Aberdeen-Angus females met a roaring trade at the inaugural online heifer sale from John Elliot's Borders-based Rawburn and Elliot herds, selling to a top of 12,200gns.

The sale, hosted by Dowbiggin Marketing on their new online bidding platform, saw 26 heifers average £4167.69, with a 100% clearance.

Sale leader was Rawburn Evening Star X420, a March 2021-born daughter by the feed efficiency sire Nichols Expectation, out of a Rawburn Louisiana daughter that went back to a Peter Pershore grand-dam. Evening Star boasted growth EBVs and breed indexes in the top 1% of the breed and sold to Kenneth Hodge, Mobberley, Cheshire.

Next best at 8700gns when selling to Breze Aberdeen Angus to join an ET programme in Bulgaria, was Elliot Tyra X459. Her pedigree features Rawburn Loaded onto a CCL Dateline mother. She carried some 12 EBVs in the top 10% of the breed.

Another by Rawburn Loaded but out of a Rawburn Fast Ball-sired cow made 6500gns selling to Rory Best, Armagh, Northern Ireland. Rawburn Joy Erica X363 sold with 13 EBVs in the top 10% of the breed.

Mr Best also purchased the next highest priced heifer at 5500gns in the form of Rawburn Roshana X429, another by Loaded. The highest female for intramuscular fat (IMF) born at Rawburn in 2021 and the second highest in the UK, she carries 12 EBVs in the top 10% of the breed. Roshana goes back to the Prairielane Rosebud 0011 cow on her maternal side.

Michael Aitken, West Linton, Peebleshire, went to 5400gns for Rawburn Blackbird X436, also by Loaded and with 14 EBVs in the top 10%. Her maternal grand-dam is a full sister to Rawburn Black Watch.