Mr Taylor, who is no stranger to success in the Skipton dairy ring, secured his latest title with the home-bred Smellows Iota Stella, by Regancrest AltaIota, himself a son of the North American sire O-Man, out of a home-bred heifer, Smellows Corio Stella. Three weeks calved and giving 36kg, the victor sold away at £1,700 to Geoff and Brian Blezard in Ribchester.

The same vendor also sold two further newly calven heifers at £1,800 and £1,550, both falling to returning buyer H Roper, of Thornley,

Top-notch milkers met with a strong trade, with the day’s leading price of £2,000 falling to a newly calven pedigree heifer, Ravensgate Dragon Shiela 156, from Peter Baul, of Watergate Farm, Bishop Thornton.  By the Genus sire, Overside Dragon, she came to market 21 days calved and giving 28 litres, selling to regular buyers Alf and Andrew Townsend, of Southfield, Burnley.

The multi championship-winning Lawson Newbirks Holstein pedigree herd, based at Mill Farm, Arthington, was responsible for four of the six prize winners in the newly calven show classes, among them the first prize cow and reserve champion, Newbirks Jazz 1556, by Saltergate Sam, acquired by David Lawson from  Felliscliffe breeder Chris Hardcastle. Three weeks calved and giving 39kg, she joined John Marshall, of Dacre, for £1,680.

The Lawsons were also responsible for the second and third prize heifers, which sold for £1,920 and £1,580 to, respectively, Mr Roper again and Wick Williams, of Nantwich. However, another heifer entry proved to be their top performer when selling for £1,950, also to the Blezards.

John Ireland, of Malton, chipped in with the third prize newly calven cow, which was among five dairy cows sold as part on an ongoing herd dispersal and made £1,320 when knocked down to Mr Williams.

The fixture attracted 43 entries. While good, honest middle of the road heifers were arguably a touch easier than the previous sale, first quality commercials met with a slightly firmer trade on the fortnight to average £1,479 per head, with some high quality pedigree heifers forcing the average to a healthy £1,673. Newly calven cows averaged £1,537.

In-calf heifers sold to a high of £1,280 for a pedigree from I Oliver & Partners, of Darley, averaging £1,107, while four heifer calves from Joss Lancaster, of Horton-in-Craven, sold to £310, averaging £265.

Show judge was Threshfield’s Angus Dean. The main ForFarmers-sponsored Craven Dairy Auction, on Monday, November 23, is the Christmas show and sale.

Calves sell to £400
On the same day, Skipton’s weekly rearing calf sale attracted a 61-strong turnout, including another good showing of black and white youngsters, which, at an average age of just over 41 days, achieved an overall average selling price of £70.32 per head.

Stuart Petty, of Draughton, took top price of £400 with a British Blue bull calf, with a section average of £330. Blue heifer calves averaged £281, with an overall Continental-cross average of £325.64. The average age here was 44.4days.

The native average was £234, peaking at £285 for a Hereford bull calf from David Berry, of Thornton-in-Craven.