It took a little over three weeks, once the decision had been made to advertise, market, catalogue and conduct a sale of cutting edge Holsteins from the highly respected Sahara and Wiltor Herds, the property of Sheikha Noora Alkhalifa and Dave and Claire Jones of Church Farm, Wilcrick, Magor, Monmouthshire.

The sale was promoted under the banner ‘Passion for Pedigree’ in the belief that even in these turbulent and troubled times for all milk producers there was still a passion for pedigree breeding and top quality individuals in the Holstein breed. Dave and Claire Jones who manage the Sahara cattle as well as their own Wiltor Herd were fully aware that prices that may have been achieved would not reach the heights of a couple years ago but with over 70 heifers carrying embryo pregnancies to calve this year room had to be made somewhere at Church Farm. So a sale had to happen and Dave and Claire put a wonderful catalogue together featuring show cows and calves as well as heifers at the leading edge of genomic genetics. In fact never before had a catalogue been produced in the UK featuring so many high genomic animals.

So good was the catalogue and pre-sale marketing that potential buyers gathered from all over the country from Central Scotland down to the South Coast as well as Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. When the first animal came in, the ring was packed such was the interest in the sale which was absolutely brilliant to and vindicated the decision, which many considered fairly risky, to hold the sale.

The choice was fantastic throughout and it was a show cow that led the way – Ortongrange Snowman Alysia (VG89) (Max score) (EX-MS), a second calf daughter of Snowman who was All-Britain Junior Heifer In-milk 2014 and who had two EX94 dams! She gave 10000 kg as a heifer and was giving almost 50 kg in her second having calved in early January. She was the first to be sold; bidding opened at 5000 gns with other bids flying in from all over and eventually the hammer was knocked down at 10000 gns to Stephen Robinson of Crossgar, County Down, Northern Ireland for his Cluntagh Herd. A great start to the sale. Her November born Doorman ET calf then came in and made 2400 gns to Ruth Harper of Dearham, West Cumbria. 

The next animal in was a fantastic calf with incredible show potential. This was Sahara Bradnick Ambrosia with UK type Merit of +2.95 and a daughter of last year’s Royal Welsh Champion and Reserve All Britain Junior Cow Sahara Atwood Ambrosia (Ex93-4yr). Again lots of bidding here with the hammer being knocked down at 5500 gns to Llyr Lloyd of St. Clears, Carmarthenshire for their Llangynin Herd.

But the sale wasn’t all about show animals, there was also a big proportion of the sale with leading edge genomics and two of these such animals were near to the top of the price list. Selling at 5600 gns to Hugh Neilson of the Lanarkshire based Overside Herd was Sahara Silver Fleur with a GPLI of +£541 the highest in the catalogue. She was an August 2015 daughter of Seagull-Bay Silver and out of Sahara Oak Fleur (VG87-2yr). Her ET sister just a day younger with a GPLI of +£524 sold for 4600 gns to Carys Jones of the Monmouthshire based Chequers Herd and her dam, Oak Fleur, sold for 3700 gns to an undisclosed East Midlands buyer.

Selling at 5100 gns to Andrew Mackellar of Drointon Farms, Stafford was the young dry cow Sahara Numero Uno Jasmine who gave 9013 kg at 4.54% as a heifer and was a month off calving to Cookie Cutter Harper. Another milker that created much interest was the outstanding fresh heifer Sahara Cruise Roza (VG87-2yr) a daughter of the much talked about Wiltor Cruise at Cogent, she calved in February and was sold giving 34 kg to A & B Bargh of Skelton, Penrith for their Woodclose Herd.

This was a great sale and much thanks is given to all those who attended, those who bid even if they didn’t buy and there was plenty of you, and those who actually did buy. You all made a big contribution to the day and just to prove, that even in these awful times for all dairy farmers there is still a passion for pedigree! 

Lot 101 Ortongrange Snowman Alysia ET (VG89)(EX-MS) AS Robinson, N.Ireland 10000

Lot 113 Sahara Silver Fleur ET WW Neilson, Lanarkshire 5600

Lot 103 Sahara Bradnick Ambrosia RH & E Lloyd Ltd, Carmarthen 5500

Lot 122 Sahara Numero Uno Jasmine ET (VG87-2yr) A Mackellar, Stafford 5100

Lot 114 Sahara Silver Faith JM & BS Jones, Monmouthshire 4600

Lot 119 Sahara Cruise Roza (VG87-2yr) A & B Bargh, Penrith 4500

Lot 129 Sahara Powerball Perfekt-PP ET DP & FM Day & Son Ltd, Gt. Ayton 4300

Lot 112 Sahara Oak Fleur ET (VG87-2yr) Undisclosed East Midlands Buyer 3700

Lot 125 Sahara Jacey Jamaica 2nd ET Grange Hall Farm, Lanark 3600

Lot 124 Sahara Distinction Jasmine ET AL Moore & Partners, Cheshire 3300

Lot 110 Wiltor Bradnick Flo Designer Holsteins, Essex 3100

11 Cows and Milking Heifers £4371.18 (including 4 heifer calves at £2100.00); 8 Served Heifers £2506.88; 17 Maiden Heifers £2730.00. 36 Lots £3182.08.