The Barber family of Manor House Farm, just outside Preston, UK, has completed the dispersal sale of their Highhopes and Halcyon pedigree Holstein herds.

Richard and Claire Barber began milking 19 cows on Manor House Farm 18 years ago, placing a strong focus on genetics from the beginning.

By 2014, they had taken to genomic testing, embryo transferring, and more to push on with breeding.

Fast-forward to 2026 and they now have some of the highest genomic total performance index (GTPI) heifers in Europe.

However, earlier this year the Barbers made the decision to hold a complete dispersal sale of their herd through Harrison and Hetherington.

The Barbers said: "As breeders, we are only ever custodians.

"The dispersal is about someone else picking up the torch, becoming the next custodians of these families and taking them forward in their own direction."

The on-farm sale attracted buyers from far and wide, all whom shared the same ambition of buying into elite pedigree Holstein genetics.

Dispersal sale

The top price of 10,000gns achieved at the sale was given for Highhopes Phoenix Cosmo.

The stylish April-2025-born heifer was ranked through the US Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) proofs, which is similar to the Economic Breeding Index (EBI) in Ireland.

Under the CDCB evaluations, she was +894 for milk and +158 for combined fat and protein.

The heifer was one of highest genomic animals to ever sell in the UK with a GTPI+3216.

She was sold to the the Cogent stud for its breeding programme.

Meanwhile, February-2024-born Highhopes Heatwave Glenda was the top-selling milking heifer, going under the hammer for 4,000gns, with her lineage tracing back to Eastland Holsteins in Holland.

Her dam, Highhopes Lambda Glenda (VG88) made the top price amongst the milking cows, going under the hammer for 3,500gns.

In-calf heifers made a top price of 3,800gns, which was made for Cogent Thorson Comet A.

Overall, the sale saw animals sold to 21 different counties across the UK.

A total of 114 cows and heifers in milk averaged £2,508 per head, while 11 in-calf heifers averaged £2,940.

In addition, 35 heifer calves averaged £1,897.50/head on the day, while the dispersal sale also saw 10 bulling heifers make an average of £2,793.

Four Ayrshire cows in milk averaged £1,785.00/head, while two Ayrshire in-calf heifers averaged £1,837.50/head, and two Ayrshire heifer calves went for £1,522.50/head.