BENTHAM Auction Mart’s Christmas show and sale of dairy cattle attracted a marvellous entry of 76.

The quality was a real credit to all vendors, attracting a crowded ringside of buyers and spectators with the usual "standing room only" for the Christmas Show.

Bearing in mind current milk prices, trade was much better than expected with 13 cattle making £2,000 or more, newly calved cows averaging £1,625.71 and newly calved heifers at £1,821.67.

The strong show classes were judged by Tony Hunter, of Penrith, and Philip Mason. of Burton in Kendal. who went on to award the champion rosette and Richard Turner Memorial Cup to the much admired homebred pedigree heifer, Wyredale Windbrook Bruster 57, from Mark and Heather Atkinson of Quernmore.

The heifer was 14 days calved and giving 33kgs and went on to later sell for £2,400 - the top price of the day - to Graham Stephenson, of Kirkby Lonsdale.

Michael and Richard Lawrence achieved £2,350 for Lynholme Lioness Jean - a homebred pedigree heifer, 17 days calved and giving six gallons. And the brothers' consignment for the day averaged £2,200.

John and Richard Lawrence, of Over Kellet, sold Kelletview Spectrum Mab for £2,220, while Francis and David Wright, of Helsington, achieved the same price for Berryholme G Jordan Maud 2.

The George Dearden Rose Bowl was awarded to Michael and Ian Mason for their heifer, which went on to achieve £2,120. The top priced cow was a pedigree second calver. Tranthwaite Fortune Janet, from Peter and Peter Swindlehurst, of Underbarrow, which sold for for £1.920.

An entry of six pure Friesian Cows, ranging from second to fifth calvers from Michael Livesey, of Lowick, attracted plenty of buyer attention, going on to top at £1,880 and average £1,601.66.

Youngstock also sold well, with a consignment of four-month-old heifer stirks selling to £680 from Messrs Capstick, of Howgill.