Dairy champion sells for £2,180 as trade improves
Richard and Andrew Walker, of East Morton, seized their first dairy championship at Skipton Auction Mart on Monday.
There was a much improved trade this week, with Arla’s price increase looking to be the main catalyst.
Show judge Peter Sowray, of Bishop Thornton, picked out the champion, a cracking home-bred heifer, calved 14 days and giving 31 litres, which sold to Richard Sutcliffe, of Queensbury, for £2,180.
Mr Sutcliffe also bought the reserve champion for £1,880, from Wilson Stewart, of Carlisle.
The first prize cow, from DS&A Fort, of Glusburn, sold for £1,920 to the show judge. In-calf heifers presented by Robert Lambert, of Milehouse, sold to a fierce trade, which were bid strongly to £1,500 and £1,440 respectively, both selling to Roger Naylor, of Langbar, Ilkley.
Maiden heifers from R&E Pollard, of Colne, topped the section at £720 for an 11-month-old stirk.
Fine Continental calves at Skipton
A cracking show of Continental calves was put forward on the same day, with Geoff and Margaret Booth, of Dowshaw Farm, Lothersdale, topping proceedings at £460, followed by prices of £450 and £445 from the same home.
Continental heifers were good to sell yet again, with the Sowray Bros in Bishop Thornton topping at £400 with a lovely dark heifer at 29-days-old.
Natives met with a flying trade too, with Church Farm Enterprises in Burton Leonard seeing their Angus bull calf hit £345, with an Angus heifer calf from the same home also making £300.
Black and white youngsters were a very similar on the week, with an average of £85.93 per head and topping at £155 for a well fleshed Friesian type from Paul and Janet Bolland, of Dykelands, Airton.