A new breed record for a Limousin cow was achieved at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, when Millington Highlight and her heifer calf, made 50,000gns at the Millington herd dispersal.

The sale, from Ashcourt Farms' also saw another six animals make 9000gns or more.

Sale leader however was the aptly named Millington Highlight, a 41/2year-old ET-bred cow by the 42,000gns Wilodge Vantastic, which sold with October-born heifer calf at foot by Norman Hawk.

From a 10,000gns kick off bid, Highlight sold served to the French sire, Ecran, and her heifer calf, Limelight, to new breeders, Mick and Jean Gould, who are better known for their Woodmarsh pedigree Holstein herd and Texel sheep flock from Bomere Heath, Shrewsbury.

Included in the partnership bid were Mr Gould's brother-in-law, Jonathan and his nephew Tom Waring. The Goulds are in the process of establishing the Woodmarsh herd prefix, whilst Jonathan and Tom already have the Everpark herd prefix. Their 50,000gns purchase also set a new cow and calf record for the breed.

Highlight also produced the second top priced lot, when her daughter, Millington Juliet, a November 2014-born heifer made 30,000gns to John and Pat Varley for their Queenshead herd based at Myrtle Grove Farm, Queensbury, Bradford. She is by the French sire Ecran.

The herd’s matriarch cow Brockhurst Option, lived until the ripe old age of 16 and certainly left her mark on the breed. She featured heavily throughout the day’s top prices with direct descendants grossing in excess of 100,000gns on sale day.

The Millington herd was originally established by John Weatherill some 16 years ago and Mr Weatherill, who is looking to re-establish a Limousin herd, featured among the purchases. Included in this line-up was a 12,000gns buy for the served heifer, Millington Joyous, brought out by farm manager, Ian Nattress, who has managed the cattle for the past six years.

Joyous, a Greenwell Fieldmaster daughter, is out of the Highlander-sired Millington Gracious. Mr Weatherill also went to 10,000gn for Millington Hilton, which changed hands with her first calf at foot, the bull, Millington Mayfair by Norman Hawk.

At 11,800gns was another ET heifer calf of the same breeding, in Millington Lapwing, a nine-month-old by Objat and out of Brockhurst Option. She was purchased jointly by the Calogale herd of Messrs Lee, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, and the Frogmore herd of Chris White, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.