The long trip from Hertford Heath, Hertfordshire, to Skipton, paid dividends for the Daws family’s Bluegrass Jersey herd when they sold the lead priced lot at 5000gns, at the breed’s spring sale.

In all, some 15 milking Jersey females and 24 youngstock from seven vendors were forward for sale under breed auctioneer, Mark Davis, of Devon-based Kivells.

Sale leader was Bluegrass Tequilas Merry Jane from Barry, Jenny and Claire Daws, which after a flurry of bidding in the ring, online and on the phone, saw the hammer fall at 5000gns selling to Robert and Elaine Butterfield, Bentham.

Merry Jane VG87-2yr, a Tower Vue Prime Tequila daughter, bred from two generations of Ex93 dams, calved her first early January and had recently recorded 22kg at 5.39%BF and 3.82%P. She sold served to Bluegrass Pirouettes Lord of the Dance.

Bluegrass Chieftains Haven, a two-year-old calved heifer from the same home, also had plenty of admirers, selling for 2900gns to the Fort family, Silsden Moor. She is bred from eight generations of VG or Ex dams and sired by Bluegrass Chrysanthemums. Bluegrass sold four to average £2888.

Top price for John and Sue Heath of Ravenfield Jerseys, Cowden, Hull, was 1650gns paid for Nethervalley KS G Maid Winnie, bred by Robbie Scott, Tarbolton. This Sunset Canyon Got Maid daughter is a potential sixth generation VG or Ex-classified cow and, six weeks calved, sold to Willie Taylor, Ainstable, Cumbria.

Dumfriesshire producers, Andrew and Alison Bunting, bought two in-calf heifers at 1450gns each from Paul Ingham and the Laneside Farm Partnership from Waddington, Clitheroe.

The usual dairy sale saw 11 forward and a top price of £1900 for a black heifer from Mick Blackwell, Gargrave, purchased by John Howard also Gargrave.

Auctioneers: CCM.