Bid battle for ultimate B&W breeding package
Bid battle for ultimate B&W breeding package
By Jeremy Hunt
AUCTIONEER Edward Brown described the nine-month-old Holstein heifer calf Skyhigh Precious Gem as "the ultimate breeding package" as it entered the ring at the 12th Borderway Black-and-White sale at Carlisle.
That view was shared by the bevy of top breeders who launched into a fierce bidding battle to secure this daughter of USA sire Formation taking it to 15,000gns to top the sale.
"She is bred from the world famous Ivory Mark family. She has high index, superb type, modern sire-stack and fashion," said Mr Brown.
Gem was consigned by Mark Shadwick, Dalston, Carlisle and is out of the fresh Bellwood heifer Robthom Amoretta which made $18,000 as a calf. She is the only heifer from the mating (PIN +£108 and ITEM +£111) and was offered with considerable contract interest already shown by leading AI studs.
The intense bidding left Semen World and John Hunter battling it out, with Mr Hunter securing her as a valuable addition to his Watergate herd at Bicester, Oxford.
Pre-sale gossip was buzzing with an anticipated big price for Huddlesford Fatal Kimo offered by the Forward Genetics Syndicate, Lichfield, Staffs comprising Tom and Andy Cope (Huddlesford) and John Buxton (Springsdale).
This yearling, which was second in the intermediate class at the Staffs YMA calf show, was one of the highest indexed in the sale (PIN +£129). She already carries a £2000 bull calf contract from Avoncroft.
Deeply bred to the great Kimo family, her dam is the 12,000kg heifer Painley Jabot Kimo 12th, sold for 6200gns at the Huddlesford sale, and she boasts Primsland Inspiration Kimo as grand-dam. Buyers at 9000gns were Scotia Holsteins, Gordon, Berwickshire.
The sale saw six heifers top 5000gns and 15 make over 3000gns.
An undisclosed buyer from Wales paid 5500gns for Alan Swales Joylan Farms Joylan LL Gloriette 10th, a Lord Lily yearling heifer out of the 17,000gns Joylan Celsius Gloriette which is contracted to Cogent and Avoncroft.
John and Doreen Loftus offered a February-born heifer calf out of the great show and breeding cow Weeton Inspire Balise. Weeton SRI Balise (PIN +£110, ITEM +£114) is maternal sister to Weeton Fatal A Balise that made 11,500gns. This Rudolph daughter heads for the Meinspride herd of R M Lucas, Blackburn, Lancs.
And Alan Swale re-invested some of his Joylan earnings paying 5400gns for Skyhigh Mandel Caysea consigned by Mark Shadwick and Lancs breeders Jim and Robert Burrow (Stardale). This is the first heifer in the UK bred from the high-profile type and production Windermere Cayes family being out of the Cleitus Luke sired Windermere Carat Luke.
Kevin Leach of the Kirkham, Lancs-based Leachfield Holsteins sold Leachfield Star Shower at 5000gns to Alan Bristow for his Alanta herd in Surrey. This yearling Rudolph heifer is out of Glen-Drummond Sally.
AVERAGES six calved cows and heifers £2756, three served heifers £2012, 33 1997 open heifers £2399, 32 1998 open heifers £2359. (Harrison and Hetherington.) *