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Co Antrim breeders Samuel and Elaine Caldwell made a successful trip to Worcester for the Dorset Emeralds sale where they secured the championship ticket as well as the top price of 2,000gns.

Leading the way was Ballymaconnelly Incredible Hulk, a ram lamb by Ballycraig Express out of a home-bred ewe by Lisnafillan Dylan. It went on to sell to Jeremy Durrant, Hydes flock, Thaxted, for 2,000gns.

Returning some of that expense, Mr Durrant received 1,900gns for his reserve champion, Hydes Isuzu, which sold to N. Sole, Gloucester. The Hydes Godfather-sired ram lamb is out of a Burhos dam by Maine Valley Esquire.

Hitting 1,300gns when knocked down to E. Hughes, Caernarfon, was the Richhill Fivestar-sired Hydes Input, which is out of a home-bred Ballytaggart Diplomat daughter.

Harry Middleditch, St Paul, paid 1,100gns for Hydes Evan, a Lisnafillan Gotham-sired lamb out of a home-bred Huish Caesar daughter.

Richard Fitton, Bolton, saw his ram lamb, Dynamite Ice, sell to C. Genillard, Cirencester, for 1,000gns. Its pedigree features the 4,800gns Ballmaconnelly Game Boy on to a home-bred ewe by Linafillan Frankel.

Mr Fitton secured the female championship with Dynamite I3569, a ewe lamb which headed up the female trade at 1,100gns when sold to Lilli Byrne, Biggleswade. It is also by the Ballymaconnelly Game Boy ram that stood champion there in 2024, but out of a home-bred Burhos Drambuie daughter.

The reserve female, Pembroke Hot Socks from David Lewis, Narbeth, also sold to Lillie Byrne, this time for 780gns. This shearling ewe is by Ballytaggart Xseptional.

AveragesÌý– 2 shearling ewes, £619.50; 5 ewe lambs, £680.40; 2 shearling rams, £525.00; 12 ram lambs, £987.

Auctioneer:ÌýMcCartneys.

Eight dairy heifers surpass £3,000 at Gisburn

FIVE pedigree heifers and three non-pedigree heifers passed the £3,000 mark at the third weekly dairy sale in March at Gisburn, where a top price of £3,450 was paid.

Making that price was the dearest of four from J. and M. Singleton and Sons, Goosnargh. This was Whytil Renegade Blackrose 99, bred from a 60-tonne Stantons Applicable dam.

Messrs Singleton welcomed a further £3,250 for Cherry-Lily Zip Luster-sired Snowdrift 40, which is out of a Rubicon cow.

Whitstar Safari Rose Red, an ASR heifer by Sudena Safari-Red from R.B. and R.C. Webster and Sons, Stocksbridge, realised £3,300.

Two from the run of eight heifers from R.C. and S.W. Beecroft's Killinghall-based Hollinshall herd made £3,000 each.

READ MORE: Young handlers out in force at Gisburn

Non-pedigree heifers reached £3,250 and £3,050 for two from D.A. Wilcock, Blackrod, with another from H.J. and K.L. Blackwell, Gargrave, also making £3,050.

An Aireback second-calver from D.C. Hall, Coniston Cold, topped the pedigree cows at £2,500, with in-calf heifers reaching £2,320 for A.R. and C.A. Parkinson, Chipping.

AveragesÌý– Pedigree heifers, £2,605; pedigree cows, £2,440; non-pedigree heifers, £2,434; non-pedigree cows, £2,215.

Auctioneers: Gisburn Auction Marts.

Calf record set at Borderway

A BRITISH Blue-sired three-month-old heifer calf from Messrs Irving, Lockerbie, set a new rearing calf record of £2,250 at Borderway.

Bulls reached £1,160 for British Blues from Messrs Hornby, Stranraer, with black and whites to £740 from Messrs Vevers, Longtown.

The busy day topped at £3,450 and £3,300 for British Blue yearling heifers sold for breeding from N. and K. Gill, Barnard Castle, who also secured the weaned calf championship with a Limousin heifer which sold to the judge, Willie Miller, for £2,200.

Young bulls peaked at £2,670 for a Limousin bull from Kevin Watret, Annan, followed by £2,520 from Messrs Watson, Brampton, and £2,440 from Messrs Miller, Canonbie.

