Goldwyn.

The herd’s location on a 600ft high moorland farm in the Trough of Bowland makes its long-standing performance even more notable and certainly produced some inspired bidding from the ringside.

Among two Northern Ireland buyers taking some of the choicest lots was I Robinson from Co Down. He gave 5700gns for Aldingham Stormatic Ghost 2, a second calver out of a Raider dam. 

She had given 9871kg in 305 days of her second note and was still giving over 18kg. Ghost 2 – bought for 3700gns at the Werthyr sale in 2006 – was breed champion at Northumberland Show last year. She was in-calf to Outside.

The first of three lots to make 5000gns was Tarnbrook Dream 288 from one of the herd’s most successful families. This VG-89 second calf daughter of Outside was AI’d to Shottle in December. Buyers were T G and G F Vaughan, Pembrokeshire.

Also bound for Northern Ireland at 5000gns was Tarnbrook Ghost. This in-calf heifer – AI’d to Den-K Marshall LL Laurin last month – is by Shottle and out of Stormatic Ghost  2.  She joins L A McMurray’s herd in Co Down.

Making up the 5000gns trio was the maiden heifer Tarnbrook Dream 323. This Shottle daughter is out of a Leduc dam and goes to Blandford Forum, Dorset buyer D Coombes.

Another from the same family – the calved heifer Dream 311 – made 4600gns to A H Wilson for his Tregibby herd in Cardigan. She is by Emory Blitz and out of a 9000kg dam by Jordan. And at 4400gns Mr McMurray was in again to secure Tarnbrook Dream 315 – another Shottle-sired maiden heifer AI’d to Goldwyn last November.

Averages: 73 cows and calved heifers £2776; 16 served heifers £2602; 16 maiden heifer £2150 and four bulls £682. (Norton and Brooksbank).