Heifer calves from Andrew and Debbie Mackellar's Drointon herd from Staffordshire, proved the star attraction at the Pedigree Dairy Day sale at Carlisle, securing the top prices at 4500gns and 3000gns.

The sale, which included milking entries from the Border and Lakeland Holstein Club, was led by Drointon Absolutely Flashy Marqi Red, a six-month-old heifer bred from no fewer than 16 generations of Excellent or Very Good dams. She sold to Aberdeenshire producer, Peter Kemp, Kingswells.

Mr Kemp also bought the next two top priced lots from the Drointon herd at 3000gns and 2400gns. Dearest was Drointon Silver Rosie, a six-month-old heifer calf by Seagull-Bay Silver and a grand-daughter of the Ex96-4E SP LP100 cow, Ridgedale Shottle Rosie.

Selling at 2400gns was the seven-month-old Drointon Doc Bloom, by Woodcrest King Doc, bred from the Ex92-2E SP cow, Drointon JJF Bloom which was best second calver in the Winter Classic Herds competition in 2017. The six Drointon calves averaged just shy of £2600.

Top price amongst the Border and Lakeland Club entries was 2700gns paid for Elitestreet Octane Noel 3, from Elitestreet Genetics in the Republic of Ireland. She is by High Octane and bred from the All Britain winning two-year-old Sterndale Atwood Noel Ex91 which sold for 20,000gns at the Red Ribbon sale in 2015. The buyers were Messrs Hodge from Mauchline.

Her six-week-old heifer calf by Jordy Red, made 1700gns selling to Janice and James Taylor, High Whinnow Farm, Wigton.

Three lots came under the hammer for 2500gns to include two from Robert Steel's Kepculloch herd from Balfron, which sold three to average £2450.

First was Kepculloch Fry Summer, a freshly calved heifer by Doorman Fry. A grand-daughter of the 2005 Royal Highland Show champion, Altona Lea Rudolph Summer Ex95-2E, she was purchased by Jim Barr, Fife.

Minutes later, Jim Brown, Craigie, Kilmarnock, bought the other fresh heifer, Kepculloch Fitz Mary, a Toc-Farm Fitz daughter bred from seven generations of Ex or VG cows, for the same money. Her second dam is the Ex92-3E Kepculloch Shottle Mary.

The last of the 2500gns bids came for the reserve champion, Rockset Relay Lana 2, consigned by Jim and David Gray, Drumtall, East Kilbride. This November 2016-born entry sold having calved early May and giving 32kg to Leak Dairy Farm, Wales. She is by Rockset Relay and out of the Ex90-3E Rockset Spirte Lana 2 which goes back to the bull dam, Comestar Laurie Sheik.

The champion was the senior heifer in milk, Espland Alison 6 from Alan Cannon from Espland Farm, Appleby. She is by Zelgadis, bred from a Monument Impression dam and sold for 2300gns to Messrs Robinson from Lanercost, Brampton.

The same home also produced the lead priced in-calf heifer, Espland Meridian Alison 5, a March 2017-born daughter of Amighetti Numero Uno out of a home-bred GP81 dam that goes back to the Ex92-2E Espland Jordan Alison. She changed hands due next month, sexed to Mr Rubi-Argronaut, to Robert McColm, Lochans, Stranraer.

Averages: 57 heifers in milk, £1957.66; five Espland in-calf heifers, £1916.25; six Drointon heifer calves, £2572.50.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.