Just shy of £400,000 changed hands at RG and GG Tucker and Son's Bendle pedigree Holstein dispersal where no fewer than 60 lots sold for more than £2000.

The event, staged at Exeter Livestock Centre was topped by Bendle Winday 157, a January-calved heifer by Cogent Twist, which made 2650gns.

Close behind on 2500gns was Bendle Betsy, a second calver by Sherdon Lord Condor which had calved in February and sold giving 45kgs.

Three others sold at 2400gns for fresh second and third calvers with many of the best young cows and heifers making 2200gns-2300gns.

Read more: Bradbury family's on-farm Brookroad Holstein dispersal from Whitchurch topped at 5000gns

In-calf heifers were perhaps the trade of the day with 14 selling for more than 2000gns and to a top of 2050gns for Bendle Happy 72, a daughter of Sherdon Ghana which sold due in July to Hereford.

Heifers calving between October and December met a better than expected trade, peaking at 1850gns with many making between 1300-1600gns.

An easier trade was witnessed for bulling heifers which sold to 800gns for four nine-10-month-old heifers with weaned heifer calves sold after their dams at 350-480gns.

Auctioneers: Norton and Brooksbank and Kivells.

Averages: 119 cows and heifers inc all faults, £1877; 74 in-calf heifers, £1477; 31 bulling heifers,£739; 25 yearling heifers, £678; 15 heifer calves, £407. Overall, 264 head, £1511.