Red Beauty Shines in the Spotlight

This year’s Summer Spotlight Sale was held online via Marteye and featured an array of live lots and embryos spanning four breeds. Topping the sale was the much-admired Knowlesmere Awesome Beauty Red, consigned by the Whittaker family from Shropshire. She is a sister to the famous Garay Awesome Beauty, among other successfully shown sisters, and sold for 4,000gns to the Sanders family from Devon for their “Filleigh” Herd.

The calved heifer Holben Miracle Blueberry, from the Dyer family in Kent, sold for 2,950gns to the Pegasus herd in Dorset. Creating spirited last-minute bidding was the Brown Swiss from Kedar, Dumfries, named Crazy Stupid Love. She sold for 2,500gns at just four months old and also joins the Sanders family in Devon for their “Castle Hill” Brown Swiss Herd.

Other Holstein maidens sold to 2,200gns twice, with Woodmarsh Chief Star and Knowlesmere Jones Bullseye Bonbon selling into Carmarthen and Lancashire respectively.

The sole Shorthorn on offer, from Hayvalley in Cornwall, sold for 1,900gns to Thomas Moscrop from Carlisle.

A major feature of the sale was the selection of extremely appealing embryo packages. Lot 1 kicked off the sale in style with an offering from the Global Cow of the Year, Siemers Lstr Hanan 33317, with embryos selling for 1,600gns each. Three other lots sold for 950gns each, featuring embryos from the Footloose, Caught Your Eye and Diva families.

The current state of the industry arguably made the sale more selective, but a decent clearance rate was achieved.

With buyers from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, the sale produced the following averages:

Calved heifer: £3,098

Calves and maidens: £2,043

Embryos: £731