ARTHINGTON farmer David Lawson’s pedigree heifer took top spot at Skipton Auction Mart;s dairy show on Monday.

Judge Brian Moorhouse, of Bell Busk, chose the five-week calved Holstein, giving 31 litres as his champion. It went on to sell for a sale high of £1,380 to K and M Berry.

Reserve champion was a 14-day calved Holstein, giving 32 litres, from Robin Jennings of South Stainley near Harrogate. The homebred heifer went on to sell for £1,200 to Alf Townsend.

Jennings’ highest price of the day came from another of his entries, however. He sold a 31kg Stainbank heifer for £1,350 to Alf Townsend once again.

A special pedigree bull show saw Aubrey and Ollie Greehouse, of Elswick, take the red rosette with a 15-month-old homebred pure Holstein.

Another reduction in milk prices at the end of last week led to a slower day. Despite the quality show of in-milk heifers, it clearly had a knock-on effect.

In all, there were 11 pedigree newly calven heifers, selling for an average of £1,196, with non-pedigree sorts selling to an average of £987.

Newly-calven cows sold to £900 from David Leeming, of Burnt Yates, with in-calf heifers selling to £860 from I Olivers and Partners, of Darley. Bulling heifers reached top price of £630 for E Pennock and Son, of Bolton Abbey.

Heifer calves saw the trade of the day in the dairy ring. Alan Throup, of Silsden, sold some well-bred heifer calves at eight weeks old up to £340, against an average of £222.50. The sale also saw Mark Smith of Winterburn sell a pair at £180 each.

In the calf ring, there were 53 rearing calves on sale, selling to £420, with black and whites averaging £66, Continentals £333.93 and Natives £201.58.

Among the bull calves, John Marshall, of Dacre, sold a Limousin cross for £340, while SG Midgeley, of Malton, sold a British Blue to £420 against an average of £344, and an Aberdeen Angus to £235 against an average of £201.

M Fewster sold a Swedish Red for £115 against an average of £102.5, and Paul Bolland of Airton sold a black and white for £115 against an average of £66. Mr Marshall also sold the top British Blue Heifer calf for £340, and the top Aberdeen Angus heifer calf for £230.

Top stirk was a Limousin bull from Hayton and Stocks, which sold for for £440 against an average of £413.33. Mr Midgeley also enjoyed some success in the stirks, taking the top price for a Friesian steer (£125), Limousin steer (£325), Aberdeen Angus steer (£265) and Limousin heifer (£260 against an average of £255).