The Senterprise pedigree Holstein herd, run by father and son Fred and Mark Houseman at Burton Top Farm, near Burton Leonard, secured its second championship of the year with the first prize home-bred newly calven heifer, Senterprise Harry Zoe, by the World Wide Sires dairy bull Walhowdon Marshall Harry, out of Senterprise Switch Zoe, who has produced some 85,000 litres of milk over eight lactations.

The Housemans, who trade as Church Farm Enterprises and are the current Craven Cattle Marts’ Farmers of the Year, saw their 23 days-calved victor, herself giving 34 litres, sell for £2,100 to regular buyer Mark Goodhall, of Tong, Bradford.

Brian Moorhouse, who runs the Aireburn pedigree Holstein dairy herd at Hesper Farm, Bell Busk, and was champion at the main February show, stepped up with another quality home-bred milker, which was chosen as the second prize newly calven heifer and reserve champion by judge James Kayley, of Halton West.

The daughter of the Alta Genetics’ sire Alta Baxter had calved a week prior to the show and was giving 27 litres. She sold for £2,050 to brothers Shaun and Peter Sowray, of Bishop Thornton, better known as multiple rearing calf champions at Skipton.

Duncan and Susan Robinson, of Low Birks Farm, Eldroth, who had landed their first-ever Craven Dairy Auction championship at the opening March show, picked up another rosette with their third prize newly calven heifer, which headed the day’s prices at £2,250 when joining Preston’s Ian Metcalfe.

J&J Whitaker, of Laneshawbridge, were again among the prizes when presenting the first prize newly calven commercial cow, which sold for top price in class of £1,950 to G&P Fleetwood, of Kirkheaton. The runner-up, a pedigree second calver from Jennings Farmers, of Fountains, Ripon, made £1,520 on joining SG Midgley, of Malton.

In-calf heifers from Mick Corner, of Easingwold, again proved popular, taking first and second prizes in the show class and selling to a high of £1,700, again to the Sowray brothers, while regular Brown Swiss pedigree heifer vendors David and Pauline Brown, of Ramsgill, consigned a further two entries, the best of which made £1,650 when bought by E Ellis, of Cawthorne.

Of the 20 dairy cattle forward, newly calven heifers averaged £2,065 and newly calven cows £1,230.

Church Farm Enterprises also dominated the weekly rearing calf sale when achieving four top prices, among them the day’s high of £390 for a British Blue-cross bull calf. Their other leading performers were Aberdeen Angus bull and heifer calves at £260 and £180 respectively, along with a black and white bull calf at £128.

Although trade was easier on the week, with a large turnout of young calves among the 34-strong entry, bull calves of all ages sold well. The sale produced an overall average of £247 per head for Continental-cross calves, £166 for native breeds and £61 for black and whites.