A SIMMENTAL-cross youngster was awarded the title winner’s rosette at the year’s opening rearing calf show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart on Monday.

The five-week-old bull also clinched a first-ever calf championship at the mart for breeders Chris and Steph Harrison, and their son Tom, who run a commercial Holstein Friesian dairy herd at Low Ground Farm, Elslack, where they currently milk 180 cows.

By the Genus sire Nautical, the victor then set sail for the sale ring, where it sold for a price-topping £460 to show judge Simon Thompson, of Driffield. The Harrisons also sold a Simmental-cross heifer calf at £330.

Standing reserve champion was the first prize British Blue-cross heifer calf from Skipton regular Fred Houseman, of Church Farm Enterprises, who runs the 350-strong Senterprise pedigree dairy herd with his son Mark at Burton Top Farm, Burton Leonard. They currently have 300 cows in milk.

This, too, was a product of Genus breeding, being by Brookfield Dev. The overall runner-up joined a new buyer, M Smith, of Warley Edge, Halifax, for £420. Mr Houseman’s all-Blue consignment saw further heifers sell at £410 and £380, while his six bull calves averaged £420 per head. He also sold an Aberdeen Angus bull calf at £280.

Colin Whitelock, of Gargrave, also saw strong bidding for his young calves, topping at £410 for a Blue-cross bull, as well as selling a Limousin-cross bull calf at £340. Also catching the eye at £390 was a Saler bull calf from Townhead Farm, Grassington.

Native breed prices peaked at £290 for an Aberdeen Angus bull calf from the Bowker family in Earby, who also had the top price £220 Angus heifer calf. Bolton Abbey’s Alan Middleton also sold a brace of Angus bull calves at £260.

Black and white prices have slowly been creeping up since the New Year, with RL Wright & Son, of Airton, selling three Friesian youngsters at a section-topping £125, the two others at £110 and £100.

The 81 rearing calves on parade produced a Continental-cross average of £357.47, with Blues leading the way as usual, bull calves averaging £388.45 and heifers £335. Natives averaged £212.45 and black and whites a shade over £73.