A GOOD quality entry of dairy cattle forward for the March Border and Lakeland Holstein club sale at Carlisle saw prices peak at 2800gns to average £1953 with a 100% clearance.

In all, some 35 animals sold at or above the £2000 mark, with the sale leader at 2800gns coming from David and John Brewster's Boclair herd from Bearsden, Glasgow, which sold five to average £2425. Their best, Boclair Caviar Echo 2, a fresh heifer bred from five generations of Excellent-classified cows and sired by Gillette Caviar, sold to W Brewster, Thornhill, Stirling. Her dam is the Ex93-2E Boclair Dempsey Echo, which boasts milk yields of more than 15,000kg followed by the Ex90 Boclair Shottle Echo 2 with milk yields of more than 12,000kg.

Boclair also received 2250gns for the reserve champion at the pre-sale show, Boclair Silver Vision HH 1C, a fresh heifer by Seagull-Bay Silver and a grand-daughter of the Ex91 Boclair Lorenzo Vision. The buyers were Alistair and Liz Vance, Bridgehouse Holsteins, Whithorn, Newton Stewart.

Matching that price was another from the Brewsters, Boclair Octane Delight, a two-year-old calved heifer by Stantons High Octane, bred from nine generations of Ex or VG dams, of which eight are Excellent. Her fourth dam is the Ex93-4E LP90 SP13* brood cow, Overside Convincer Delight, and sold to Bromfield Farms, Wigton, Cumbria.

The Vances were back in action to buy the second top priced lot at 2420gns – a late entry from Gavin Struthers' Balcurvie herd from Windygates, Fife. Balcurvie Jareb Eileen, a fresh heifer by Hartline Jareb, is out of the Hillhead Buttons daughter, Balcurvie Tuscan Eileen. Balcurvie Holsteins enjoyed a great trade, selling 13 heifers to average just over £2000 per head.

Jim and David Gray, Drumtall, East Kilbride, were also in the money, with their best, Wyndford Artes Duchess, making 2380gns to Shotts Genetics, Lanark. A daughter of Go-Farm Artes, this early February-calved heifer is out of the VG89-3yr Wyndford Appleman Duchess.

Just behind on 2300gns, Robert Steel, Kepculloch, Balfron, sold Kepculloch Atwood Meg, a similargly aged heifer by Maple-Downs-IGW Atwood, to William and Mike Oldfield, Gisburn, Lancs. Her dam, a previous home-bred Meg, is by Golden-Oaks St Alexander.

Averages: Six cows in milk, £1848.00; 51 heifers in milk, £1953.67; five Ayrshire heifers in milk, £1722.00; 10 Holstein in-calf heifers, £1432.75.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.