SEVEN pedigree newly calved heifers topped the £2,000 mark in Gisburn Auction Mart’s dairy sale last Thursday, which saw a top of £2,380.

It was the champion from J and A H Rogerson, Singleton, Preston, that put a ceiling on trade when it was knocked down to Wallbank Farms, Lancaster. Their Avenham Diamond Companion by Seagull-Bay Diamond, was three weeks calved and giving 36kg, and is out of a 1,590kg dam.

Second top at £2,260 was a 10-days calved daughter of Honeycrest Windbreaker from the Fowlerbrook herd of T A Crook, Houghton, Preston, and bought by P J and P Mason, Lancaster.

At £2,200, local buyers F A and TCR Wrathall bought a January 2015- born, three weeks-calved heifer from Samantha Sugden, Oakworth. It is by Lynncrest Zebra out of a Creskeld cow. The same buyers went to £2,100 for a 33kg heifer sold by H and M Dugdale and Sons. From their Borrins herd at Settle, the heifer is by Holmland Goldeneye.

The day’s reserve champion came from J D Taylor and Son, Broughton, Skipton. Smellows Flame Linda, by Vieuxsaule Flame, is out of a home-bred dam and made £2,060 to Brian Blezard, Ribchester, Preston, who claimed three of the higher priced lots including a Feizor heifer by Larcrest Contrast, at £2,180 from W A and A Booth, Austwick, Lancaster.

Wallbank Farms were in the market again at £2,080 for one of the other Feizor entries, this one by Gillette Windbrook, out of a 12,990kg dam. Pedigree newly calved cows reached £1,820 from A H Price and Son, Clapham, Lancaster.

Outwith the pedigree section, commercial newly calved heifers peaked at £1,980 twice from Kendal farmers David Knowles and Edward Woof.

Averages were: pedigree newly calved heifers £1,818, cows £1,550; pedigree bulling heifers £743; non-pedigree newly calved heifers £1,428, cows £1,183; in-calf heifers £1,342. The auctioneers were Richard Turner and Son.