THE festive season started early for Peter Baul when he landed a championship and reserve championship double at Skipton Auction Mart’s Christmas Craven Dairy Auction.

Mr Baul, who runs the Ravensgate pedigree Holstein herd at Watergate Farm, Bishop Thornton, bagged principal honours with his first and second prize newly-calved heifers, both from the Marigold family, which can trace its roots back to the late 1940s via the exhibitor’s father and grandfather, both named Miles Baul.

Show champion was Ravensgate Rennaisance Marigold 166, who was 28 days-calved and came to market giving 32kgs. She underpinned the choice of local judge Helen Herd, of Hebden Holsteins, selling for the day’s top call of £2,000 to Alf and Andrew Townsend, of Southfield, Burnley.

The reserve champion, Ravensgate Marigold 164, 30 days-calved and giving 32 litres, sold for joint second highest price of £1,850 to father and son Roger and Jack Naylor, of Langbar, Ilkley.

The other £1,850 joint top price newly-calven heifer from Dewsbury’s Ian and Mary Collins joined Mark Goodall in Tong, Bradford.

The Naylors also paid £1,700 for a pedigree heifer giving 32kgs from the Abbeyhouse herd of Jennings Farmers, at Hill House, Fountains, near Ripon, and the same price for the third prize newly-calven heifer, a commercial entry from Richard and Andrew Walker, of East Morton.

They made a fourth acquisition when paying £1,640 for a third calver giving 36 litres from David Leeming, of Burnt Yates, who received a strong following for his milkers, also being responsible for the third prize newly-calven cow.

The red rosette-winning newly-calven cow was shown by Peter Waring, who runs the Winton pedigree Holstein herd at Field House Farm, Beverley, and was returning to Skipton after a 15-year break. His 17-days calved third calver giving 38kg made £1,350 on joining Robert Skelton, of Gainsborough.

The Lawson family’s Newbirks herd, from Mill Farm, Arthington, was responsible for the second prize newly-calven cow, which sold for top price in class of £1,680 to John and Robert Marshall in Dacre.

First and second prizes in the show class for in-calf heifers again fell to husband and wife pedigree breeders Brian and Susan Barningham, who trade as Isaac Oliver and Partners at Oxenclose Farm, Darley, Harrogate.

Their red rosette winner, the home-bred Oxenclose Goldfish Klara, due to calve in January, was awarded the Frank Wade Perpetual Trophy, later selling for £1,210, top call in class, to Gargrave’s David Shuttleworth.

Right through the sale, milkers among the 56-strong entry sold well. Pedigree newly-calven heifers averaged £1,613 and their commercial counterparts £1,544. Newly-calven cows averaged £1,351 while maiden heifers, 11 in total from Andrew Lumb, of Oakworth, averaged £514.

Joss Lancaster, of Horton-in-Craven, again stepped forward with six quality rearing calves, which sold to £320, averaging £303.30.

The Christmas dairy show is the traditional pipe-opener to the festive show season at Skipton Auction Mart, which continues on Sunday with the high profile Christmas prime shows and sales, the undoubted highlight of the mart’s primestock year. An entry of some 60 prime cattle is anticipated, with show classes for both haltered and unhaltered cattle.