The Abbeyhouse pedigree Holstein Friesian dairy herd of Jennings Farmers, at Hill House, Fountains, near Ripon, returned to championship-winning ways at CCM Skipton’s main August Craven Dairy Auction show and sale on Monday.

The family-run herd, which has regularly sent out Craven Dairy Auction champions and prize winners over the years, lifted the title with its first prize newly calven heifer, shown by 16-year-old up-and-coming young farmer Stuart Jennings, who will soon be returning to the sixth form at Nidderdale High School.

The victor, 12 days calved and giving 26 litres of milk, is a daughter of the Semex sire, Rietben Tee Off, backed by six generations of Excellent or VG. She sold for £2,050 to Stephen Jeanes, of Glusburn.

Standing reserve champion at the BOCM Pauls-sponsored show was the second prize newly calven heifer from the Lawson family’s Newbirks pedigree Holstein herd at Mill Farm, Arthington, who narrowly missed out on a hat-trick of consecutive Craven Dairy Auction championship successes.

Nevertheless, their three weeks calved runner-up, giving 29 litres and by the Genus bull Kings-Ransom Dover, made the day’s top price of £2,700 when joining Malcolm Kayley in Halton West. Several buyers were intent on tapping into Newbirks breeding lines and Stephen Jeanes bought a second heifer at £2,650.

The Lawsons – husband and wife David and Claire, and their son Matthew – were also responsible for the first prize newly calven cow, which had produced its second calf a week prior to the show. By another Genus sire Ralma Focus and giving 32 litres, she sold for £2,050, again top price in class, to Malcolm Kayley.

The second prize newly calven cow from David and Jill Pennock, of Bolton Abbey, proved the pick of the commercial entries when selling for £1,690 to Wick Williams, of Nantwich.

With a packed shippon of 40 entries, pedigree newly calven heifers averaged £2,077, with an overall class average of £1,791 per head. Pedigree newly calven cows averaged £1,945 and £1,476 overall. A pair of newly calven Brown Swiss cows from D&P Brown, of Ramsgill, both sold well to a top of £1,420.

A standalone show class for pedigree dairy bulls, which attracted a small, but select four-strong entry, saw the championship awarded to a 14-month-old youngster from the Ingleview herd of Robert and Elaine Butterfield at Linghaw Farm, Bentham.

Ingleview Kenzo is by the Semex sire Pine-Tree Sid, out of Alderbarrow Drake Kim, bred by Brian Whitfield in Shropshire and reserve Holstein champion at the 2011 Great Yorkshire Show. The dam had a third lactation yield of 11,970kgs.

The Skipton victor, described by judge Paul Bolland, of Airton, as “showing both strength and depth,” sold for 1,950gns (£2,047) to Robert Metcalfe. of Brearton.