Sammy, of Dobfield Farm, Laycock, said she was over the moon when her first prize newly calven pedigree heifer was chosen as the title winner at the BOCM Pauls-sponsored fixture by show judge David Berry, of Thornton-in-Craven.

It was an all-round family achievement, as the two-and-a-half-year old victor, bought by Sammy as a calf at Skipton, was bred by her father Alan Throup, who runs the Dalesbrad pedigree dairy herd on Silsden Moor.

The champion comes from top-notch breeding lines, being by the renowned sire, Bolton, out of a cow sired by the legendary dairy bull Picston Shottle. Having calved 19 days prior to the show and giving 35 litres, she sold for the day’s highest price – again to Sammy’s great delight - of £2,900 to Stephen and Edward Jeanes, from Glusburn, who are regular buyers of top-notch dairy cattle at Skipton and also acquired the title winner at the opening June sale.

The Abbeyhouse pedigree Holstein Friesian dairy herd of Jennings Farmers, at Hill House, Fountains, Ripon, was awarded the reserve championship for the second show in succession, this time with its first prize newly calven cow, by a home-bred bull off the Rolls family. Shown by Andrew Jennings, the 24 days calved reserve, producing 38 litres, was knocked down for £1,980 to ringside regular Wick Williams, of Nantwich, Cheshire.

Multiple Craven Dairy Auction champion Brian Moorhouse, who runs the Aireburn pedigree herd in Bell Busk, stepped up with the second prize newly calven heifer, which sold for £2,600, second top price of the day, to Halton West’s James Kayley, while the third in class from show regulars, the Robinson family in Eldroth, found a new home with Mark Goodall, of Tong, Bradford, at £1,950.

The second prize newly calven cow from Dennis and Susan Lee, of Melbourne York, sold for £1,820, while the third in class from J&J Whittaker, of Far Laithe Farm, Laneshawbridge, fell for £1,980, again to Wick Williams.

Easingwold’s Mick Corner produced another nice crop of in-calf heifers due August, picking up all three prizes in the show class and seeing his charges sell to a high of £1,480, with the top price in-calf entry from the Whittakers achieving £1,880 when falling to Wigan’s Tom Green.

The sale attracted one of the highest entries for some time with a 66-strong turnout of dairy cattle offering a tremendous selection of 51 in-milk, 15 in-calf cows and heifers, both pedigree and commercial, plus one pedigree dairy bull.

Forty of the cows – 29 newly calven and 11 in-calf - were presented by the Pendle-based Whittaker family, as part of their ongoing dispersal sale following the passing of John Whittaker earlier this year.

The family, long time Craven Dairy Auction supporters, presented their cattle in superb condition and they met with excellent trade, with all cows selling above and beyond expectations. Their pedigree dairy bull made £850 on joining Graham France in Liversedge.

In fact, solid trade was seen from the outset, when the second animal into the sales ring, a commercial newly calven heifer from Chris Broadwith, of Thornton Watlass, went under the hammer for £2,250. It joined local dairy farmer John Howard in Heslaker.

In the pedigree section, newly calved heifers averaged £2,275 and newly calven cows £1,717, with commercial entries averaging £1,614 and £1,270 respectively. In-calf heifers averaged £1,485 and in-calf cows £980.

The next Craven Dairy Auction on Monday, July 14, will feature the remaining portion of the Whittaker family herd.

Rearing calves peak at £600

Heady demand for rearing calves was again seen at Skipton Auction Mart’s weekly Monday sale, with a top price of £600 for a British Blue-cross bull calf from Gargrave’s Colin Whitelock.

The home-bred youngster, by a sire purchased from North Craven breeder Richard Maudsley, of Settle, out a Whitelock dairy cow, met with spirited bidding at the ringside before falling to returning North Lincolnshire buyer Nigel Mason.

British Blue-cross calves easily led the trade, with bull calves averaging £443 and heifer calves £350, top price in class falling to an entry from regular vendors Church Farm Enterprises in Burton Leonard.

The 52-strong entry produced a Continental-cross average of £354, a native average of £195 and black and white mean of £41.