Johnson championship hat-trick at Christmas Craven Dairy Auction
21/11/06

With 68 cattle forward, four trophies and £750 in sponsors’ prize money to be won, coupled with a packed and eager ringside, there was “bags” of interest in the Christmas Craven Dairy Auction at Skipton Auction Mart. (Mon, Nov 20)

Raymond and Robert Johnson, left, are pictured with their Craven Dairy Auction champion, joined by purchaser John Whittaker, right, and sponsor Edgar Shepherd.

Father-and-son farmers Raymond and Robert Johnson, of Summerfield Farm, Felliscliffe, Harrogate, made it a hat-trick of championship successes when their newly-calven heifer was awarded the overall title by judge David Hall, of Coniston Cold.

Giving 28 litres, the title winner received both the Craven Cattle Marts Trophy and BOCM Pauls Dairy Cup, and sold for the day’s top price of £1,400, one 17 entries that topped four figures. The purchaser was John Whittaker, of J&J Whittaker, Far Laithe Farm, Laneshawbridge, Colne. It was the second time the Whittakers had bought the Craven Dairy Auction champion.

Chris Hardcastle, of Killinghall, Harrogate, saw his second and third prize-winning newly-calven heifers both sell to Aubrey Greenhalgh, of Elswick, Preston, purchasing on behalf of a client, for £1,100 and £1,040 respectively.

Jennings Farmers Ltd, of Hill House, Fountains, Ripon, prolific winners at the monthly Skipton dairy fixtures, were on the mark again when presenting the first prize newly-calven cow and reserve champion. The third-calver, giving 34 litres, was bought for £840 by Walker Bros, of East Morton, Keighley.

Top price in class at £1,070 was paid by Frank Wrathall, of Gisburn, for the third prize cow from Malcolm and Robert Swires, of Haverah Park, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, who are also regular supporters of the fixture.

The best in-calf heifer and recipient of the Frank Wade Perpetual Challenge Trophy was exhibited by D&AC Calvert, of Southfield Farm, West Marton. Due next February, it sold for £810 to John Howard, of Carleton.

Basil and Rebecca Jarvis, of Marton-cum-Grafton, York, achieved top price in this class at £1,060 - the purchaser was Henry Wilson, of Green Hammeron - then went on to take first prize and the J Ibbotson Trophy in the maiden heifers class, which attracted a robust 14-strong entry.

The class winner was purchased for £500 by D Clarke, of Hampsthwaite, though top price of £550 fell to the runner-up from Peter Wilkinson, of Thornton-in-Craven.

John Howard also paid £580 for the class-winning in-calf cow from Maurice Kay, of West Syke Farm, Felliscliffe, Harrogate.

Richard Saxby, of Coniston Cold, presented a brace of Jerseys, which are becoming increasingly popular at Skipton. A newly-calven heifer sold for £800 to F&M Coar, of Waddington, Clitheroe, and a yearling heifer for £420 to Nick Dalby, of Hartwith.

The Christmas dairy show attracted dual sponsors in Darlington-based sawdust bedding supplier Edgar F Shepherd and animal food manufacturer I’Anson Bros, of Masham. The next Craven Dairy Auction takes place on Monday, December 18.

Booths land Craven Dairy Auction double
Limousins again land spoils at Skipton pedigree beef fixture
Bill signs off with top honours at Skipton Charollais sale