THERE was a strong offering of high-yielding heifers, many of which were bred from noted pedigrees, at the April Border and Lakeland club show and sale which was staged alongside the spring Jersey show and sale at Carlisle. 

The sale peaked at 2050gns for Espland Zelgadis Sally, a rising three-year-old from Alan Cannon, Espland Hill, Brampton, which calved her first in the middle of March and sold to local producers, JT and EM Marrs and Son, Broomhills, Orton Road, Carlisle, giving 38kg per day. Her pedigree features Zelgadis on to the G77 Espland Shottle Sally 2, which is bred from a line of long-life cows. 

Three sold for 2000gns apiece, including the Holstein champion, as picked out by Robert Hunter, from the Letterkeeny Jersey herd. That was Wormanby Statesman Lilly, a Boclair Statesman-sired three-year-old from Wormanby Farms, Burgh by Sands, Carlisle, that also calved her first in the middle of last month. She is bred from four generations of cow in the top two classifications, being out of the VG86-2yr Wormanby Artes Lilly, and heads to Buckabank Farm, Dalston, Carlisle, with the Brough family who run the Carrock herd. 

The reserve Holstein, the Wilson family's Stowbeck Montreal Madge, from Skirwith Hall Farms, Penrith, matched that 2000gns when knocked down to R Byers and Son, Woodslee, Canonbie. Bred from a strong cow family with good production, being out of Stowbeck Kestrel Madge, she is by Vieuxsaule Montreal and calved her first last month. 

The Wilsons sold five heifers in milk to average £1890, including Stowbeck Drummer Gilly which was knocked down to Alister and Liz Vance, Bridgehouse, Whithorn, for 1950gns. She is by Wiltor Drummer and out of Stowbeck Artes Gilly. 

Also hitting the 2000gns mark was the reserve Jersey champion, Saxown Vanahlem Judy GP83 from Richard Saxby, Nettlecroft, Tickhill, Doncaster. This second calver, which gave more than 6000kg in her first and changed hands yielding 34kg, is by Pannoo Abe Vanahlem and bred from five generations of Ex and VG cow, being out of Saxown Tequila Judy 16 VG88. She also sold north of the Border, this time to JR Heuchan and Son, Gerranton, Castle Douglas. 

The champion Jersey attracted the second highest breed price of 1750gns when sold to N and M Oldfield, Demense Farm East, Newsholme, Gisburn. That was Honeyfields O Lets Dance from James and Gayle Robinson, who run the Wishingwell herd at Bolton Court, Leyburn. A prize winner since her purchase at the Black and White sale as a young calf, this Dutch Hollow Oliver-P daughter, bred from a VG87 mother, sold nine days fresh.

Averages: 25 Holstein heifers in milk, £1880.73; seven Jersey cows/heifers in milk, £1698.37; six in-calf Jersey heifers, £1228.50; nine doses of Braedale Goldwyn semen (per dose), £227.50; 10 commercial cows/heifers, £1582.50.