Heifers from Mark and Sue Armstrong's Wolfa Holstein herd proved the star attraction at the Spring Selection sale at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, securing the top two prices.

The elite consignment of 20 Holstein heifers from three noted herds to include the Horsley family's Woodcatt enterprise from Penrith and Andrew and Debbie MacKellar's Drointon prefix from Stafford, attracted a top price of 5500gns and an overall average of £3397.

Sale leader was the yearling heifer, Wolfa Crush Rose, one of six heifers from the Armstrongs. Crush Rose is sired by Crushabull and bred from a strong cow family going back to the Bosdale herd in Ontario. Bred from 11 generations of VG or Excellent classified cows and a grand-daughter of the Ex92-2E SP Wolfa Savior Rose, she was knocked down to Steven Innes, of Urchany Holsteins, Auldearn, Nairn.

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Scott Forsyth, Baltier, Whithorn, Newton Stewart, bought the second highest priced heifer at 5200gns. This was the six-month-old Wolfa Sidekick Apple 3, a Walnutlawn Sidekick daughter and maternal sister to the 8000gns Absolute Sidekick Advocatt that sold at the Black and White Sale in December. Her dam, Auchensala Adeles Doorman Ava ET Ex90 is a grand-daughter of the $1m Ex96-3E DOM 41*LP100 KHW Regiment Apple Red cow sold at the Global Glamour sale in 2008.

The 10-month-old heifer, Wolfa Willows Anna Red, a Blondin Willows-Red-sired entry bred from six generations of VG or Ex dams of which five are Excellent, made 3800gns. The buyer was Jack Wilson, Appleby, Cumbria.

The Horsley family sold eight heifers to a top of 4800gns for Woodcatt Arrows Sharon, a four-month-old heifer purchased by the Donald family from Ling Farm near Carlisle. Sired by DG NH Arrow, Sharon is out of an unclassified two-year-old sired by Boom, currently giving 53kgs, while her grand-dam is the former two times UK Dairy Expo winner, Riverdane Brady Sharon Ex96.

Another from the same home, Woodcatt Mitchell Ashlyn, an October 2023-born heifer by Aurora Mitchell, made 4000gns selling to James Sloan of Dormieston Farm, Ayrshire. Another backed by the best of genetics going back to the Tri-Day Ashlyn cow family, she is out of the Ex91 Carlandton Lambda Ashlyn that sold for 4000gns in the Carldanton youngstock sale in 2019. Her fourth dam was intermediate champion at the National Holstein Show in 2010 being a direct daughter of Tri-Day Ashlyn.

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The Horsley family also took 3000gns for the nine-month-old Woodcatt Luster Angle by Cherry-Lily Zip Luster which also goes back to the great KHW Regiment Apple-Red cow. She headed home with Messrs Caldwell, Mauchline.

Top price for the Drointon herd was 3200gns for Drointon Ryder DB Supra, a nine-month-old sired by Koepon Oh Ryder Red out of an Ex90 home-bred cow, purchased by Ewan Kennedy, Perryston, Ayrshire. Her fourth dam was Blondin Redman Seisme Red Ex97, the two-time World Dairy Expo and Royal Winter Fair grand champion.

The youngest calf in the sale, Drointon Christmas Rubels Barbie, from the same home was purchased by Joseph Bowness from Cliburn Hall, Penrith for 3000gns. Barbie is a daughter of Drointon Flasy G Babydoll Ex95 that won the production class at UK Dairy Expo in March after producing more than 80t of milk in under five lactations. Her pedigree traces back to the Regancrest herd in the USA with her sixth dam being Regnacrest-PR Barbie.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

Averages: 20 heifer calves, £3397.06.