Watch: Twizzle family on top again at Carlisle Black and White sale

Some top prices and top heifers came back to Ireland after the 30th Anniversary Black and White sale in Carlisle over the weekend.

While trade was up and down, 107 of the 135 lots on offer went on to find new homes. A number of standout prices were witnessed with the highest average in several years at £3,945. Six countries were represented on the buyers list, with 33 lots making over £4,000 and a noticeable increase in the demand for embryos.

A strong contingent from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland descended on northern England for the sale. And, while the trade was very mixed, there was some success for the travelling Irish. Two of the successful sellers were Donal Neville from Limerick and Roy Cromie from Donegal.

Donal and family from Co Limerick, trading under the Emerald Holsteins banner, sold their March 2015-born in-calf heifer Emerald Doorman Twizzle, sired by Val-Bisson Doorman, for £6,930 (€8,270). This line was originally from Luck-E Holsteins in the US, but has been developed in Ireland by Philip Jones, owner of the Hallow herd. Doorman Twizzle is a granddaughter of Hallow Advent Twizzle EX96, grand champion at the Baileys Show and Emerald Expo show in 2016, and a daughter of Hallow Atwood Twizzle 3 VG89, the nominated All Ireland four-year-old in 2015.

Full sister to the dam is Hallow Atwood Twizzle EX93, who recently won grand champion title at the Italian National Show in Cermona, Italy, and who also won her class at the European Show in Colmar, France, earlier this year. This powerful in-calf heifer was purchased by Andrew and Euan Lawrie, Grangehall Farm, Lanarkshire.

Roy Cromie from Castlefin, Co Donegal, sold two heifers for a decent return. Lot 27, September-born Dalevalley Dorman Tracey ET, sold for £4,200 (€5,000) while Lot 83, his February 2016-born Doorman heifer Dalevalley Dorman Embrace 2 ET, who came third in the intermediate calf category in the Irish National Calf Show 2016, sold under the hammer for £5,775 (€6,900).

Elite Street Genetics (Rob Hancock) secured lot 81 Absolute Doorman Tangfastic ET for the second top price on the day of £15,750 (€18,800). The March 2016-born heifer is out of a Kingsway Sanchez cow that classified EX 95 and has eight generations of VG and EX in her pedigree.

Her full sister, consigned by Orton Grange Farms, Carlisle, OrtonGrange Doorman Arangatang, sold for 5,000gns (€6,500) and also sold to Ireland, this time to J Moore, Co Offaly.

Robert and Elaine Butterfield, owners of the prize-winning Ingleview herd in Bentham, Lancashire, sold a Seagull-Bay Silver daughter from their showing winning cow Newirks Jazz for 5,800gns (€6,100) to the Ards Holstein herd in Co Down. Jazz had been a crowd favourite in 2016 having represented the UK at the European Show in Colmar, France, placing second in her class along with Grand Champion at the Great Yorkshire show in July.

The top-priced heifer on the day, Panda Lucky O’Kalibra, was exhibited by Molly Westwood, owner of the Panda herd in Somerset. Buyers had the choice of two June 2016 born full sisters sired by Luck-E Absolute Awesome Red and granddaughters of Decrausaz Iron Okalibra EX97, a world champion and European champion in 2015 and the three times grand champion at Swiss Expo. This was the first occasion progeny from this standout cow had been sold in the UK, and the winning bid of 18,000gns (€22,500) was placed by the Thisillda Syndicate from south west Scotland.

Jersey sale

Elite Street Genetics was also selling and went on to claim the top price for a Jersey with EliteStreet Tequila Belle. Sired by the show-winning sire Tower Vue Prime Tequila and bred form the famous Duncan Belle cow family, Tequila Belle was junior champion at both the Limerick and Dunmanway Shows in 2016. She sold at 2,900gns (€3,700) to Diamond Genetics in France.