THE first star-studded Perfection Collection sale of top quality dairy females from the UK and several other countries throughout the world proved a huge success attracting a lead price of 21,500gns, a further four five-figure bids and an overall average of £4578 for 66 pedigree dairy females.

The first such sale of it's kind, the event at Shrewsbury last weekend, was topped by the four-month-old heifer calf Tynevalley Rubi A Bambi, from Cameron and Rebecca Baty, Wynnstay.

The fifth highest PLI heifer in Europe at £737, Bambi is bred from Tynevalley Supershot Bambi – a former No 1 RZG heifer that previously sold for €23,000. Sired by Mr Rubi-Agronaut, this calf sold to Bristol breeders, MJ and LJ Robertson.

Six sexed IVF embryos from the Ex96-classified World Dairy Expo overall champion, Rosiers Blexy Goldwyn, owned by American breeders, Blexy Partners, Vermont, then made 18,300gns to a syndicate of five UK breeders to include Tom Lomas, Mike Roberts, Ron Tomkinson, Richard Lloyd and Mark Nutsford. They are sired by Blondin Raptor and Maverick Crush, neither of which are available in Europe.

Mark and Sue Nutsford's Riverdane herd from Middlewich, received 17,000gns for the four-year-old Riverdane Aikman Ghost Red, from Leicestershire breeders, Nick and Louise Sercombe. Ghost Red is by Gen-I-Beq Aikman, produced more than 12,000kg in her third and sold in calf to Woodcrest King Doc.

An all international sale saw South African breeder, Martin Voight, fork out 16,000gns for the four-month-old heifer, Bel Bag2 Capi Margot, consigned by Italian producers Allevamento Beltramino and BAG2. Margot is bred from the Ex90 Swiss show cow, Du Bon Ven Inkapi that secured the intermediate championship at the 2016 European Show at Cremona, and sired by Oh-River Syc Byway,

Scottish breeder, Robert Veitch, Ve-Tech Holsteins, Kilmarnock, then took 11,000gns for the seven-month-old heifer calf, VeTech Atwood Elegance 2, bred from the Ex95-4E dam, Forte CS Elegance which is still going strong at 14 years of age and stood second at the UK Dairy Expo in 2015, is by Atwood, and was knocked down to Designer Holsteins, Sussex.

The choice of four heifers from the twice overall champion at the UK Dairy Expo, Peak Goldwyn Rhapsody Ex97 6E, from Derbyshire breeders, Yasmin Bradbury and Bill Nadin, proved popular too, selling for 8200gns to Lewis Pearon, South Wales. They are all by Mr Mogul Denver.

And, at 8000gns, P and J Mattinson, Carlisle, sold Troutbeck Absolute Irene Red 3 across the Irish Sea to Glasson Holsteins, Portadown. This yearling heifer is by Apples Absolute Red, while her dam is the Ex93-classified Schrago Italia Indiana, that boasts sons in AI. Absolute Irene is a direct descendent of Suard-Red Jordan Irene – the only cow ever to be overall champion at two European Championships.

Auctioneers: Halls