A NEWLY-CALVEN cow outshone the heifers at September’s opening Craven Dairy Auction at Skipton Auction Mart.

The championship was awarded to the red rosette-winning second calver from Robert Crisp, of Nelson House, Calton.

Mr Crisp, a former CCM Farmer of the Year, clinched the title with a nine days-calved cow, giving six gallons, which headed the class prices at £1,920 when joining Wick Williams, of Nantwich.

The first prize newly calven heifer from the Newbirks Holstein pedigree herd of multiple Craven Dairy auction champions, the Lawson family in Arthington, was chosen as reserve champion by judge Colin Whitelock, of Gargrave.

Their runner-up - 11 days calved and giving 26 litres - secured the day’s top price of £2,000 when sold to Mark Goodall, of Tong, Bradford.

Bingley’s Keith Downs was again present with an offering of six home-bred newly calven commercial heifers and cows, heading the first class heifer prices with a £1,900 entry also knocked down to Mr Goodall.

Rusby’s Dairies, of Penistone, presented the £1,540 top price second class newly calven heifer, acquired by the Sowray dairy farming brothers in Bishop Thornton.

Auctioneer Sam Bradley said a responsive ringside made the 20 dairy cattle on offer a straighter trade than first predicted, with a respectable overall average for first class and pedigree heifers of £1,751, with cows averaging £1,606.