A FABULOUS turnout at Gisburn’s May anniversary dairy cattle show and sale saw JD and JA Holgate, of Rathmell, win the Tom Southwell Cup for the best heifer in milk.

Ten days calved and giving 32 litres, their homebred pedigree, Aliann Exceptional, sold for £2,000 to Doug Graves, of Carlisle.

The reserve champion came from Chris Hardcastle, of Harrogate, and was a home-bred Duplex heifer, which sold to a buyer from North Wales for £1,700.

New vendor Enchanted Holsteins took third prize, with a heifer selling at £1,880 to Michael Kenyon, of Chipping.

An unplaced pedigree heifer from Richard Ashworth also sold to North Wales at £1,750.

Winners of the non-pedigree class were David and Sue Graveston, with a large entry of homebred and locally sourced heifers.

The victor was bought for £1,500 by Michael Kenyon, who went on to buy David’s second prize heifer at £1,260.

A run of dispersal cows from Gibsons, of Carlisle, attracted keen bidding, with some going to pastures new as far away as Sussex and the best two going to Tom Green, of Wigan, at £1,200 and £1,060.

John Mawson, of Elslack, won the in-calf trophy with a Shuttleworth-bred heifer which went back to Gargrave at £1,150. Middletons, of Wigton, were next at £1,060 selling to Dave Coulthurst.

There was also a great trade at the May spring lamb show with RJ Lambert, of Wigglesworth, taking overall championship with an outstanding pair of Beltex lambs weighing 37kg and selling at £120 per head or 324p/kg.

Close behind was M Hewitt, of Giggleswick, with a pair of 37kg Beltex lambs which claimed third prize and sold at £110 per head or 297p/kg.

With hogg numbers drying up, there was increased trade for all qualities and types. Some good runs of hoggs from M Lancaster sold at £99 per head but topping at £108 were J Maguire and K Parker.