Dream machine fetches top price at Penrith
Dream machine fetches top price at Penrith
By Jeremy Hunt
A daughter of the huge show cow Smiddiehill Jed Erle led the trade at 6400gns when a selection of 78 Holstein cattle from 35 of the UKs leading herds was offered at the Sale Centre, Penrith.
The New Century Sale, sponsored by farmers weekly, drew a good crowd but dairy breeders were not easily parted with their cash. An average of £1509 was achieved for just 30 lots.
The Field of Dreams Syndicate from Newport, Shropshire, held the key to prizing the days largest investment from breeders when it paraded two daughters of the great Jed Earl. John Gough, one of the syndicates members, brought out the April 1999-bred heifers – by Fatal and Formation.
Smiddiehill Jed Erle RM EX 94-4yr has had a glittering show career and stood intermediate champion at last years Royal Show and achieved Honourable Mention All Britain Four-Year-Old before being sold in a private deal to the expanding pedigree interests at Grosby Lodge Estate in Leics.
Wil Armitage, herd manager for Peter Dixon-Smiths Lyons herd in Leics, took the bidding to 6400gns and from the pairing, offered for choice, he selected Field of Dreams Fatal Erle 2nd.
Grosby Lodge Estate paid 3000gns for another entry from the same vendors and bred out of another top show cow, Avondale Skychief Oprah. The nine-month-old Field of Dreams LPS Oprah is by La-Poe Shark and was third in the Summer Calf class at the National Holstein Show 1999.
Red breeding did not deter buyers when faced with the deeply-bred Leachfield Rudolph Mitzie from the Preston, Lancashire herd of R E and S J Leach. The August 1998-bred Mitzie is out of Ballybeeny Jed Mitzie – purchased from the Ballybeeny sale at 4200gns – and is descended from the great red cow Ron-Nan Enhance Molli-Red. Buyer at 2500gns was Brian Whitfield.
A telephone bid from Richard Yapp secured Heartbeat Rudolph Lulu at 2500gns. Consigned from Chris Harts herd in Wilts this in-calver was due in June to Kregnol Top Luke and is bred out of the 11,000kg Quality Jed Lady that was sold for 6200gns in the same ring five years ago.
Although Michael Hughes from Chester was first in the ring his Quality Astre Friendly made 2000gns. Her dam, by Astro Jet, gave 11,100kg as a heifer and she has the potential to become a fifth generation EX. Buyers were Bromstead Hall Farms, Shropshire.(Norton and Brooksbank). *