BENTHAM Auction Mart’s Semex dairy sale saw a top bid of £2,000.

It was for a registered recently calved heifer giving 33.5kg and shown by David Martin of Lords Plain, Levens.

The purchaser was Peter Hewitt of Cockerham.

Frank Wrathall, of Gisburn, carried out the judging duties and awarded champion rosette to Mike Robinson, of Kiln Hall, with his registered heifer.

Giving six gallons, she later sold for £1,850 to Aubrey Greenhalgh, of Elswick.

Auctioneer Stephen Dennis said that while buyers were understandably in a cautious mood there was a solid trade throughout with cattle £150 to £200 per head dearer than the December sale with averages of £1,403 and £1,428 respectively for newly calved heifers and cows.

The New Year rearing calf sale attracted 123 entries.

This year set off where 2015 ended with all classes of calves keenly bid for with new customers in attendance.

Some strong black and whites from H Halhead sold to £195 and £165, with younger smarter sorts £100 to £120, smaller calves £60 to £80 with plainer types £30 to £50.

Native breds topped £342 for Aberdeen Angus bull from RR and JA Knowles with heifers making up £250. R Sunderland, of Aspatria, fetched £270 for his Hereford Bull.

Continental bulls sold for £220 to £280 for younger calves with stronger sorts making more than £300, topping at £345 for Blues from RB Askew. A nice blue heifer again from Messrs Knowles sold to £315 to Messrs Wood of Helmsley.