THE first major Holstein herd dispersal of 2017, attracted a packed ringside and as a result some top sales with no fewer than 31 lots at 2000gns or more for Ian and Philomena Scarisbrick who were selling their entire Galastar herd from Cheshire.

The sale, staged at Beeston Auction Mart, was reckoned to be one of the best for a year or two, and featured a number of high yielders with many boasting good classifications, sires and cow families behind them. However, it was a five-month-old calf from the Ola family – the family which helped put Galastar having produced Galastar Bluesky – that topped the trade at 4600gns The calf, Galastar Mogul Ola, a Mountfield Mogul daughter, is out of Galastar Snowy Ola – a fifth successive Ex or VG cow, by Velthuis Let it Snow. She sold to Andrew Weston of Tideswell Buxton, while the dam, A VG85-2yr milking heifer, AI'd to JK-Eder-I Control, made 3400gns to Adam and Mary Mares, buying for their Blacksnape herd at Darwen, Lancashire.

The top selling milker at 3800gns was Dalevalley Golden Tracy ET VG85-3yr), a second calver by Goldwyn which calved in September and is the 11th generation of cows scored in the top two grades. She was purchased by Mick Gould buying for the Woodmarsh herd at Bomere Heath, Shrewsbury.

Just behind on 3700gns, was Huyben Cosmo Yorick VG85-3yr, another second calver, this time by the Atwood son, Mars Yorick ET. A grand-daughter of the VG87-3yr GMD DOM 11* brood cow, Larcrest Cosmopolitan, she changed hands due to Control. The buyer was Northern Ireland breeder, Lawrence Baillee of Ballynahinch, who also purchased the next two top lots at 3000gns and 2800gns.

Dearest was the second calver, Galastar Dorcy Rhapsody, a daughter of Coyne Farms Dorcy, which recently scored VG85 to make her 14th generation similarly classified.

Selling at 2800gns was Dalevalley Fever Lin GP84, another second calver, this time by Crackholm Fever and from the Licorice family.

Calves were a great trade from start to finish, which outwith the 4600gns sale leader peaked at 1550gns for Galastar Brabant Receive Licorice, a May-born ET daughter of Brabantdale Receive bred from Dalevalley Fever Lin. She was purchased by John Lomax for his Chorlton herd at Newcastleunder-Lyme.

Auctioneers: Wright Marshall.