12,000gns for Eranda 5th calver
12,000gns for Eranda 5th calver
By Jeremy Hunt
DESIGNER Holsteins, the new Essex-based consortium of undisclosed breeders, paid the top price of 12,000gns at last weeks dispersal of Ascott Farms Eranda herd.
They fought off strong competition for the fifth calver Templedale Julia Tab, presented in outstanding order by herd manager Peter Prior.
Belying her age and her performance, this Kingstead Valiant Tab daughter has achieved an enviable list of top show wins, including supreme titles at the Royal Norfolk and East of England Shows. She was also a junior champion at the Royal.
Classified Excellent-94-2 and with a PIN(95) +70, she was originally bought at the 1991 Black and White sale for 4400gns. She gave 9600kg as a heifer and went on to almost 14,000kg with her second. Her last lactation was 12,787kg at 4.14% fat and 3.19% protein.
Her month-old heifer calf, Eranda Astre Rosina 3rd, made 4000gns to Cynthia Hall for her Horwood herd in Bucks.
The Eranda herds dispersal brings to an end 36 years of black-and-white breeding at Home Farm, Wing, Leighton Buzzard.
The sale, following Ascott Farms decision to cease milk production, highlighted the influence of Ridgwardine breeding following the purchase of the entire herd from Gerald Dobson Farms in 1971.
This was the springboard of development for cow families such as Blomke, Eva, Juliana and Rika, but Erandas most shrewd move was the purchase of Shopland Edleet Ruth 6th, Royal Show champion in 1975 and World Conference champion the following year.
And the dispersal at Kirkby Thore, Cumbria, saw keen bidding from the 700-plus crowd, producing seven transactions at 5000gns and over.
Eight cows from the Leolafamily averaged 4000gns, andalso produced the days secondhighest price of 6800gns.
The bid came from Hubert Tinkler, Ilkley, West Yorks. He took Eranda Izard Leola 11th for the familys Lowerdene herd. She is by Alpag Valiant Izard and out of an Inspiration dam and averaged well over 11,000kg in her three lactations with a PIN of +£62E.
Close behind at 6600gns was Eranda Rena Rintje 21st, a Very Good classified in-milk second calver by Joylan Renaissance and in-calf to the A Juniper Park son Cottonfarm Paco. She was bought by an undisclosed buyer from Yorkshire.
Prelude came through strongly in the Eranda Prelude Rosina RM, a Very Good-88 classified second calver out of the top priced Julia Tab and representing six generations of Excellent and Very Good cows. She gave 10,500kg as a heifer and was served in February by Eastview Image. Adding to their Janmire herd were J L E and R A Hunter, Otley, West Yorks who paid 6000gns for her.
There were two 5300gns bids. First came for the lightly-marked Eranda Counselor Leola 8th Excellent-90. Bred out of a Starbuck dam, she stood second in the in-calf heifer class at the Royal Show.
She was one of several cattle that notched up over 20,000gns worth of investment by Malpas, Cheshire breeder A V Bailey, owner of the Baileys herd.
Banchory, Kincardineshire buyer Ian Alexander made the other 5300gns bid, one of two purchases made "unseen" on the telephone. Eranda Lincoln Vite 2nd, a blanket-black second calver, gave 12,200kg as a heifer. Hanoverhill Ins FM Sallie, an Inspiration third calver and in-calf to Eastview Image, made 5000gns to D Askew and Sons for their Kibblesworth herd at Gateshead.
AVERAGES: 94 cows and calved heifers £2391; 44 served heifers £1448; eight maiden heifers £905 and one bull £1680. (Norton and Brooksbank)
Herd manager Peter Prior (left) with the 12,000gns top price cow from the Eranda herd, while with her daughter is herdsman Matthew Wright.