Champion Calf Makes it a ‘Happy Christmas’
2010-11-23

Festive cheer was in the air as a strong line-up of well over 100 quality calves were entered for the 2010 Christmas Calves Show and Sale at Skipton Auction Mart (Monday 22nd November).

Left to right – Howard Gilbert (sponsors Volac International), judges James and Graham Stainthorp, Keith Colley (sponsors BOCM Pauls) and Richard Spence with the Champion at Skipton’s 2010 Christmas Calves Show and Sale.

Sponsored by BOCM Pauls, Midgley Motor Cars and Volac International Limited who donated prizes to all class-winners, the event gave an early Christmas present to local specialist Richard Spence from Low Jackfield Farm, Sutton-in-Craven, as his home-bred Genus-sired Limousin bull-calf took the top honour.

Keen bidding by a large gathering of buyers saw the Champion later sold to David Asquith of Otley for an impressive £340. Richard Spence also secured the top sale prices on the day for a Limousin heifer (£290) and Belgian Blue heifer (£305).

Judges Graham and James Stainthorp, from West Tanfield, Ripon, named a Belgian Blue bull-calf from A. Sowray & Son of Bishop Thornton, Harrogate, as Reserve Champion, which also later fetched £340 and was bought by J. G. Eddleston of Blackburn.

Top price of the day was £358 achieved for another Belgian Blue bull-calf, achieved by R. & C. Greenwood of Bradley.

Average prices for Limousin and Belgian Blue bulls were £241 and £196 respectively, while Blonde d’Aquitaine bull-calves made up to £210 (average £164) and Black & White bulls made to £175 (average £57).

Average prices for Limousin and Belgian Blue heifers were £201 and £227 respectively.

It’s a Family Christmas ‘Cracker’ for Otley pair

A home-bred newly-calven Holstein cow proved to be a seasonal ‘cracker’ as it was named Champion in the well-attended Christmas Show and Sale of Dairy Cattle at Skipton Auction Mart held on Monday 22nd November.

Presented by Skipton Auction Mart regulars, father-and-son Anthony and James Swires of Townend Farm, Stainburn, Otley, the winner is by the farm’s own breeding bull Diamond Lucente and is a second-calver giving a daily milk yield of 32 litres (6.5 gallons).

A delighted Anthony, who milks 170 cows and has sent out previous show champions at Skipton, said: “I knew it was a good cow and I’m very pleased to have won, especially as it beat the best heifer. It has only been calved for about two weeks and it will really come on to its milk even more.”

Show judge Wick Williams, from Nantwich, Cheshire, selected a newly-calven Holstein Friesian heifer from Brian Moorhouse of Hesper Farm, Bell Busk, as Reserve Champion out of an impressive total entry of 71 dairy cattle, including 56 in milk.

Other class winners were an in-calf heifer from D. & J. Herd of Hebden (In-calf Cows & Heifers Class) who received the Frank Wade Trophy, and Richard Saxby from Hellifield scored a first and second ‘double’ in the Jersey Class. The winner of the Maiden Heifers Class came from J.J. and J. D. Booth of Penistone, Sheffield.

Lively bidding in the sale ring saw the Champion making the top price for a newly-calven cow bought by the judge for £2,150. The day’s overall top sale price, however, which marked an increase on the best price at Skipton’s Christmas event last year, was made by the Reserve Champion, bought for £2,500 by Geoff Blezard of Ribchester, Lancashire.

Average newly-calven heifer prices were £1,690 and £1,333 for newly-calven cows. In-calf heifers sold to a top price of £1,600 bought by John Howard of Carleton, in-calf cows to £650 and Maiden Heifers to £710.

The Skipton Christmas Show and Sale of Dairy Cattle is sponsored by the UK’s leading animal feed manufacturer, BOCM Pauls, who were represented at the event by Keith Colley.

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