Auctioneers: Wright Marshall

Averages: 54 cows £1,212.40; 128 milking heifers £1,511.16. 40 in-calf and served heifers £1,171.52; 56 maiden heifers £755.18; 6 heifer calves £247.50

The August edition of the Wright Marshall Mid Month dairy sale incorporating the Western Holstein Club’s Focus Milk Pedigree Holstein cattle attracted a catalogued entry of 301 Head of which 289 were forward on the day and 286 sold. 

Almost 200 milkers were presented for sale this month by our vendors who travel from all parts of the country to benefit from the good facilities we provide at our centrally located premises at Beeston and what a great trade they experienced. We have lots of buyers for all sorts who just really like the great choice they can have at Beeston which does not seem to be available anywhere else. However it has to be said it was not a vintage show this month but nevertheless demand was there from start to finish and there was a marked increase again this month in the best and middle range heifers and cow trade was off the clock. 

Holstein heifers were an absolute flyer with no less than 38 selling for £1,600 or more and rising to £2,150. The lead price was £2,150 for Dilandy Wyman Doreen 5 from Andrew Shakeshaft of Ellesmere for this Wyman daughter that had calved 15 days and was sold giving 29 kg to EM Hughes of Criggion, Shrewsbury. Two others from the same home sold at £1,950 each; one by Goldfish also going to Mr Hughes and another by Bogart going to Philip Plant of Eccleshall. Another three broke the £2k barrier and all were purchased by D & H E Colclough & Son of Hassall, Sandbach; the first was a Weeton Oregon daughter from David Bramall of Minshull Vernon which sold for £2,120, another was the second to last lot in the sale from Joylan Farms of St. Michaels, Preston for a Joylan Specialist daughter which £2,050 and the third was a Warnelview Tuscan daughter from Gavin Struthers of Windygates, Fife in Central Scotland. Mr Struthers also sold a further two heifers at £1,980 each; one was Bassingthorpe Drayman which sold to John Bayley of Nuneaton and the other was a Altaavalon daughter which went to Gerald Walton of Rossett, Wrexham. Jeremy Platt of Lach Dennis, Northwich had a super run of heifers which sold up to £1,980 for a Aintree Skipton daughter which went to the Colclough’s and Enchanted Holsteins of Preston sold a grand daughter of Woodmarsh Asterix to Ivygrove Holsteins, Whitchurch for £1,950. 

As you all know we always sell the cows first at Beeston and what a trade they were; a huge amount of bidding for everyone. Gavin Struthers sold a second calf daughter of Larcrest Chandon for £1,900 to John Bayley who also purchased the leading cow, a second calf daughter of Styche Admiral, this month from Messrs Gethin, Caersws in their ongoing dispersal. Yet another second calver reaching a high figure was a Stanleycup second calver from Tom Cowell, Preston which sold for £1,820. 

This group of forty heifers mainly from two vendors were on the whole of a very good standard and they sold very well with the top price being £1,320 which was reached on three occasions for entries from D W & M N Ishmael, Orrell, Wigan (twice and both by Chalclyffe Ransom) and E V & B Boughey & Son, Tarporley with a daughter of Duce Yen. 

Again another good entry of 56 heifers, which just like the in-calf heifers sold on the best trade so far this year. The top was £950 for a March 2015 daughter of Denmire Metropolis consigned by J W & S A Airey & Son of Carnforth who had a lovely run of heifers which were very keenly sought as were the group of 30 bullers from T S & C Powell of Burlton, Shrewsbury which sold to £910 for daughter of Nethanvale Mel. 

Just six forward and all babies and they sold from £220 to £295 for a red and white by Reality from L E Weston & Sons, Whitchurch.