On Wednesday the 8^th October at Borderway, Carlisle the 26^th Annual Autumn Holstein Friesian Bull Sale took place in front of a huge crowd of buyers from England, Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland.  Commenting on the sale auctioneer Glyn Lucas said “...the quality on offer today was outstanding; this was without doubt the very best consignment of Holstein bulls ever offered at Borderway”.  The sale topped at 6,000gns and averaged £3167 for a 95% clearance with only three bulls unsold.

The continued success of the sale is down to the breeders who continually strive to improve the breed increasing production, butterfat and protein, lifetime yields combined with ever impressive health traits year on year.  The importance of breeding outcross sires was very evident, bulls with no Goldwyn, Shottle, Oman or Planet bloodlines all sold for a premium.   

Topping the 2014 sale was Kepculloch Summit consigned by Robert Steel, Glasgow.  Summit was a beautiful bull excelling in style and bred from the 2005 Royal Highland Champion, Altona Lea Rudolph Summer EX95. He was sired by De-Su Gillespy a high type sired with great health traits.  Summit sold for 6,000gns to Calum & Steven Innes from Aberdeen.

Selling for 5,800gns was Townlaw Asset consigned by the Sloan family from Darnlaw Farm.  Asset boasted one of the best pedigrees in the sale with his four dams averaging ninety four points on classification.  His third dam was the All Canadian and All American Shoremar S Alicia EX97 regarded as Skychief’s all time best daughter.  This super Numero Uno son was purchased by Messrs Wilson, Wood of Auldbar Farm, Brechin, Angus.

The prize winning Annandale herd consigned ten top herd sires all bred from impeccable pedigrees.  

Some of the Annandale highlights include Annandale Kryptonite bred from the famous Brynfryd Raider Kim cow family.  Kryptonite was a class winner and bred from three generations of cows all producing over sixty ton of milk.  He sold for 5,700gns to AD & A Richardson Ltd, Low Bank End Farm, Appleby-in-Westmorland.

Selling for 5,600gns was the Overall Champion Annandale Lynton, he is potentially the twelfth generation of animals to classify Excellent or Very Good.  His dam was an Excellent Lheros with massive production and huge butterfat and protein; he was purchased by A Sanderson, Croftlands, Cockermouth.

As already mentioned the quality and type on offer was the best ever seen at Borderway, judge Andrew Wilson from Northshields was delighted with his championship line-up “...it has been a honour to be asked to Judge today and the breeders must be praised for this exceptional show, I’ve been extremely impressed with how well these young bulls are grown and how well they all move on super feet and legs”. Judge Wilson said after the show.  His Reserve Champion was also the Production Champion, Berryholme Dynamic consigned by the Wright family from Kendal.  He was a son of the National Holstein Show Champion Berryholme Shottle Flo and sired by high type sire, Dude.  He sold for 5,700gns to Steven & Anne Morley from the Petteril herd, based near Southwaite, Carlisle.

Gerrard Mario was one of the bulls that had created much of the talk prior to the sale; he was bred from the famous Denmire Strom Marie cow family.  His dam was a Pagewire daughter with almost 6% butterfat in her third lactation having given over 13,000kgs.  This outcross sire sold for 5,500gns to J. Gatherer, Cumnock, Ayrshire.

Kevin & Christine Wilson from the Warnelview herd sold ten very classy young bulls all bred from pedigrees with super butterfat and protein and dams with terrific classifications.  Topping this remarkable group of bulls was Warnelview Burnett sired by McCormick and bred from a Champion dam with over 100 ton of milk lifetime and had classified Excellent seven times.  He sold for 5,200gns to Messrs Wilson, Uldale, Wigton.

Auctioneer Glyn Lucas summed up the 26^th Annual Holstein Friesian bull sale “to average over £3100 and to sell 95% is very rewarding and once again reinforces that this event is the best place in the UK to buy quality Holstein bulls”.

Average - 56 Bulls    £3167.18

Leading Prices

Prize List