The Sowrays picked up the reserve championship with their first prize Blue-cross bull calf, by the Genus sire, Tan Hill Warrior. The overall runner-up sold for £440 to Jonathan Healey, of Potterton, Leeds.

For good measure, the brothers sent out two further rosette winners, including the second prize Blue-cross bull calf, by the well utilised Norbreck Genetics’ dairy bull, Brennand General, bred in Dunsop Bridge by the Walker family, which was also responsible for the brothers’ champions at the previous two shows.

This one sold for £450, again to Mr Healey, with their third prize Limousin-cross bull calf making £370 when joining regular buyer Robert Foster in Wetherby. The Sowrays sold six calves in total at an overall average of £423 per head.

A cracking calf trade was again maintained throughout the sale, with Continental-bred youngsters hard fought over as usual and trade for British Blue bull calves in particular described as scintillating.

Skipton regular, Fred Houseman, who trades as Church Farm Enterprises with his son Mark at Burton Top Farm, Burton Leonard, arrived with a 12-strong Blue-cross consignment, which sold to a high of £460 and saw all his bull and heifer calves, two of which finished second and third in their show class, average £427 per head.

Limousin calves were out in stronger numbers than previously seen, with Richard Metcalfe, of Brearton, Otley, stepping up to land a clean sweep of the prizes in heifer calf show class, plus first and second prizes with his bull calves. He topped both on price at £405 and £380 respectively. Limousin bull calves averaged £388.75.

Chris Harrison, of Elslack, also caught the eye when sending out the top price Simmental bull and heifer calves at £395 and £300 respectively, with all Continentals achieving an overall average of £378.34 per head.

Native calves were also good to sell, with a number of buyers forcing a strong trade for both bulls and heifers, which sold to highs of £380 and £330 respectively for Aberdeen Angus entries from South Yorkshire vendors, the Griffiths family from Penistone. The section averaged £264.29 overall.

Eight different buyers competed for the black and white calves on offer, with genuine three to five-week-olds making £75 -£110 throughout and selling to a high of £140 for a bull calf again from the Griffiths family. The overall section average of £61 per head was hampered by some plain calves among the entry.

Show classes were judged by Richard Umpleby, of Killinghall, ably assisted by his 11-year-old son Matthew.