Stainbank herd clinches another Craven Dairy Auction championship
Robin Jennings, who runs the Stainbank pedigree dairy herd in South Stainley, near Ripon, was champion again at the early November Craven Dairy Auction show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart, repeating his success at the corresponding fixture the previous month. (Mon, Nov 10)
He again clinched the title with the first prize newly-calven heifer, Longstar Lavanguard, Franchise, acquired as a stirk from her Lancashire breeder. By Comestar Lavanguard, the victor, 15 days calves and giving 28 litres, sold for £1,820 to Wharfedale-based buyers.
However, top price of £2,280 was clinched by a newly calven heifer giving 36 litres from Samantha Sugden, of Laycock, Keighley. Bred by Andrew Ayrton in Eastby, it fell to local buyer John Howard in nearby Heslaker.
Brian Moorhouse, who runs the Aireburn pedigree herd in Bell Busk, saw his first prize newly calven cow, Aireburnn Bluesky Winifred, also take the reserve championship. By the Genus sire Galastar Bluesky, the second calver, giving 30 litres, sold for £1,980, top price in class, to Wick Williams, of Nantwich.
The Lawson family, from Arthington, were again prominent among the prizes, presenting the second prize newly calven hefer, by the Genus sire Bosman. Eight days calved and giving 28 litres, she fell for £2,000, second top call of the day, to show judge James Kayley, of Halton West, a regular buyer of dairy cows at Skipton.
The Lawsons also presented the second and third prize newly calven cows, both16-days calved. The runner-up, by Bomaz Boulder, came to market giving 32 litres and sold for £1,800, again to Wick Williams.
Although described as steady, dairy trade showed an improvement on previous fixtures, put down to the quality 30-strong turnout, notably newly calven heifers, which averaged £1,816 per head for pedigrees and £1,544 for their commercial counterparts. These peaked at £1,760 for an entry from Calton’s Robert Crisp.
Newly calven cows averaged £1,666 and in-calf heifers £1,121, with a top of £1,480 from WM Birkley & Sons, of Acaster. Further newly calven Brown Swiss heifers and cows from David and Pauline Brown, of Ramsgill, sold to a high of £1,800 at an average of £1,775.
The show was co-sponsored by G Shepherd Animal Health and NMR Information Partnerships. The Christmas show and sale, sponsored by ForFarmers, is next up on Monday, November 24.
Dairy-bred youngsters were also in demand at Monday’s weekly rearing calf sale, which attracted an entry of 75 head. Black and whites sold at an improved average of £72.15 each, with a top of £130 for a bull calf from David Hall, of Coniston Cold.
Native calves also proved good to sell, with David Holmes, from Castley, seeing some strong Shorthorns exceed expectations to peak at £190 for a heifer calf and £185 for a bull calf. Reigning CCM Farmers of the Year, Fred and Mark Houseman, of Burton Leonard, also did well with some strong Aberdeen Angus entries, which peaked at £350 for a bull calf. The overall native average was £227 per head.
The Housemans were also responsible for the top price British Blue-cross entries, a bull calf at £410, best of the day, and a heifer calf at £355, though Blue trade was easier on the week. Continentals averaged £312.30 overall.