Ian Hall, who trades at J Dibb at Old Northcote Farm, Kilnsey, scooped his first championship success, supplementing it with the reserve championship for good measure at February’s opening Craven Dairy Auction show and sale with a pair of robot ready cubicle-trained fresh second calvers. (Mon, Feb 7)

The 30kg victor was claimed for top price of £2,200 by show judge Alan Middleton for the Hartley Farming Partnership in Beamsley, the reserve away at £1,550 to regular West Yorkshire buyer, Mark Goodall, of Tong. Three cows in milk sold to average £1,900.

Welcome new vendors, the Soulsby family, brought a trio down from Temple Sowerby, Penrith, with the pick of their consignment the third prize cow, a black correct third calver giving over 40kg per day. She made £1,950 and again fell to Mr Goodall, who took home three on the day.

Alan and Jack Wilson returned from Green Hammerton with a pair of cows carrying their third and fourth calves and due next month to the Holstein. They were much sought after by buyers who recognise the potential of these wealthy well-framed cows. Top at £1,500 was a Pello daughter in calf to sexed Adorable, the second away at £1,480, both going to Robert Metcalfe in Brearton.

Richard Dickinson, from Thurlstone, brought a pair of similar stamped pedigree heifers due in May to the Aberdeen Angus, the duo knocked down to Heslaker’s John Howard at £1,500 each.

The same morning’s sale of 35 dairy-bred rearing calves saw vendors rewarded with a trade described as tremendous for the all-medium entry and a top of £385 for a British Blue-cross bull from Rainhall Farm in Barnoldswick, with Blue heifer calves selling to £355 from the Hartley Farming Partnership.

Native prices peaked at £295 for an Aberdeen-Angus bull calf from the Marshall family in West End, with Hereford bulls from James Wellock, of Eshton, selling to £270, who also sold same way bred heifer calves to £145. A single black and white bull calf from Mark Smith in Winterburn made £102.