The largest crowd ever seen around the Beeston Dairy Cattle ring gathered from all corners of the country for the first sale to disperse one of the most famous herds of pedigree black and whites in the country - the Holmland Herd, the property of Steve, Patricia and Craig Bell of Forest Hill, Bowscar, Penrith, travelled from their Cumbria base and were sold to herds from southern Scotland to south coast of England, all over Wales and into Northern and Southern Ireland too. In all 136 different buyers were recorded.

The sale achieved many high prices with no less than 22 animals selling for 4000 gns or more to a top of 14500 gns with another at 11000 gns. The top seller was the milking heifer Holmland Goldwyn Adeen (VG86-2yr), a daughter of the third generation Excellent Durham daughter, Lavenham Adeen ET (Ex90 & SP). She calved in May and gave 33 kg. at the first recording and sold in a threeway split to Richard Bown of Richaven Holsteins, Malvern, Worcs, Graham Kirby of Absolute Genetics, Kirkham, Lancs and to MJ & LJ Robertson of Ashlea Farm Services, Porton, Bristol. Her six week old heifer calf by Sicy Knowledge was the joint top selling calf and sold for 4000 gns to Wills Bros’ Willsbro Herd of Wadebridge, Cornwall.

Next in the price list was Holmland Goldwyn Rose (VG88-2yr) who sold for the second top price of 11000 gns. This outstanding heifer is approaching the end of her first lactation and is due again in early October to Gillette Windbrook. She is the 8th generation of cows classified in the top two grades and is bred from the famous Bosdale Rose family and now joins the noted Woodmarsh Herd of the Goulds at Bomere Heath, Shrewsbury.

The next lot in the ring following Rose was Holmland Lheros Marq I (VG89-3yr), a second calver who freshened in March and was sold giving 45 kg a day. She is the 15th generation of cows classified VG/EX and sold to D G Jenkins of Aberystwyth for his Elery herd.

Selling at 6000 gns was another fresh heifer, Holmland Ross Triunna, whose five nearest dams are all scored Excellent and tracing to the Wilsondale Tracy family. She now joins the Cracking Herd of CSA Brassington & Son of Roden, Telford.

One of the most fancied young cows was Holmland Lee Princess Bee (EX92 & SP). This beautiful daughter of Lee is the sixth generation of cows classified Excellent has given two yields over 13000 kg and is due in January with her fourth to Braxton. She sold to Duncan Horsley for his Woodcatt Herd at Catterlen, Penrith. Princess Bee had twin daughters in the sale, one of which, Talent L Princess Bee born last August was the top selling maiden heifer at 5000 gns and now joins the Roundhill Herd of Hugh Finch at Loughgilly, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland.

The top lot selling to Scotland was the much admired fresh heifer Holmland Toystory Pledge ET who realised 5600 gns; she is a daughter of a VG89 Titanic whose dam is the world famous (Ex95-3E) Pledge she sold giving 37 kg. to join the Baltier Farming Company’s up and coming Baltier Herd at Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire. They also purchased the other joint top selling heifer calf, Holmland Sid Marie ET. She was born in early May has four high yielding and high scoring VG sisters and has four generations of EX94 dams in direct line behind her.

Graham Pierce of the Chester based Milwr Herd picked up the beautiful Holmland Shottle Ghost (Ex91-4yr) (Ex93-MS) for 5500 gns. She is milking with her third calf and is back in calf for January to Talent. At just 100 gns less was the very smart young cow Holmland Gold Glora (VG88-3yr) (Ex-MS), a daughter of Solid Gold Colby she calved her second in Apil and was sold giving almost 50 kg to Martin Evans of Oswestry for his Priddbwll Herd.

The only other animal to break the £5k mark was Willsbro Advent Jodie (Vg85-2yr), an April calved heifer by Advent who sold for 5200 gns in a two split between Rob Swain of the Market Drayton based Shavington Herd and Philip Gilman of the Lilleshall Herd at Newport, Shropshire.

There were a small group of elite Jerseys in the sale and they sold incredibly well and were topped at 4000 gns for the fresh second calver Adorable Comerica Ginny Belle (VG87-2yr); owned by Patricia Bell who has donated the proceeds of this heifer to charity in aid of BrainsTrust, she was purchased by the Brassington’s for their Cracking Herd.

TOP PRICES: GNS

AVERAGES:

HOLSTEINS: 129 Cows and Milking Heifers (including 52 heifer calves at £1825.38 and 3 Bull calves at £1050.00) £3664.82;

72 Maiden Heifers £2033.65;

2 Bulls £3307.50.

182 LOTS £3082.75.

JERSEYS: 6 Cows and Milking Heifers £2380.00; 2 Served Heifers £1260.00; 3 Maiden Heifers £1715.00. 11 LOTS

1995.00

WRIGHT MANLEY of Beeston Castle Auction, Cheshire and Harrison and Hetherington of Carlisle were the Auctioneers