A joint top price of £3100 and an overall average of £2150 for milking females were the key highlights of Harrison and Hetherington's July Dairy Day sale.

First to achieve £3100 were Scottish breeders, Jennifer and William Baillie, Hillhead of Covington, Biggar, when their freshly calved cow, Covington Hartley Tina, sold to Bradleys Farms, Preesall, Poulton-Le-Fylde, Lancashire. A De-Su Hartley daughter, she is out of the VG85 classified Covington Watt Tina.

The same buyers also bought the second £3100 cow, Witherslack Silver Kate from the Inman family, Grange over Sands, Carlisle. Freshly calved she is by Seagull-bay Silver and bred from an Ex90 Witherslack Bookem Kate dam.

Heifers were topped at £2900 twice for entries from Balcurvie Holsteins, Fife, with both lots selling to Messrs Reay and Son, Grinsdale, Carlisle. First was for Balcurvie Syracuse Buttercup, which sold giving 34kg with the second being Balcurvie Jhonny Marion.

The 22 Balcurvie heifers averaged just over 2200 with Balcurvie Flo following at £2800. Aanother by the De-Su sire, she found a new home in Lancs with Messrs Blezard, Ribchester, Preston.

Next in the money was GJ Holden, Syke House, Broughton in Furness, who sold two at £2800. First was Broughton Flop Red 87, a daughter of Delta Rosebud Red, bred from the Ex92 Broughton Flop 51. Messrs Mandale and Son, Raughton Head, Carlisle, were the final bidders,

Bradleys Farms bought the second at £2800, Broughton Cas 18, a Melarry Fuel daughter, bred from the Ex91 dam, Broughton Cas 14.

The Williamson family from the Howes, Appleby, sold British Friesian cows to £2550 twice for two second calvers.

Other features of the sale included the dispersal of the Challoch Fleckvieh herd which sold to £2300 for a fresh heifer with a cross of Norwegian Red, to average in excess of £1660.

A smaller group of Jersey milkers were topped at £1800 for second lactation cow.

averages: Freshly calved animals: 97 Holstein heifers in milk, £2101.97; 39 Holstein cows in milk; £2166.00; 11 British Friesians in milk, £2225.18; 69 Fleckvieh cows/heifers, £1601.44; 8 Jersey cows/heifers in milk, £1300.00; 12 faulted cows ¾, £1150.00.

In calf/dry: 33 dry cows, £1483.33; 46 cross- bred/British Friesian in-calf heifers, £1672.50; 20 Jersey in-calf heifers, £1657.50.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.