Prices peaked at 3200gns for a Honeybee from the Wesswood Rudy Missy cow family at Richard Martin's reduction sale of the Ortongrange Holstein herd from Great Orton, Carlisle.

The sale at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, which followed the November Border and Lakeland Club sale, was topped by Ortongrange Honeybee R Missy ET KCBB, a GP84 classified daughter of De-Su SS Honeybee bred from the VG88 Pine-Tree 1258 Deann 4784 ET. She sold having recently calved her second, to Matthew Breen in Northern Ireland.

Her two ET baby calves by Modesty Marquee realised 1100gns to the Forster family from Weary Hall Style, with another four daughters born in October and sired by Frazzled peaking at 2100gns selling to the Hodge family, West Scoutts, Ayrshire.

A full sister to the sale leader, Ortongrange Honeybee Rudy Miss, realised 2700gns to John and Brian O’Connor, Kanturk, Co Cork, Eire. She was coming to the end of her first lactation having already produced 10,124 litres and was due in January to Welcome Tel Brennan sexed. Rudy Miss and her November ET-born Headway Alltime daughter which made 1700gns both headed across the Irish Sea with the O'Connors.

Another four heifer calves from this big cow sired by Modesty Marquee sold to average almost £1100.

Two lots sold for 3000gns to include the first lot in the catalogue, Ortongrange Bankroll Lila Z, a second calver bred from three generations of VG or Ex classified cows. Champion at Border and Lakeland Club Show earlier in the day having first won the cow class, she was bought by Robbie Scott of the Nethervalley herd based at Tarbolton, Ayrshire. Bankroll Lila Z is by the top type sire, Crasdale Bankroll, and goes back to the million-dollar cow Lylehaven Lila Z Ex94-2E 16* that sold for $1,150,000 at the Triple Crown Sale in 2005.

The second prize cow in the same class, Starlet Beemer Alexis, by Pol Butte McBeemer, matched the 3000gns call when selling to Janice and James Taylor, High Whinnow, Wigton. This second calver is a grand-daughter to Mr Martin's Ortongrange Snowman Alysia which sold for 10,000gns at the Passion for Pedigree sale for 10,000gns in 2016 having secured the Super Heifer honours at Agriscot and All Britain Heifer in Milk in 2014.

Next best from Mr Martin was a 2400gns bid for Ortongrange Grafeeti Ghost, a heifer in milk by Ladys-Manor RD Grafeeti, bred from 10 generations of VG or Ex classified cows. She is out of Ortongrange Design Ghost Ex90 and sold in calf to Welcome Tel Brennan sexed to Messrs Bargh, Penrith, Cumbria.

Just behind, on 2350gns, Messrs Caldwell and Sons, Maybole, bought Ortongrange Goodwhone Kimo VG88-3yr, another heifer in milk this time by TW Goodwhone. She is a grand-daughter fo the Ex91-2E Ortongrange Shottle Kimo 2 ET, and sold in calf to De-Su Hartley sexed.

In-calf heifers peaked at 2300gns for Ortongrange Dewars Rose, a Kings-Ramson 1st Dewars daughter bred from the Blackrose cow family, that goes back to the World Dairy Expo champion, Lavender Ruby Red Rose. Rose sold due to De-Su Hartley sexed and was purchased by T Hack from Llandysul, Dyfed in Wales.

Outwith the Ortongrange consignment, trade peaked at 2350gns for the reserve champion at the club sale, Stowbeck Fitz Ester, a freshly calved heifer from the Wilson family of Skirwith Hall Farms, Penrith. Bred from three generations of VG or Ex-classified dams, this Toc-Farm Fitz daughter sold to G McCulloch, Stranraer.

Skirwith Hall Farms sold a further nine heifers to average £2035 to include Stowbeck Unix Lillibet which realised 2200gns, to Messrs Brewster, Wester Borland, Thornhill, Stirling. She is by Croteau Lesperron Unix.

The same buyers also went to 2100gns for CJ and VM Gillespie's Ploughlands Fitz Darling 2, another fresh heifer by Toc-Farm Fitz, from High Ploughlands, Kirkbampton, Carlisle.

Robbie Scott's Nethervalley herd from Tarbolton, also sold at 2100gns to the Sloans from Dormieston, Mauchline, Ayrshire. This price was paid for Nethervale Countess Tabby, a freshly calved heifer by Edg Cat Door County whose third Goldwyn dam made 13,500gns at the Black and White sale several years ago.

Averages: Ortongrange – 62 cows and heifers in milk, £1829.70; 46 in-calf and recently bred heifers, £1362.26; 50 maiden heifers, £1103.97. Club sale – Five cows in milk, £1872.50; 56 heifers in milk, £1847.31.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.