Out of a twice 11,000kg EX92 dam from the Scilla family, the 14 days-calved victor, giving 34kg, proved an easy choice for show judge Shaun Sowray, of Bishop Thornton, and progressed to realise the day’s top price of £2,500 when becoming another quality Skipton acquisition by James Kayley, of Halton West.

Commercial breeders, the Robinson family in Eldroth, stepped forward with another quality newly calven heifer, which earned second prize in class and reserve championship honours. By their former stock bull Shawdale Domino, bred by David Booth in Lothersdale, the 16 days-calved runner-up, giving 29 litres, sold for £2,180 to regular buyer Mark Goodall in Tong, Bradford.

The third prize newly calved heifer from the Smellows pedigree herd of Broughton’s Jeremy Taylor, champion at the opening May dairy show, also sold well at £2,000.

First and second prizes in the show class for newly calven cows fell to the Whitaker family, from Laneshawbridge, as they consigned five cows as part of an ongoing dispersal sale. The red rosette winner headed the class prices when knocked down for £1,800 to G&PS Fleetwood in Mirfield, with the runner-up becoming another Mark Goodall purchase at £1,620.

Standing third in class were RW&M Walker, of East Morton, Keighley, who sold their charge to Brearton’s Robert Metcalfe for £1,480.

A nice brace of in-calf heifers from Easingwold’s Mick Corner clinched first and second prizes in their show class, selling for £1,800, top price in class, and £1,680, to, respectively, Heslaker’s John Howard, and Roger Nelson, of Middleton, Ilkley.

There was solid trade for all 22 dairy entries at the BOCM Pauls-sponsored fixture, notably in-calf heifers, which averaged a robust £1,382 per head. Newly calven heifers averaged £1,938 and newly calven cows £1,301.

Bank Holiday calf bonanza

Fantastic trade was seen for the bumper bank holiday turnout of 80 rearing calves at Skipton Auction Mart on Monday, which attracted a packed ringside of buyers from both near and far.

Continental youngsters, British Blues in particular, really caught the eye, peaking at a heady £600 for a top-notch bull calf from the Senterprise pedigree herd of current CCM Farmers of the Year, father and son Fred and Mark Houseman, of Church Farm Enterprises at Burton Top Farm, Burton Leonard. It fell to the Mason family from North Lincolnshire, who were again adding to their regular haul of Skipton-sourced calves.

Multiple Skipton calf champions, the Sowray brothers, from Bishop Thornton, were again to the fore when also selling British Blue bull calf entries at £590 and £550 twice – all to the Masons - creating a hearty breed average of £450, with an overall Continental average of £358. Limousin-cross bull calves sold to a top of £340 for an entry from JW Stockdale & Son, of Burnsall, bought by Tom Watson, of Sawley, Ripon.

Church Farm Enterprises also headed the heifer calf prices with another British Blue-cross sold for £420 to Derek Taylor, of Burton Leonard. Here again, the overall selling average was strong at £356 per head. Native breed youngsters averaged £153 each and dairy-bred black and whites £47.