The Dairy’s Finest Showcase Sale 2023, a multi-vendor sale of pedigree Jersey cattle and genetics, was held on May 24 during the Jersey Australia annual general meeting and conference at Coffs Harbour.
It was a phenomenal success, with prices to $13,000 and an average of $5880, on a total of 35 lots.
There were 29 cattle — a few cows and mostly heifers — and six lots were multi-units of semen, up for auction.
A percentage — varying from 50 to 10 per cent across several lots — of the proceeds of a few cattle sales were donated to the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre for cancer research.
The Dairy’s Finest cattle sale kicked off with Lot 1, a fresh-in-milk four-year-old Jersey cow, milking 5351 litres, and put up by the Wilson family. Burnside Chrome Honey sold for $6000.
This was a teaser for Lot 2, which was the choice of two heifers, both sired by Vanahlem, and put up by combined vendors M. & L. Flemming, L. Randle and F. & D. Borba.
On offer were Impression LR MB Vanahlem Festive ET and Tanjil Jerseys MLF MB Vanahlem Fruitcake ET. Both heifers were born on October 10, 2022 and included Lightning Ridge, Feliz Navidad and Lucky genetics.
Some spirited bidding saw the price rise to $13,000, the highest bid of the day.
The heifer — Festive was chosen — was purchased by John and Robbie Wakelin, of Belbrook Holsteins and Jerseys, from Canterbury, New Zealand, in partnership with Rachel Stewart.
Festive will continue to be managed in Australia, pastured with Impression Jerseys and Holsteins at Newry.
There were a number of lots where a portion of the sale price was donated to the gross of the charity fundraiser held later.
Lot 7 was the standout of this. The Bacon family of Brookbora Jerseys contributed 50 per cent of the sale price to the fundraiser for cancer research. Brookbora Eileen 141, born September 19, 2022 and an A2/A2, sold for $10,000.
Lots 4, 11, 16, 22 and 25 — donated respectively by Bushlea Farms, the Nicholson family of Jugiong Jerseys, S. Reid of Jackiah Jerseys, Hasting Jerseys and J. and J. Jennings — were all sold with 10 per cent of the proceeds donated to the charity auction recipient, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, for cancer research.
Lot 5, Loxleigh Valent Bella 7210, born August 8, 2019 and scored EX 91, was put up for auction by G. and N. Akers. This three-year-old milks 6436 litres and is pregnancy-tested-in-calf to polled sire Stark. She sold at $10,000.
Lot 9, Windy Ways CCC Solstice Dawn — ET, a maternal sister to Windy Ways Galaxies Dawn 7, and born January 1 this year — was put up for sale by Frank Walsh and sold at $4500.
Lot 14 was a line-up of six heifers put up by Kings View Jerseys. All six heifers were born in January 2021 and calved between February and April this year.
The heifers are the ET pairing between Wilson View IF Matt and Kings View Shirley EX 90, and were put up by Ian Anderson of Kings View Jerseys.
Simon Reid and Belinda Egan of Jackiah and Ripponlea Jerseys are the new owners, paying $7000 for their first choice.
Ian had then arranged for a second choice purchase of the remaining five heifers, and bidding started again. Reece and Toni Attenborough of Attaview stud were the successful purchasers, for $5500.
Both heifers were purchased by nearby Gippsland breeders.
Lot 22, Hastings Webcam Flawless, an 18-month-old heifer mated to sexed semen from Askn and pastured with Brookbora Burrumbeet, was purchased by Brookbora stud for $3000.
There were several units of semen put up for auction.
Ten units from Panaoo Abe Vanahlem, vendor Brookbora Jerseys, sold at $250 each.
Ten units from All Lynns Louie Valentino, vendor Winvarl Jerseys, sold at $150 per unit. Winvarl Jerseys Stud provided the remaining units of semen sold over the other four lots.
Bidders for cattle and semen were from across several states, including Tasmania, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and NSW; as well as international bidders from New Zealand.
The sale was administered by Dairy Livestock Services with Brian Leslie auctioneer, and simulcast online by Elite Livestock Auctions.