Native-bred bulls reached £1,918 for Shorthorns from Messrs Riby, Bridlington.ÌýBullocks sold to £1,980 twice for Limousins from Messrs Robinson, Allendale.

The entry of store cattle sold to £2,880 for a 21-month-old Limousin cross bullock from Messrs Moffat, Gretna, with Angus cross bullocks form Messrs Magnay, Gretna, to £2,740.

Store heifers reached £2,360 three times – for two Limousin crosses from Messrs Baxter, Carlisle, and again for a Charolais cross from Messrs Fisher, Castle Douglas.

Auctioneer:ÌýHarrison and Hetherington.

Dairy entries sell well at Sedgemoor

NO fewer than 21 entries sold in excess of £3,000 and to a top of £3,675 twice at the collective dairy sale at Sedgemoor.

One of the sale leaders was a red and white fresh second calver, Clenchers Robin Cam Red 2, from Messrs Rea and Son, Ledbury.

This £3,675 was matched by a calved heifer, Dorset Justin Teasel, from Dimond Farming, Sherborne, whose four heifers averaged £3,268.18.

Other cows in the collective sale sold to £3,307.50 from R.K. and S.G. Miller and Sons' Moorshard herd, Dunwear Bridgewater, and £3,255 from Messrs Rea.

The day included three dispersals, which were topped by the Beaverbrook offering from P.T. and B.M. Gregory, Corsham, at £3,360 for the autumn-calved Beaverbrook Darwin Faun GP80, with the fresh third calver, Lighthouse Paradise, at £3,307.50.

The entry from Merryfield ²ÝÁñÉçÇø, Doultin, sold to £3,517.50 and £3,255 for fresh commercial heifers by Parkhurst Samaritan.

READ MORE: Sales round up: Record averages at Bishops Castle, Angus to 9,400gns online and store cattle to £3,350 at Darlington

The final dispersal on behalf of R.T. and C.V. Perrett, Stoke Trister, reached £2,835 for a July-calved heifer, with second calvers to £2,782.50.

The entry of organic cattle from A.H. Warren Trust, Crewkerne, sold to £3,202.50 for a cow in its fourth lactation, and £3,100 for a Swedish Red cross second calver. Heifer calves reached £630 three times.

In-calf heifers sold to £2,467.50 for the continued dispersal from Garrett Bros, Wrington, while yearling and younger heifers from the Perry family's dispersal from East Worlington sold to £1,050 seven times.

AveragesÌý– Collective sale – Cows, £2,798.25; heifers, £2,756.25; in-calf heifers, £2,183; yearling heifers, £688.38; heifer calves, £523. Beaverbrook dispersal – £2,254.10. Merryfield ²ÝÁñÉçÇø – £2,294.94. R.T. and C.V. Perrett – £2,129.86; in-calf heifers, £2,069.03. A.H. Warren Trust – Cows, £2,592.92; heifers, £2,332.50; in-calf heifers, £2,185.90; heifer calves, £510.56.

Auctioneer: Greenslade Taylor Hunt.

Beattie's best Valais sell to Germany

AN undisclosed buyer from Germany bought many of the top priced lots at the on-farm dispersal sale of Beattie's Valais Blacknose females held at Glenpark Road, Omagh.

Dearest 3,500gns was Beattie's L Bionca, a shearling ewe by Blackwoodridge Jack and out of the Larkwell Euan-sired Causeway Grace. It sold to Germany due with twins in April to Ayrshire Kesslar, the supreme champion at last year's Royal Highland Show.

Making 3,200gns when also sold to Germany was the 2022-born Highland Bertie daughter, Cannon Hall Jo, which is due with a single to the Kesslar ram. Its dam is Cannon Hall Alice.

Five realised 3,000gns apiece, first of which and also heading to Germany was Cheshire Jemma, again a 2022-born ewe but this time by Westmorland Frankie. It sold carrying a single to Cavanalee Josh.

Messrs Millas, Lismoney Road, paid 3,000gns for the Westmorland Iceman-sired Horsemill Jacklyn, carrying twins to Ayrshire Kesslar.

The 2018-born Beattie's Dancer II sold to Messrs Conway, Strabane, also for 3,000gns. Sired by Highland Darragh, it was scanned with triplets to Snowdonia Hurricane.

