TRADE topped at £2750 for the second consecutive sale at CCM Skipton Auction Mart’s latest Craven Dairy Auction, on Monday, with Pete Baul, Ravensgate herd, Bishop Thornton, securing his third successive championship.

Show judge Kevin Midgely came west from Malton with young daughter Chloe and stood by his decision of top honours when purchasing Ravensgate Sizzler Honesty 212. This two-and-a-half-year-old heifer, fresh since July 24, was giving upwards of 30kg per day.

Her pedigree showed plenty of production potential, with her dam giving 11317kg in her second lactation at 4.2% fat, while her grand-dam had records over 11,000kg and her third dam was over 14,000kg.

Whychall Crushabull Salmonfly was tapped out as reserve champion for Jack Swales, Hutton Rudby, selling at £2100 to William and Michael Oldfield, Gisburn, while new vendor brothers Dennie and Marley Baines, West Rounton, Northallerton, who have privately sold their herd, sold Carriver Edge Punnet at £2300. Ten-days calved, this black heifer of moderate size with a wearing udder and some strength is already at 29kg per day. Heifers in milk averaged £2208.

The same morning’s weekly sale of 26 dairy-bred rearing calves produced a very strong trade and solid top price of £505 for a British Blue-x bull from AL Dean & Sons, Threshfield, others at the best end making £460-plus, the 13 Blue bulls forward averaging £410. Blue-x heifers sold to £405 from the Bolland family, Airton, the top end making £350-plus, with a section average of £340.

Limousin-x bull calves peaked at £455 from G Pickersgill & Sons, Hawksworth. MRI bulls sold at £350 and £345 from N&R Sutcliffe, Todmorden, while Town Head Farm, Grassington, headed three sections on price with a £290 Aberdeen-Angus bull, a £130 Charolais heifer and £90 black and white bull.

In the prime cattle arena, cull cows sold to highs of 183.5p/kg from RM Spence, Sutton-In-Craven, and £1217 from JT Rushton, Elslack, the section producing an overall selling average of 148.40p/kg, or £844.30. A handful of under 30-month clean entries sold to £1486, 246.5p/kg, for a Beef Shorthorn steer from Low House Farm, Barden, a trio of Hereford heifers from Tom Boothman, Linton,hitting four-figures to a top of £1492, all making 250p/kg.

Almost 2500 prime sheep passed through the sales ring, with 1932 new season lambs producing a good ‘stand on’ trade on the week for handy and heaviest lambs, while a medium weight 44-47kg lamb would be a better trade on the week, with additional customers operating ringside for these weights. Hard-fed lambs of all qualities, both first cross and twice crossed lambs, were good to sell as buyers stick to meat. The overall Spring lambs sale average was up £1 on the week to level at £134.52 per head, or 306.8p/kg.

Top of the shop on gross price at £200 per head, 408p/kg, was a quality pen of 49kg Blue Texel-cross from JA Gibson & Son, Church Fenton, which returned to near their area of origin when purchased by Knavesmire Butchers, York. The same vendors also sold lambs at £182.

John Brotherton, Addingham, made £192 with 52kg Beltex, Ellis Bros, Addingham Moorside, £190 with 51kg Beltex, while 54kg Texel from Alan and Emily Middleton, Beamsley, topped their section at £180 each, going to Kendalls Farm Butchers, Pateley Bridge.

Per kilo, Ellis Bros were top of the shop with another Beltex pen at 409.3p, plus 44kg at £178, while Alistair Jenkinson, Ilkley, sold 39kg lambs at £158, 405p, with John Brotherton and DS Snowden, Wigglesworth, both selling lambs at 400p/kg.

A nice turnout of North of England Mule wether lambs mainly traded from 280p/kg upwards, a few best pens over 300p/kg to level at 287p. A few pens of horned wethers made 275-288p/kg.

Also penned for sale were 536 cast sheep, cull ewes trading to a top of £237.50 for Texel from Ian Marsden, Sheffield, other smart ewes regularly making £180-£220, heavy crossed ewes £155-£180 and lean meat ewes with weight £130-£155..

Mule ewes sold to £167.60 from Annabelle Sugden, Laycock, heavy Mules at £140-£155, with larger pens of meat Mule ewes making £130- £140. Lean meat Mules with weight sold at £118-£128 and plain ewes either side of £100. Swaledale ewes sold to £91.50 again from Alistair Jenkinson, strong Swales with meat making £75-£90. The overall cull ewe average was £93.06, with cast rams averaging £146.88.