Sowrays on song again in Skipton rearing calf arena
Prolific Skipton Auction Mart rearing calf champions, the Sowray dairy farming family, landed yet another title at the February show and sale with their first prize British Blue-cross heifer calf that also went on to make top price in the sale ring of £490. (Mon, Feb 20)
The Sowrays - brothers Shaun, Peter and Paul – who run their Holstein Friesian herd at Bowes Green Farm, Bishop Thornton, took top honours with a January-born youngster by the Norbreck Genetics’ dairy bull, Brennand General. It was snapped up by Malcolm and Stephen Abbott in Dacre, Harrogate, with whom Sowray calves remain popular.
The Sowrays landed a clean sweep of the heifer show class prizes, with their second and third placed entries, both by the Genus sire, Gee Whizz, selling at £400 and £340. In addition, they were responsible for the second and third prize Blue-cross bull calves, the latter also by General. Their first-rate bull calf consignment made £450, £445, £440, £420 and £400. To cap a good day, the family also sent out the red rosette-winning Limousin heifer calf, which topped its section at £380.
Show judge Gareth Hogg, from Copgrove, Harrogate, nominated his first prize British Blue-cross bull calf as reserve champion. It was shown by commercial dairyman David Smith, of Bent Farm, Sutton-in-Craven, and made £430 when falling to Simon Thompson, of Driffield.
Fred Houseman, of Church Farm Enterprises in Burton Leonard, another regular high price achiever with his Skipton calves, also sold Blue-cross bulls at £420 and £405, as well as picking up a brace a red rosettes with his Continental-cross bull and heifer stirks.
Blue-cross bull calves achieved a healthy overall average of £385 per head for the 20 youngsters on offer, while Blue-cross heifer calves averaged £317.
Chris Watson, of Horton-in Craven, was also a multiple prize winner, notably with his Flekvieh calves, which sold to a top of £190. He took all three rosettes in the other Continental heifer show class, also sending out the first prize black and white bull calf, the first prize Limousin-cross bull calf and the second prize Limousin-cross heifer calf.
Limousin youngsters topped at £365 for a bull calf from Stephen Marshall, of West End, with the section producing overall averages of £285 for bulls and £250 for heifers. Continental-cross calves averaged £331 per head overall.
Native youngsters traded to £200 for an Aberdeen Angus bull calf from Johnny Moon, of Wigglesworth, this section averaging £164 per head.
Black and whites were a touch easier on the week, though the better end sold well, with a section high of £95 for a strong Friesian-type calf from RL Wright & Son, of Airton, and an overall average of £50.41.