THE first ever sale of pedigree dairy cattle at Gisburn Auction Mart saw top prices go over £2,000.

Topping the sale at £2,600 was Garsby Chapter Irene 3 from W and G Cornthwaite and Son, Clayton-on-Brock, Garstang. The dairy heifer, just 18 days calved and giving 31 litres of milk a day, was crowned the show's champion and sold to Colin Middleton, of Whalley.

Gillian Mares, of Blacksnape, Darwen, sold her Holstein Friesian cow for £2,300 to John Hartley, of Bashall Eaves.

The first prize cow in the pre-sale show from R and E Butterfield, Bentham, of Lancaster, sold for £2,020 to Geoff Blezard, of Ribchester. Heading up the in-calf section at £1,900 was Peter Smith, of Burnley, with a heifer due for late June which sold to another Yorkshire breeder.

The sale was conducted by Richard Turner and Son auctioneers. Newly calved heifers averaged £1,974 and newly calved cows levelled at £1,837.