The consignment comprised 45 head –11 cows with calves at foot, four heifers with calves, 11 maiden heifers, two in-calf heifers and a brace of bulls.

Taking top call of 3,200gns (£3,360) was Halton 1 Dora, a March, 2017, AI daughter of Solpoll 1 Ferrari, out of Halton 1 Amber, herself by Coley 1 Josh, the first stock bull to be purchased when the herd was first established a decade ago.

She sold with her December, 2020, heifer calf, Halton 1 Georgia, a daughter of Hoghton View 1 Cameron, the second stock bull acquired by the Boothmans. Dora has been running with Coley 1 Sullivan, who is being retained in the herd, the top price outfit joining P Tindale, of Haltwhistle in Northumberland.

Two further cow and calf outfits each made 2,800gns. First up was Iris Boothman’s favourite cow, the April, 2016, Halton 1 Clara, also by Coley 1 Josh, sold with her March-born Cameron heifer calf, Halton 1 Clara H1, to Brian Barrett, of Sowerby, Halifax.

Also hitting 2,800gns was Redshaw 1 Silver 4th, a five-year-old cow bred by Martin Coates, of Widdale, Hawes. The Romany 1 Lighting Bolt daughter and her April-born Cameron heifer calf, Halton 1 Silver H4 – the dam has also been running with Cameron – joined John Bell, who trades as CB Farms Ltd in Newton-le-Willows and from whom the Boothmans have purchased heifers in the past.

Five other cow and calf outfits sold for 2,000gns and over, including a brace at 2,500gns, while heifers with calves also peaked at 2,500gns, this for Halton 1 Foxglove, a March, 2019, daughter of Barwick 1 Iggy, and her May-born Coley I Sullivan bull calf, Halton 1 Harry. The buyers were Stuart and Janet Fisher, of Southwaite, Carlisle, who also claimed another of the cow and calf outfits at 2,400gns.

Other heifer and calf sales included one at 2,100gns, while the two 2019-born in-calf heifers one by Solpoll 1 Ferrari, the other by Cameron, also sold well at 2,100gns and 2,000gns. Maiden heifers peaked at 1,850gns twice for two March, 2020, daughters of Cameron.

The December, 2016, Cameron, a product of imported semen from the Australian sire, Wirruna Daffy D1, who has left such a strong stamp on the Halton herd, was himself offered for sale as part of the reduction, making 2,200gns when falling to Arfon Lloyd, of Ffordd Trefriw, Llanrwst, in Conwy, Wales, who made several Halton purchases.

One of Cameron’s own sons, the March, 2020-born Halton 1 Garfield, who is out of the Halton 1 Clara, also went under the hammer, finding a new home in West Yorkshire with Queensbury’s B Keegan. The two stock bulls averaged £2,205.

Halton cows with calves averaged £2,429.31, heifers and calves £2,283.75, in-calf heifers £2,152 and maiden heifers £1,789.77.