| 2016-08-17 |    |
Lawson Heifer Lands Another Craven Dairy Auction Title
Multiple past champions, the Lawson family, who run the Newbirks pedigree Holstein herd at Mill Farm, Arthington, secured another Craven Dairy Auction title at August’s opening show. (Monday, August 15)
Father and daughter, David and Suzy Lawson, saw their first prize newly calven heifer, Newbirks Heliotrope 364, another well-bred daughter of the Genus dairy sire, Bassingthorpe Bossman, out of Heliotrope 320, progress to become champion when given the nod by show judge, Ken Throup, of Silsden Moor.
Pictured in the Craven Dairy Auction shippon are, from left, Suzy Lawson with the show champion, judge Ken Throup and the reserve champion with exhibitor Robin Jennings.
Five weeks calved, giving 34 litres and with an Ex91 rating, the victor sold for £1,740, top call of the day, to father and son, Fred and Mike Longster, from Fellbeck, Harrogate.
Standing reserve champion was the first prize newly calven cow from show regular and another past multiple champion Robin Jennings, who runs the Stainbank pedigree Holstein herd at Hill House Farm, South Stainley, Giving 36 litres, his nine days calved second calver, Stainbank Snowdrop 284, by Premier-Kerndt Sailing, out of Snowdrop 271, made £1,300 when joining Robert Metcalfe in Brearton,
Mr Jennings was also responsible for the second prize newly calven heifer, a commercial entry that had also calved nine days prior to the sale and came to market giving 28 litres. She fell for £1,700 to local dairy farmer John Howard at Heslaker Farm.
Next on the list of high prices at £1,660 was the Fort family, from Glusburn, for a 20 days calved 26-litre heifer which sold to John Marshall and family in Dacre, with the Walker family, from East Morton, netting £1,560 for their third prize heifer claimed by regular Cheshire buyer Wick Williams
The second prize newly calven cow from father and son, Keith and David Downs, of Bingley, made £1,400, top price in class, when also selling to the Marshalls.
David and Pauline Brown, of Ramsgill, took first and second prizes in the coloured newly calven class with a brace of Brown Swiss which sold to a top of £1,200, while Ian Oliver & Partners in Darley again landed first and second in the in-calf heifer show class, their charges selling to a high of £1,040.
Of the 35 head on parade, pedigree newly calven heifers averaged £1,473 and newly calven cows £1,295. A brace of maiden heifers from Stuart Petty, of Draughton, sold to £800, while five run-with-bull heifers from Peter Pogson, of Scammonden, peaked at £600.
The show was again sponsored by regular supporters NMR and Trouw Nutrition.
Skipton calves top at £425 three times
The same day’s rearing calf sale attracted 52 head. Continentals remained a straight average at £355 for all types, topping three times at £425 for two bulls and a heifer calf – all British Blue-cross - from Church Farm Enterprises in Burton Leonard, with two more heifers at £415 and £410. The Parker family, from Bentham, saw their Blue-cross bull calf make £380, while John Blackwell, of Gargrave, had a Simmental at £360.
Native calves were up a gear on the previous week, with Angus bulls averaging £293 and Herefords £225, producing a overall native average of £236. Black and whites also saw a resurgence in price, producing a healthy average of £85.30 per head, topping at £160 for a bull calf from Dacre’s John Marshall.
