Father and daughter, David and Suzy Lawson, who bagged five dairy championships at Skipton last year, got back to winning ways with their first-prize newly calven heifer, Newbirks Jazz 1710, by the Genus sire, De-Su History, out of Jazz 1469. Two weeks-calved and giving 30 litres, the victor sold for a sale-topping £2,000 to ringside regular. Brian Blezard, of Ribchester.

So too did the reserve champion, the first prize newly calven cow from Cumbrian vendor Wilson Stewart, who runs the Straidnahanna pedigree herd at Low Hesket, south of Carlisle, which was first established in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, in 1954 by his late father and uncle, James and Joseph Stewart.

The 28 days-calved second calver, giving 42 litres, made £1,800, top price in class. Mr Stewart also stepped up with the second prize newly calven cow, sold for £1,400.

The Lawsons were also responsible for the second prize newly calven heifer, again a Jazz - number 1713 in the line - by another Genus sire, Matcrest Sham Charlie, out of Jazz 1616. Calved for five weeks and giving 32 litres, she too joined Mr Blezard for £1.950.

A healthy show of in-calf heifers – they averaged £1,208 per head overall - saw John Ireland, of Thorpe Bassett, take first prize in class, his charge selling for £1,100 to the Naylor family in Langbar, Ilkley.

However, it was the second prize in-calf heifer from Jeff and Judith Throup, of Silsden Moor, that headed the section prices at £1,380. Due this September to their Aberdeen Angus bull, Duster, the mother-to-be also joined the Naylors.

With 23 head forward, newly calven heifers averaged £1,640 each and newly calven cows £1,426. Show judge was Rob Marshall, of Dacre, and National Milk Records again sponsored

Four calves hit £425
The same day’s weekly rearing calf sale attracted a 69-strong entry, with a top call of £425 reached on no less than four occasions for Continental bulls – a brace of British Blue-cross from RL Wright & Son, of Airton, plus another from Wigglesworth’s Johnny and Simon Moon, along with a Charolais from David and Dee Holmes, of Castley, Otley. The Continental-cross average was £332.

Flasby Estates headed the native calf prices with Shorthorn entries, a bull calf sold for £175 and a heifer calf at £135, with the section averaging £138 per head overall.

Black and white youngsters averaged £52.71 each, topping at £95 for a bull calf from Airton’s Anthony Bolland, with entries from Alan Throup, of Silsden Moor, also the subject of some healthy bidding.

Another strong consignment of young Limousin-cross-Fleckvieh calves from Chris Watson, of Horton-in-Craven, saw his bulls hit £315 and heifers sell to £300.