The Stars of Sahara Sale really hit the highlights at Beeston Castle Auction on Friday 24th February following the decision of Sheikha Noora Al Khalifa to reduce the numbers of animals in her highly respected Sahara Herd which included the dispersal of all young stock carrying the Sahara prefix. The sale was further enhanced by the inclusion of guest consignments from David and Claire Jones’ Wiltor Herd and from their daughters’ Emma and Lucy’s Showgirl Herd.

Sahara has in recent years been a leader in terms of genetic progress within the breed and the catalogue published for the sale was a production which contained cutting edge pedigrees for genomics and type merit as well as representing wonderful international cow families in the back ground which were infused with a high degree of show type.

A huge crowd was forward with animals going to breeders in Scotland to Devon, West Wales to Essex as well as Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The sale leader at 11000 gns was the first animal into the ring Sahara Mascalese Ambrosia (VG88-3yr) who gave almost 10000 kg as a heifer and had freshened with her second last August and was giving 47 kg daily. She had recently been PD’d incalf to KH Cinderdoor. She had a wonderful pedigree and was from the heart of the Ashlyn family. After a frenetic round of bidding, the hammer eventually fell to an 11000 gns bid from Nick Sercombe of Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Her wonderful dam, Sahara Atwood Ambrosia 5th (EX93-4yr) was the next animal to be sold; this amazing cow is a previous Interbreed Champion at the Royal Welsh, has yields in excess of 12000 kg and was sold dry calving in March with sexed semen to Kerdntway Kingpin. She sold for the sale’s third highest price of 9000 gns to Oliver Williams of Covington, Cambridgeshire for his Rosehip Herd.

Mr Williams also purchased two more of the great young cows in the sale; the first of these was the max score Sahara Numero Uno Jamaica, a (VG89) second calver, who was due again in May with her third to KH Cinderdoor. As well as having a top type score she also has a GPLI of +£421 and is a daughter of the renowned Hood ATM Jessica EX94-2E who has already bred 11 VG daughters. Jamaica sold for 7800 gns. Oliver Williams’ other purchase was the third of the three max score cows in the sale – and he bought all three. He paid 7500 gns for Sahara Windy Tessie (Ex93-4yr), a daughter of Windbrook and the 11th generation of VG/EX cows from the Shower family. She has won many prizes at leading shows and is the current All Britain Junior 3yr. She sold for 7500 gns

The next milker in the price list was the heifer Sahara Jacey Jamaica 4th (VG85-2yr), a daughter of Coyne Farms Jacey and out of the 7800 gns Numero Uno Jamaica. As well as being a lovely heifer with a tremendous future she also has great figures with a type merit of +2.29 and a GPLI of +£489. She calved in November, had recently been PD’d incalf to Seagull-Bay Jo Dancer and sold for 4200 gns to join the Bilsrow Herd of David and James Tomlinson at Bilsborrow, Preston.

The second highest bid of the day was 10000 gns for Sahara Harper Iola, a yearling heifer by Cookiecutter Harper and bred from six generations of VG/EX dams from the Dellia family. This was a very special heifer as she is the Number 1 Harper in the world and has a RZG of 163 and a GPLI of +£628 as well as a type merit of +2.11. She also sold with Contract interest from the German AI stud, Masterrind. Again after a flurry of bidding the hammer fell to AOL Genetics of Southern Scotland which is owned by the Annan, Overside and Logan Herds.

Next in the price list and the leading heifer calf was the August born Wiltor Beemer Sara; sired by Pol Bugtte MC Beemer and bred from a fantastic line of cows from the multi-award winning Sara family this beautiful calf sold to JD & ME Holgate of Rathmell, North Yorkshire for their Aliann Herd.

The top priced in-calf heifer was another member of the Jessica family; Sahara Mardi Gras Jessie ET is out of a full sister to the 7800 gns Jamaica and is due in March to Jedi; she sold for 4800 gns to Brian O’Connor of Kanturk, Co. Cork.

TOP PRICES: GNS

Lot 101 SAHARA MASCALESE AMBROSIA (VG88-3YR) NJ & LC Sercombe, Lutterworth, Leicestershire 11000

Lot 109 SAHARA HARPER IOLA ET AOL Genetics, Annan, Dumfriesshire 10000

Lot 103 SAHARA ATWOOD AMBROSIA 5TH ET (EX93-4YR) J O Williams, Covington, Cambridgeshire 9000

Lot 112 SAHARA NUMERO UNO JAMAICA ET (VG89) J O Williams, Covington, Cambridgeshire 7800

Lot 125 WILTOR BEEMER SARA JD & ME Holgate, Rathmell, N.Yorkshire 7500

Lot 149 SAHARA WINDY TESSIE ET (EX93-4YR) J O Williams, Covington, Cambridgeshire 7500

Lot 117 SAHARA MARDI GRAS JESSIE ET B O’Connor, Kanturk, Eire 4800

Lot 114 SAHARA JACEY JAMAICA 4TH (VG85-2YR) DJ & S Tomlinson, Bilsborrow, Lancashire 4200

Lot 131 WILTOR MESDOOR JODIE ET John Smith, Essex 3600

Lot 152 SAHARA PERFEKT P ET (VG88) DT & MA Jones, Edern, Pwllheli 3000

Lot 124 SAHARA JEDI PARADISE C Baty, Nantwich, Cheshire 3200

Lot 133 WILTOR PENMANSHIP GYPSY W W Neilson, Strathaven, Lanarkshire 3200

Lot 163 SAHARA SKY ET (EX90-2E) D B Kippax & Sons, Preston, Lancashire 3100

Lot 123 SAHARA BALISTO PARADISE ET (VG86-2YR) JM & BS Jones, Caldicot, Monmouthshire 3000

AVERAGES:

16 Cows and Heifers in milk (including 3 Bull calves at £962.50) £4597.03; 4 Served Heifers £2992.50; 21 Maiden Heifers £2280.00; 14 Heifer Calves £2310.00. 55 Head £3013.50.

WRIGHT MARSHALL of Beeston Castle Auction, Cheshire were the Auctioneers.