One of the biggest and best dairy sales in recent times saw a phenomenal £917,000 change hands at the dispersal of the Lawrie family’s renowned Brieryside herd of Ayrshires and blended Red and Whites.
The on-farm sale at Sandyford, Prestwick, not only achieved record averages of £2400 for milking females and almost £2200 per life across all ages, but will also be remembered for producing the the highest gross takings in the history of the Ayrshire breed.
As one of the world’s oldest established Ayrshire herds, boasting in excess of 150 years breeding, the Brieryside prefix has become synonymous with show champions, production awards and breed leading bulls.
Sale leader at 8600gns, Brieryside Hail Miss Donald
Unsurprisingly, the event attracted breeders and commercial dairymen alike, from as far away as Cornwall, Norfolk and the South of Ireland to see more than 420 head pass through the sale ring selling to 100 different buyers.
Leading the trade at 8600gns was Brieryside Hail Miss Donald, a served heifer, purchased by the McAlister brothers, James, Charles and Ninan, Isle of Bute. Backed by home-bred genetics, this October 2021-born Brieryside Hail daughter, is out of the GP83 SP Brieryside Warrior Miss Dondald, that gave just shy of 11,500kg in her fifth. Miss Donald changed hands due at the end of the year sexed to Harperfield Wind in the Willows.
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Second top price was 6000gns paid for the fresh Holstein heifer, Arranview Diamond Abigail, a direct descendant of KHW Regiment Apple and bred from nine straight Excellent-classified dams. An ET bred from the Ex-92-2 13* LP70 cow, Eastford Kingboy Abigail, she headed home with John Allen and family, Co Armagh.
The same buyers also gave 4800gns for Arranview Denver Laurie, an in-calf Holstein heifer bred from Letterkenny Doorman Laurie SP, served in February to AOT Hampshire.
Selling for 5800gns, the Baileys of Audlem, Cheshire, bought Brieryside Awesome Magenta VG88, a second calver by Brieryside Magic AMC and a grand-daughter of the Ex91-3 LP60 cow, Brieryside Thunder Paulette.
Daughters of Brieryside Hail proved popular, with another selling for 5600gns to D Coulthurst, buying for the Edenfields herd from Preston. Brieryside Hail Wren is a daughter of the Ex94 Brieryside Respect Wren, with her fourth dam being the top show cow, Bankhead Wren 104 3*, LP100, Ex-95.
Another member of the Wren family, Brieryside Aladdin Wren, an 11-month-old, out of Brieryside Supreme Wren Ex-90, and sired by R DG Aladdin Red, made the same money when selling to Arthur Lawrie and sons James and David, Cuthill Towers, Milnathort.
The on-farm sale at Sandyford was packed out from early morning right through to the last lot sold
A descendant of the top breeding Barr Sandy Rose family, made 5000gns to John Hunter and family, Northern Ireland. Brieryside Awesome Sandy Rose GP84, a twin-born female by Luck-E Absolute Awesome Red and out of Brieryside Respect Sandy Rose Ex-94-2, sold due with her second next month to Brieryside Hail.
Also heading home to Ireland with the Hunters at 4800gns was Brieryside Magic Swan, a four-year-old second calver by Brieryside Magi AMC, out of Brieryside Thunder Swan VG87 SP. She sold served to Cuthill Towers Calcutta.
A strong trade throughout, saw no fewer than 72 animals sell for £3000 or more. Several volume buyers took advantage of the event and the Wilsons from Knockneen, Stranraer gave 4200gns for Brieryside Winston Amelia VG86, a second calver by Brieryside Winston. They also bought another 49 lots to go with her.
John Gilmour, Humeston, Maybole, forked out the same money for the next lot, Brieryside Magic Sylvia, another second calver this time by Brieryside Magic AMC, bred from Arranview Absolute Sylvia VG88.
Two lots came under the hammer for 4100gns to include the Jersey, Arranviews Chrome Glitz GP83, a rising three-year-old by River Valley Cece Chrome, bred from the Ex91-2 Logan Colton Glitz GM. She was purchased by A Hutton, Ayr, and changed hands due with her second in September to Wilsonview IF Matt.
Earlier in the day, Northern Ireland breeder, J McCauley, Co Down, paid the same money for Arranview Medalist Kitty, a 10-month-old heifer calf by Tappenvale Medalist, out of the VG88 SP cow, Brieryside Addiction Kitty Red.
Other leading volume buyers included Messrs Colgrove, Newquay, Cornwall, who bought 41 milking cows and in-calf heifers with a similar number selling down to producers in Somerset and Devon.
The sale was staged to allow Gilmour and his wife Caroline to semi-retire and help out more at Myremill, home to son Kevin and his wife Alison’s pedigree dairy unit.
Auctioneers: Norton and Brooksbank.
Averages: 284 cows in milk, £2391.23; 54 served heifers, £2461.57; 22 maiden heifer, £1596.48; 63 heifer calves, £1106.17. Overall, 423 head £2167.49
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