TEESSIDE husband and wife dairy farmers, Mark and Karen Calvert, had mixed emotions - joy when sending out both the champion and reserve champion at Skipton Auction Mart’s opening March Craven Dairy Auction on Monday - coupled with sadness, as the fixture also marked the first part of an ongoing dispersal of their renowned Calton pedigree Holstein herd.

The Calverts, of Glebe Farm, Crathorne, Yarm, are coming out of milking altogether over the next 12 months or so, as they disband their current herd of 125 cows and 100 replacements.

They began the journey at Skipton with 11 newly calven milkers – nine cows and two heifers – and it was two of the former that were picked out as the top performers by show judge and regular Skipton buyer Wick Williams, of Nantwich, Cheshire.

He awarded the champion’s rosette to his first prize cow, Calton Shottle Kay, a February 25 second calver by the legendary Genus sire, Picston Shottle. Giving 35 litres, she sold for the day’s leading price of £1,880 to local buyer John Howard, of Heslaker.

Reserve champion was the Calverts’ second prize cow, Calton Doberman Marqi, a January 25 second calver from the world-renowned Hanover Hill Marqi family and by the Shottle son, Copper Top Doberman. Giving 40 litres, she sold for £1,680 to Brian Blezard, of Ribchester.

For good measure, the Calverts were also responsible for the third prize newly calven cow, a 38-litre second calver, Calton Reece Daisy, by Askew Reece, along with the third prize heifer, their Hydaways Goldmine daughter, Calton Goldmine Kay, who came to market giving 35 litres. Both sold for £1,780, the cow to Mark Goodall, of Tong, Bradford, the heifer to Mr Blezard again,

The Calverts, whose pedigree dairy cows averaged £1,511 per head overall, are third generation dairy farmers. The original herd was first established some 70 years ago by Mr Calvert’s grandfather, Charles, with just three cows known as Faith, Hope and Charity. He in turn was followed by Mr Calvert’s father, Maurice, joined by his two uncles, John and Alan.

When foot and mouth struck, they lost 110 cows through a contiguous cull, before starting anew and establishing their present herd after acquiring 83 dairy cows from the Dalby Top pedigree herd in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

The couple have since developed it significantly, building up to an average of 9,000 litres at 4% butter fat, 3.8% protein and a herd cell count of 120. The main sires used have been Gerard, Shottle, Twist, Pelo and McCormick.

The first prize newly calven heifer was a 19-days calved, 31-litre daughter of Comestar Lavanguard from the Low Birks commercial dairy herd of father and son Duncan and Gary Robinson family in Eldroth. It sold for £1,700 to Mark Jennings in Cowling.

East Morton’s Richard Walker was responsible for the second prize newly calven heifer, this joining regular buyers Alf and Andrew Townsend in Southfield, Burnley, for £1,750. The same vendor was also responsible for the first and second prize in-calf heifers, both selling to John Howard, with the red rosette winner making £1,300.

With 26 dairy cattle forward, prices were described as straight for honest milkers. Pedigree newly calven heifers averaged £1,610, their commercial counterparts £1,578. Newly calven commercial cows averaged £1,440, with a top of £1,500 for an entry from Bingley’s Keith Downs.