MULTIPLE past champion Brian Moorhouse, of Hesper Farm, Bell Busk, had to settle for reserve honours at the Skipton Auction Mart’s second Craven Dairy Auction of 2015.

His second prize newly calven heifer, three weeks calved and giving 32 litres, sold for top price of the day at £2,020, to frequent buyer Wick Williams, of Nantwich

While the 15-strong turnout was again down on the usual numbers, there was no mistaking the quality of milkers on offer, which produced keen competition at a stronger ringside.

Regular vendor Peter Baul, who trades as M Baul & Partners at Watergate Farm, Bishop Thornton, from where he runs his Ravensgate pedigree Holstein herd, bagged championship honours with his first prize newly calven heifer.

Three weeks calved and giving 34 litres, she sold for £2,000, also to Mr Williams.

Samantha Sugden, of Laycock, Keighley, presented the third prize newly calven heifer, sold for £1,800 to the Sowray brothers in Bishop Thornton, while the first prize newly calven cow from Eric Wellock, of Oakworth, made £1,450 when joining Frank Wrathall in Gisburn.

Pedigree newly calven heifers averaged £1,866 per head and their commercial counterparts £1,458, with a top call of £1,720 for a Garrison-sired daughter from Calton’s Robert Crisp, which became a further Williams acquisition.

The Lawson family in Arthington also stepped up with a pedigree Holstein stock bull by Comestar Lavenguard, out of a Picston Shottle-sired cow that was Otley Show champion in 2010. It made £1,500 when joining the Liddle family in Huby, Leeds.

Some nice dairy-bred youngsters were again among the entry at Skipton’s weekly Monday rearing calf sale, selling to an overall black and white average a few pence short of £72 per head, with a top price of £150 for a bull calf from JC and DJ Marshall, of West End.

However, Continentals formed the lion’s share of the 62-strong turnout, with over half British Blues-crosses and trade solid for the better end due to the good number of suckler buyers in attendance.

A total of 16 Blues topped £400, peaking at a joint high of £440 for heifer calves from both JR and MJ Moon, of Wigglesworth, and Church Farm Enterprises in Burton Leonard, who also presented the top price £430 Blue-cross heifer calf.

Robert Metcalfe, of Brearton, was responsible for the top price £420 Limousin-cross bull calf, while the Marshalls produced two further top-selling heifer calves - a Limousin-cross at £300 and an Aberdeen Angus at £190. The Moons also shone with a class-topping Aberdeen Angus bull calf at £225.

Continentals averaged £380.29 per head, with a native average of £183.60. Buyers at Skipton continue to seek strong, well fleshed calves in all classes.