Kivells held the Golden Opportunity Sale of 20 Pedigree Jerseys at Exeter Livestock Centre on Friday. Once again Exeter continues to lead the way with the strongest trade anywhere in the UK! There was an excellent quality entry forward and top of the day was 1920gns (£2016) for a third calver “Morebridge Topeka Clematis GP83” by Heartland Merchant Topeka from Messrs MS Ashton & Sons of Torrington who sold others to 1900gns (£1995) twice for a another third calver by Evangelo Del Primero and a Heifer “Morebridge Megapower Brandy” by River Valley Megapower. The same vendors sold others to 1850gns (£1942) and a fourth calver by Tollenaars Impuls Legal to 1750gnsn (£1837)! Messrs Ashton also sold two Dry Cows to 1600gns (£1680) and 1500gns (£1575) and their consignment of 16 averaged a whopping £1764! Bruce, Jenny & Jess Ravenhill-White of Umberleigh sold three cracking Cows & Heifers from their Whitenhill Herd and topped at 1900gns for a second calver “Whitenhill Santas Windsock VG87” by Bluegrass Carols Santa Claus. “Whitenhill Citations Chestnut GP84” sold having calved in August at 1850gns whilst the other heifer by a homebred sire sold at 1750gns. Richard Norman of Yeovil sold a fifth calver “Cracker Nadals Girl” by Lencrest Nadal at 1520gns (£1596)! Averages: 17 In Milk Cows & Heifers      £1835 3 In Calf Cows & Heifers         £1470

With this time of year resonating with the golden colours of Autumn the latest Craven Dairy Auction at CCM Skipton did similarly with a fine entry of over 40 lots sold to include Holsteins, Ayrshire, Red and White Holstein and the Autumn Jersey sale, held for the third time and again sold by leading breed auctioneer Mark Davis, of Devon-based Kivells. The main event was the Autumn coloured breeds sale, which was dominated by Jerseys and drew sellers from Scotland down to Shropshire. While many ringside had travelled long distances others were able to bid from the comfort of their own homes via the increasingly popular online platform, with potential purchasers from seven counties in England and Scotland registered on the sales sheet. While buyers were selective, all but two lots forward headed to new homes. Trade peaked at £2,100 for a widely admired long, hard-topped calf showing great udder potential and ready to compete at the forthcoming All Breeds All Britain Calf Show at Peterborough in mid-October. Well presented by Ben Coates, and his parents, Stephen and Rachel, who run Regatta Jerseys in Baildon, this November, 2020, heifer sired by Video is a maternal sister to the Champion Jersey Heifer in Milk from this year’s Great Yorkshire Show and is from an EX91 7500kg plus dam. As well as being a potential fifth generation VG or EX, she stays in Yorkshire, heading to a new young enthusiast, Izzy Lee, of Easingwold. Milking cows and heifers in the Jerseys were a solid trade without featuring any standout prices. They peaked at £1,890 for Bayview Disco Eliza 14 from the Pye family, who run Bayview Jerseys in Arkholme, Carnforth. Fresh since mid-August and giving over 23kg per day, with nine generations of VG or EX behind her, she heads to the …

The widely anticipated first coloured breeds sale at CCM Skipton did not disappoint, with a new auction centre dairy record price established when the much admired VG88-2yrs headliner, Cherryview Legal M Lacey, was knocked down to an undisclosed buyer for 5,500gns, with her yearling daughter by Citation heading to the same home for 2,200gns. Still giving 21kg per day, Cherryview Legal M Lacey is due again in mid-November and again to Citation, being a potential third generation straight EX for the Lacey cow family that has been so noteworthy and consistently reliable for Mrs Judith Waring, who has regrettably dispersed her Cherryview herd at Cherry Burton, Beverley. Of the 31 animals in the dispersal portion of this sale, ranging from the seventh calver Cherryview Minister Lacey EX92-5E, who sold for 2,700gns to Richard Pilkington, Shordley – with her October 2019 daughter following to Messrs Young, Cumbria, at 2,100gns – to the March, 2020-born Cherryview Citation Lacey, a total of 17 Laceys successfully sold. Furthermore, the Cherryview dispersal averaged a whopping £1,486 per life. CCM’s dairy sales co-ordinator Sarah Liddle said: “A packed, socially distanced and face-masked audience gathered to witness this great sale that offered much to the crowd gathered ringside, and CCM were fortunate that their perspex ‘boothing’ and online bidding facility afforded potential purchasers capacity to bid safely and view the stock on sale.” In total, 39 buyers were recorded purchasing the 87 animals forward on the day, the volume purchaser being Andrew McKay, Newton Stewart, who bought eight. A strong Yorkshire following was in fine buying form, with other purchases also heading to Lancashire, Cumbria, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Lincolnshire, Shropshire, Cheshire, Durham and East Yorkshire. This was said to highlight CCM’s central location in the country and many people visiting the auction site for the first time …

Kivells held the “Summer Gold” Sale of 32 Pedigree Jerseys at Exeter Livestock Centre and trade was on fire from start to finish! The sale topped at 3000gns for an exceptional heifer “Whitenhill Barcelonas Windup VG87” by FDL Barcelona, this heifer was backed by 5 generations of VG or EX dams and sold freshly calved by Bruce, Jenny & Jess Ravenhill-White of Umberleigh. The same vendor sold 6 cracking In Calf Heifers topping at 1650gns with others to 1550gns & 1500gns four times and four yearling heifer calves between 360-380gns. Bulling Heifers which were purchased as calves from the Maunlake Dispersal last summer saw quality heifers by River Valley Circus Craze sell really well to a top of 710gns twice and 640gns x 3 from Bill law of Holsworthy. The demand for Jerseys is exceptionally strong and more could have been sold to advantage!

Ferocious bidding took place throughout the Spotlight Sale of Elite Pedigree Dairy Cattle which this year, due to Covid-19, auctioneers Greenslade Taylor Hunt held as an online auction. With it being the first Live Pedigree Elite Dairy Sale the interest generated was incredible with registrations on the bidding site being welcomed from across the world including potential buyers registered from New Zealand, Germany, Denmark and France. With anticipation building during the three days that the sale was live, as expected most of the bidding took place in the final moments with Fizz taking the top spot! Layward Cosmo Starry Fizz the Jersey who was bred from three generations of world renowned show winners topped the sale at £7,100.  She was the only daughter of Elliotts Cosmo Starry Fizz in the UK and her 3rd dam was no other than Huronia Centurion Veronica Ex97 who was supreme champion at the World Dairy Expo. Bidding spanned the breadth of the UK with the final bid coming from the Fleming Family from Ireland for their Potterswalls Herd. Topping the Holsteins at £5,600 was the much admired Withamvale Chief Rae who was bred from 10 generations of Excellent dams that averaged 93.5 points and hailed from the illustrious Sterndale line of the Rae’s.  Again bidders from Wales, Scotland and England were beaten by Conor Mcaufield who takes her back to Ireland for his Lissue herd. The Rae’s created a lot of interest throughout the sale with two red daughters from Rockset Integral Rae VG87 selling for £4100 & £3800. The Wiltor herd entered some outstanding lots in the sale and took the next two top prices.  At £5,000 was the stylish red calf from the Jodie family and at £4900 was a King Doc from the same family as Jacobs Goldwyn Britany, they were …