Ravensgate herd bags another Craven Dairy Auction championship

Mr Baul, who trades as M Baul and Partners at Watergate Farm, Bishop Thornton, has now won three of the five titles on offer at the mart in 2016, as well as bagging the reserve championship at the other two shows.

He secured his latest victory with his first prize newly-calven heifer, Ravensgate Tiergan Sparkle 222, by the Cogent dairy sire, Ballycairn Tiergan, out of Ravensgate Loader Sparkle 183.

Twenty one-days calved and giving 32 litres, she sold for £1,780, top price in show, to regular local buyer John Howard, of Heslaker Farm, Carleton.

Robin Jennings, who runs the Stainbank pedigree Holstein herd at Hill House Farm, South Stainley, and was Skipton’s most prolific dairy champion in 2015 with seven titles to his name, stepped up with the second prize newly-calven heifer and reserve champion.

However, this was one of his commercial entries, bought at Skipton two years earlier from the late John Whittaker, of Laneshawbridge. Giving 33 litres and 18 days-calved, she fell for £1,700, again to Mr Howard, who also paid £1,150 for the third prize newly-calven heifer from Thimbleby Farms in Northallerton.

Bingley’s Keith Downs also sold four newly-calven heifers to a high of £1,320, this falling to Ken and Lynne Throup, of Silsden Moor. With improved trade seen on recent sales, the18 newly-calven heifers among the 27-strong turnout of dairy cattle averaged £1,188 per head.

Better trade for in-calf heifers was also seen, with the four on show averaging £1,058 per head overall and selling to a top of £1,120 for a submission from David and Jill Pennock, of Hazelwood, who took second and third prizes in this show class. Their frontrunner joined Gargrave’s David Shuttleworth.

The red rosette-winning in-calf heifer came from Brian and Susan Barningham, who trade as Isaac Oliver & Partners in Darley. Their charge sold for £1,100, again to Mr Shuttleworth.