Moorhouses make hay again with another Craven Dairy Auction champion
Brian and Judith Moorhouse’s Aireburn pedigree dairy herd at Hesper Farm, Bell Busk, sent out another Craven Dairy Auction champion at the opening September show and sale. (Mon, Sept 10)
Securing another in a long line of title wins at their local mart was the couple’s first prize newly calven heifer, Aireburn Corinthian Stephanie, one of only two daughters in the herd to date by the Genus sire, Ballycairn Corinthian, and the first to come to market. Ten days calved and giving 30 litres, the victor sold for £1,800 to Brian Blezard, of Ribchester
The Moorhouses were also responsible for the first prize newly calven cow, Aireburn Supersonic Queen, this time by a Cogent bull, Dalby Top Supernsonic. The fortnight calved 33-litre second calver fell for £1,180.
Standing reserve champion and making top price in sale of £1,950 was the second prize newly calven heifer from Robin Jennings, who runs the Stainbank pedigree dairy herd in South Stainley, Ripon, though this one was a 17 days calved 31-litre commercial entry by the Genus sire, Classic. It sold to Mark Goodall, of Tong, Bradford.
Louise Wood, of Holcombe, Bury, sent out the third prize newly calven heifer, sold for £1,650, with the second prize newly calven cow from Ian Parkinson, of Barden, selling away at £1,250.
There were 32 dairy cattle forward, with shippon numbers boosted by a consignment of 21 head forming the first part of a dispersal sale on behalf of third generation South Yorkshire dairy farmers, John and Ruth Rhodes, of Butterthwaite Farm, Ecclesfield, Sheffield, who are coming out of milking.
Their run of heifers to third calvers, three-quarters Friesian, all calved in either April or May and run with the family’s Aberdeen-Angus stock bull from mid-July, were for a select audience. Overall, they met a straight trade, with a top price of £740 for a British Friesian fourth calver and an overall selling average of £538 per head.
Newly calven heifers averaged £1,544 and newly calven cows £1,220. Show judge was Frank Wrathall and co-sponsors National Milk Records and Skipton NFU.