Mark Smith of Winterburn returns to claim Craven Dairy Auction championship
Mark Smith, of Winterburn, August’s Craven Dairy Auction championship winner, returned to claim top prize again at the October 1 show.
The commercial dairy farmer, of Rookery Farm, bagged a championship and reserve double in the summer and took the pre-sale championship on Monday with a sweet heifer, picked out by show judge Shaun Sowray, of Bishop Thornton.
Calved 21 days and giving a solid 28kg, she was highly sought after and sold to John Howard, of Heslaker, for £2,080.
The next top price went to the heifer from DA&SA Fort, of Glusburn, who sold their 26kg heifer to regular supporter Mark Goodall, of Tong, for £1,880.
A handy show of milkers, with 26 put forward, and a useful ringside of buyers, meant a straight trade. The healthy bidding was reflected in the averages with newly calved heifers averaging £1,615.
Cows saw a good average as well, at £1,606 with the section topped by the reserve champion, a tank-filling 54kg cow at £1,700, from A Lawson & Son, of Mill Farm, Arthington, selling to Brian Blezard, of Ribchester.
There was a good number of youngstock on offer, with a run of 17mth bulling heifers from the Dickinson family, of Penistone, which topped at £820 for hard, wearing types of heifers. Younger stirks from Paul and Janet Bolland, of Airton, averaged £380 and topped at £440 for a pair of heifers.
National Milk Records sponsored the show.
Decent trade for calves
There was a fair ringside of bidders for rearing calves at Skipton Auction Mart on Monday (OCTOBER 1) with an honest trade for the time of year.
The best bull, from Ian and Diane Wellock, of Kirkby Malham, touched the £400 mark, with Chris Drake, of Thornton, reaching £390.
Black and whites also saw a nice trade on the day, with John Marshall, of Dacre, topping at £130 three times, with a section average of £65.18.
Heifer calves were definitely dearer on the fortnight, with best heifers nicely past £300 and topping at £350 for a shapely heifer presented by JR&MJ Moon, of Wigglesworth. Native calves were certainly nice to sell with Aberdeen Angus bulls averaging £217 and heifers £163, with seasonal buyers arriving on the lookout for the best natives. J Wellock, of Oakworth, got top price for an Aberdeen Angus bull with £240 while JP & KE Hartley, of Beamsley, reached top price for a heifer at £250.