Top bid of 7,000gns at Southern Classic sale
Pedigree dairy cattle breeders braved icy conditions to attend the first Southern Classic sale at Bristol Sales Centre to take bidding to a top of 7,000gns, but while there were buyers and bidders present from throughout the UK the response from the ringside to some lots reflected the weather conditions outside.
“The sale was well supported from all the home nations, but trade was selective with a number of animals passing through the ring because they failed to meet vendors’ expectations,” commented joint auctioneer Glyn Lucas.
The day kicked off to an enthusiastic start with the 7,000gns call coming quickly for Moorshard Talented Shower Red VG89 consigned by Monmouthshire-based Sahara Holsteins.
With herd manager David Jones at the helm, this much-admired excellent mammary daughter of Ladino Park Talent was reckoned by some ringsiders to have “just about a perfect udder”. And Mr Jones made it clear to the crowd what he thought of her: “She is the best cow in-milk I’ve ever offered at public auction”.
Talented Shower had taken the interbreed heifer in-milk title at the 2011 Royal Welsh Show and was due with her third calf in September. She hails from the world renowned Shower family that came originally from Glen Drummond – famous for its proven sires and prolific bull dams. Her sire stack includes Shottle, Rubens, Aaron and Dombinator and she is out of the 13,787 litre Moorshard Spottie Shower Ex91 VGEX. The 7,000gns call came from an undisclosed bidder from Carmarthenshire.
Despite the hesitancy of the ringside there was a wealth of proven genetics up for grabs and one pedigree that had created plenty of interest ahead of the sale belonged to Willsbro Lila Z Altaross brought to the sale by local breeders Ashlea Holsteins of Bristol.
This daughter of Bosside Altaross had calved in mid-March and certainly came up to the expectations of her genetics – “A classy two-year-old in udder and frame,” was the comment from the rostrum.
She is out of Acecroft Goldwyn Lila Z that was sold to the Willsbro herd in the first EX Factor sale for 27,000gns. Her next dam is the All Canadian Lylehaven Lila Z EX94 – without doubt a modern day legend with the Holstein breed when she sold for $1,150,000 in 2005. The Willsbro heifer certainly sent a buzz around the ring and was knocked down for 5,600gns. She joins the herd of Larchwood Holsteins, Caldicot, Monmouthshire.
Progeny of Tri-Day Ashlyn EX96 have been in big demand from the day she hit the headlines as a three-year-old at the 2000 World Dairy Expo. And her supreme championship victories at both the World Dairy Expo and the Royal Winter Fair the following year re-affirmed her appeal. Her daughters have gone on to be “All Americans” and several of her great granddaughters are currently topping the type charts around the world.
And from this great family came one of the most fancied lots at the sale – St Brides Ashlyn Seagirl consigned by G Lewis, Haverfordwest.
By Gen-I-Beq Seagual and out of Sterndale Ashlyns Gold VG89 that sold for 20,000gns in the Sale of the Century, her next dam is Smiddiehill Durm Ashlyn that was intermediate champion at the 2010 National Holstein Show. Seagirl heads for Pembrokeshire with an undisclosed buyer.
Castellhyfryd Windbrook Rosina, a Gillette Windbrook daughter, was consigned by S and S Davies, Hebron, Whitland, Carmarthenshire from their much admired Rosina family. She is out of Castellhyfryd Jasper Rosina and has the big winning Saxelby Aaron Rosina EX95-5E as grand-dam. She realised 3,500gns to G Lewis, Haverfordwest.
An embryo package from the same vendor offering embryos out of Castellhyfryd Spirte Rosina by Mr Atwood Brokaw sold for 800gns a embryo to David McMiken, Castle Douglas, Scotland.
Loford Fever Marci, consigned by Loford Holsteins, Bideford, Devon, looked every inch a potential big-show winner. By Crackholm Fever and out of the Excellent 92 Loford Shottle Marci 15th, she has the Excellent 91 Loford Rudolph Marci, as grand-dam. This heifer impressed for her style and class and was clearly in the sights of several well-known showmen. She made 3,100gns to T R Quick, Bridgwater, Somerset.
Averages: cows in-milk £4882; heifers in-milk £3517; served heifers £2835; maiden heifers £2362 and heifer calves £2016.
(Harrison and Hetherington with Gwilym Richards).