Sally Wellock, who runs the Harehills pedigree dairy herd at West House Farm, Oldfield, near Keighley, picked up her second Craven Dairy Auction championship of the year at the second June show at Skipton Auction Mart. (Mon, June 19)

 

She claimed the title with her first prize newly calven heifer, Harehills Brenda 718, who hails from a long-established line of milkers and is a daughter of the celebrated Genus dairy sire, Picston Shottle, well utilised by Sally, primarily because of his size. Out of Brenda 369, the 13 days-calved victor, giving 29 litres, sold for £1,920 to regular buyer Mark Goodall, of Tong, Bradford.

 

Show judge Stephen Coates, of Baildon, awarded the reserve championship to the second prize newly calven heifer from commercial breeder David Fort, of High Malsis Farm, Glusburn – he currently has 50 cows in his dairy herd. By another Genus sire, Zoro, the overall runner-up came to market seven days calved and giving 26 litres. She too joined Mr Goodall for a price-topping £2,050.

 

Brian and Judith Moorhouse, who run the Aireburn pedigree Holstein herd at Hesper Farm, Bell Busk - they already have a brace Craven Dairy Auction championships under their belt this year - were again among the prizes with the third prize newly calven heifer, Aireburn  Paramount Idol, by the first time used Cogent sire, Ards Paramount, out of Aireburn Douglas Idol. The fortnight calved 30-litre heifer sold for £1,850 to Queensbury’s Richard Sutcliffe.

 

A run of in-calf Friesian heifers from WA Brown, of Earby topped at £920, this selling to the Smith brothers in Sutton-In-Craven, while Stephen and Eddie Jeanes, of Glusburn, consigned ten maiden heifers, four of which led the way at £600 each, with the majority falling to Otley’s David Smith.

 

Solid trade for the 22-strong turnout saw newly calven heifers average £1,604 per head.