averages: 39 Holstein, £2559.37; Seven British Friesian, £2300.00; Nine Fleckvieh, £2922.00

Despite the nation being in lock down, and tight regulations being in place to trade livestock, Harrison and Hetherington rose to the challenge as they held the UK’s very first dedicated virtual pedigree livestock sale.

The 2020 Border and Lakeland Club annual spring sale of pedigree Holstein and British Friesian bulls was deemed a great successful with over 70 lots on offer and trade topping at £4600 to average almost £2600 with a 80% clearance rate and over 100 potential buyers registered from the four home nations.

Commenting on the sale Glyn Lucas from Harrison and Hetherington said “We are currently living through a period of history that future generations will read about and discuss, and these remarkable times require us to adjust and evolve how we live. Running the spring bull sale online has been a challenge for all involved but I must thank both the buyers and sellers who have embraced this method of selling in a very positive manner.

"There was unfortunately a slight technical problem at the end of the sale, which required it to be extended slightly, but this had no bearing on the end result with the online auction experience receiving positive feedback from vendors and buyers alike," said Glyn.

Sale leader, Warnelview Norton from Kevin and Christine Wilson from Wood Farm near Carlisle, topped at £4600, and headed home with R Agnew, West Dhuloch, Stranraer. Norton is sired by Unix and bred from the best cow from the Warnelview herd, Warnelview Final Cut Nita, a classified EX 97 and to date has produced over 130 ton of milk in eight lactations.

The Warnelview herd sold 10 bull in total to average over £3000 including Warnelview Romano which attained £4200, he was a Skywalker son from the Ruby cow family, selling to Messrs Ramsay, Drummore, Stranraer. Another top price for the herd at £4000 was Warnelview Merlin, forking out the cash for this entry was Messrs Mercer, Turton, Bolton, Lancashire. Merlin is a Lighthouse son and from the Minnie cow family.

Another Skywalker son also saw the £4000 bid this time from the Tallent herd of Anthony Brough from near Cockermouth. Tallent Greenwood had a high PLI of +555 and was bred from a high producing dam with over 5% butterfat, Greenwood was purchased by the Johnstone family from near Falkirk, Stirlingshire.

British Friesians reached £3000 for Nerewater Alphabet from Richard Bell. He was sired by Collycroft Solo from a 100 ton grand dam now classified EX 93. Messrs Kennedy, Linlithgow, West Lothian, took the final bid on this bull.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

 

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