THE Lawson dairy farming family swept the board when producing both the champion and reserve champion at September’s main Craven Dairy Auction at Skipton Auction Mart on Monday.
Based at Mill Farm, Arthington, the Newbirks Holstein pedigree herd, run by husband and wife David and Claire Lawson and their children Matthew and Suzy, has been responsible for many title-winning milkers and other prizewinners at Skipton.
Judge Aubrey Greenhalgh, of Preston, nominated the Lawsons’ first prize newly calven cow as his chosen champion. Twenty-two days’ calved and giving 38kgs, the victor headed the class prices, selling for £2,000 to the Sowray family in Bishop Thornton.
The Lawsons’ first prize newly calven heifer and reserve champion, nine days calved and giving 28kgs, returned home.
Top price of the day at £2,200 fell to the third prize heifer, 14 days calved and giving 31kgs, from Brian Moorhouse, who runs the Aireburn pedigree herd in Bell Busk. She joined Wilmot Blockley in Tarvin, Chester.
The same buyer also went to £2,100 to acquire another newly calven heifer from the Stainbank pedigree Holstein Friesian herd of Robin Jennings and family in South Stainley.
The second prize newly calven heifer from the commercial herd of local vendor Robert Crisp, of Nelson House, Calton, champion at the opening September Craven Dairy Auction, also made £2,100 when again falling to Mr Blockley.
Commercial breeders, father and son Malcolm and Robert Swires, of Haverah Park, Beckwithshaw, who bagged both Craven Dairy Auction championships in August, were again to the fore when presenting the second and third prize newly calven cows.
They sold for £1,900 and £1,720 to, respectively, Alf Townsend, of Burnley, and Cowling’s Martin Jennings.
Brian Moorhouse was also responsible for the red rosette winner in a show class for coloured dairy cows with a newly calven pedigree Jersey heifer. Giving 26 litres, she made £1,250 when joining Rebecca Fort on Silsden Moor.
Pedigree newly calven heifers averaged £1,834 and their commercial counterparts £1,702.
The next Craven Dairy Auction is scheduled for Monday, October 13.
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