Also at 3,000gns, this time selling to Messrs Liggett, Carony, was Beattie's Classy Lass, a 2023-born Highland Hendrix daughter carrying a single to Snowdonia Hurricane.

Last at 3,000gns was the similarly-bred Beattie's Gianna I, due withÌý a single to Ayrshire Kessler,Ìý it sold to Messrs O'Laighton, Kilrea.

AveragesÌý– 95 females, £1,092.

Auctioneers:ÌýHarrison and Hetherington.

Berryholme cow stars at Borderway

IT was the champion which went on to sell for the top price of 4,200gns at the Border and Lakeland club sale at Borderway which averaged £2,787 overall, a considerable rise on the month.

Picked out by judge, Stuart Caldwell, Ayrshire, star of the show was Berryholme Fuel Flo, a second calver from David Wright, Kendal. Selling to Matt Sevenoaks, Brecon, Flo has three national champions and many high yielders in its maternal line.

Next best at 3,700gns when sold to Messrs Coulthurst, Preston, was Wormanby All Sheri from the Hodgson family, Burgh by Sands. This January-calved heifer bred from nine generations of dams in the top two classifications, was one of four Wormanby heifers which averaged nearly £2,900.

Messrs Adams, Stranraer, bought the next four highest prices lots. Making 3,500gns was Nydie Hunter Laureen 2 from R. and A. Wilson, Earlston, whose 10 heifers averaged £2,889. Hunter Laureen changed hands producing 42kg since calving in early February.

Making 3,350gns to Messrs Adams was the fresh heifer, Errolston Rager SE Jo Fran, from D. and V. Davidson, Gretna.

Two sold to Messrs Adams for 3,300gns – Errolston Comerby Ayr from Messrs Davidson, and Nydie Almamater Annie from Messrs Wilson.

AveragesÌý– 6 cows in-milk, £2,922.50; 75 heifers in-milk, £2,772.95.

Auctioneer:ÌýHarrison and Hetherington.

Reserve champion leads Bentham

HEIFERS from Gary Lodge, Malham, secured the champion and reserve tickets at the March show and sale of stirks at Bentham, where the reserve went on to sell for £3,200 while the champion made £2,850.

Nick and Charlotte Brown, Claughton, saw their first prize bullock sell for £2,750, while the first prize bull from John Dawson, Littledale, made £2,180.

Black and white bullocks reached £1,810 from Dave Harrison, Wray.

A Limousin cross from Jonathan Townley, Clapham, topped the offering of feeding bulls when it sold for £2,340.

Limousin crosses from Alan and Mark Woodhouse, Clapham, hit £2,250 while dairy-bred bulls reached £1,350 for Holsteins from Ben and Danielle Stancliffe, Tatham.

Auctioneer:ÌýBentham Auction Mart.

Limousin leads Hexham sale at £2,600

LEADING the entry of 310 store cattle at Hexham was a 21-month-old Limousin cross steer from Messrs Tulip, Alnwick, which made £2,600.

The run of 10 from Messrs Tulip averaged £2,442.

Two shared the second best price of £2,580 – a Hereford cross steer from Messrs Renner, Whittingham, and a Limousin cross from Messrs Herdman, Consett.

Aberdeen-Angus cattle reached £2,380 twice for bullocks. Firstly from Brian and Neil Urwin, Haltwhistle, and again from Messrs Featherstone, High Westwood.

READ MORE: Show potential cattle top at £6,000 twice at Melton Mowbray's Mart's the Heart-supported sale

Yearlings sold to £2,300 for a Charolais steer from James Sinton, Birtley, while native yearlings reached £2,260 for steers and £2,060 for heifers, which were all Angus from Messrs Sutherland, Belford.

The 1,021 store hoggs on offer averaged £144.46, having sold to £204 for a pair of Border Leicesters from A.J. Gibson Farming, Burnopfields, followed at £202 for a pair of Texel crosses from J.E. Woodman and Son, Haltwhistle.

Horned hoggs reached £170 twice – for a pair of Blackfaces from A. Walton, Wark, and again for five Swaledales from D.J. and J.E. Lumley, Consett.

Auctioneer:ÌýHexham and Northern Marts.Ìý