The 39^th edition of the annual Black and White sale was held at the Borderway Sale Centre in England over the weekend.

The sale topped out at 13,000gns, while 21 animals sold for or above £4000 with the overall average coming to £4,352.

Dairy enthusiast flocked to the show, with buyers recorded from across the UK and from a further six countries, including Switzerland.

Black & White sale

A 'First Choice heifer package' topped the sale at 13,000gns, going to Rathard Holsteins from the UK.

TLC Genetics and Firstlook Holsteins organised the package to give the buyers the opportunity to select from five heifers that will be born in February.

The heifers in question will be sired by Hinge and will be granddaughters of the award-winning Eixdale Pwrup Alongside.

Eixdale Pwrup Alongside was recently named Reserve Grand Champion at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, and was the winning four-year-old at World Dairy Expo in October.

TLC Genetics also sold TLC Tentastic Shell Shock for 6,000gns to the Awde family from Penrith in the UK.

Shell Shock was a direct daughter of the 2023 All American winning senior two-year-old, Mile View Shelly of Helmcrest, who won her class at World Dairy Expo that same year.

She traces back to one of the most prolific brood cows of her generation, Silvermaple Damion Camomile, who sold in the International Intrigue Sale in 2012 for $290,000.

Carlilse-based Evening Holsteins also sold three heifers to average over £7,000, with Evening Sidekick Jenny from The Block selling for 7,8000gns and Evening Dropbox Boom Boom going for for 7,000gns.

The Armstrong family from Wolfa Farm near Penrith and Phil Potts from Carlisle sold August-born Wolfa Potts JB Hanna Vray for 7,000gns.

The Davis family from Devon topped the Jersey sale with their heifer, Rivermead Addiction Candice selling for 6,500gns.

Meanwhile Kevin and Christine Wilson from Carlisle sold Warnelview Parfect Nita for 6,000gns, while Andrew Swale from Lancashire Phoenix also sold his heifer, BA Porsche, for 6,000gns.

After sale

After the sale had concluded, Apex Genetics sold another 'First Choice package' outside of the ring to Emerald Isle Genetics in Co. Tyrone for 15,000gns.

The package consisted of three heifers due in June 2026 sired by Triton P, with a world-famous dam of Trent-Way Reesure.

The Black & White show said the averages for the sale were as follows;

48 Holstein Heifers: £4,630.24;
5 First Choice Heifer Calves: £8,442.00;
3 Jersey Heifer Calves: £3,955.00;
1 Ayrshire Heifer in milk: £4,200.00;
1 Milking Shorthorn: £3,150.00;
22 Embryos: £603.75.