PRICES were sky high at the recent Designer Genes sale of select Hereford cattle at Shrewsbury Auction where, as already reported, the young heifer, Sky High 1 Miss Valentine set two new records when sold at 8500gns.

The 10-month-old, by Romany 1 Lawbreaker RE L23, from Boomer Birch and Graham Brindley, is out of the 2015 Female of the Year in the shape of Dendor 1 Jennefer 15 and sold to Adam Bowey and family. She was bred by Ronald and Robert Wilson, Kelso.

As well as being the highest priced yearling Hereford heifer, she is now the top polled female sold in the UK.

Just behind, on 8000gns, selling to PD and JM Vaughan, of Kingsland Herefords, Leominster, was Coley 1 Bubbles 249 from Miss H Whittaker, Halifax, West Yorkshire. Considered a bit of a breed legend, having twice been native inter-breed champion and reserve Female of the Year, she is by the 2012 Sire of the Year, Blakelaw 1 Calzaghe.

Hitting 6000gns was TD and WT Livesey’s Normanton 1 Enoki 4, one of the last daughters of Alvian 1 Emperor to sell from their herd from Leics. She was female champion at the Hereford Cattle Breeders’ Association Christmas calf show.

A cow and calf unit from G and MC Shepherd’s Moorside herd, Woodplumpton, Preston, made 5000gns. Moorside 1 Jane 3, a calved heifer that did well in the show ring this year, sold to new breeders, S and E Walker, Lancashire, while her April-born heifer calf by Moorside 1 Joseph, Moorside 1 Jane 9, made 3800gns to Alan Crooks, Sheffield.

The first heifers to sell from Tom and Di Harrison’s Moralee herd, from Stocksfield, Northumberland, peaked at 4200gns for the Cornriggs 1 Knight Rider-sired, Moralee 1 Nest Egg, that also sold to PA Astley.

Also selling for 4200gns, this time to Victoria Orr, Northern Ireland, was Rempstone 1 Fashion E340 from MJ Ludgate, Scotsgrove, Thame, Oxon. She is by Aldersley 1 Edgar.

Embryos were in demand too. As well as a £9000 sale for a flush of any cow from the Danish Moeskaer herd, purchased by MJT Herefords, Canada and Dara C Entwhistle, Illinois, another flush of any cow from Harvie Ranching – the owners of 2016 National champion female, from Alberta Canada – realised £6000. This lot sold to DRA Fabb, Cambridge and Moeskaer Herefords.