THE annual Christmas Craven Dairy Auction at Skipton Auction Mart was a cracker, with some solid trade achieved for the 40-strong entry on Monday.

The Craven Cattle Marts Perpetual Trophy for the festive fixture champion was won by the first prize newly calven heifer from Malhamdale’s Robert Crisp, who runs his commercial dairy herd at Nelson Farm, Calton, and who was stepping up on his reserve championship success at the previous dairy show.

Like all his entries of late, the majority of them prizewinners, Mr Crisp’s latest victor was by a Picston Shottle son, out of a daughter of Garrison. Both are Genus sires. Fifteen days calved and giving 27kg, the title winner headed the day’s prices when selling for £2,150 to regular buyers Alf and Andrew Townsend, of Southfield, Burnley.

Pre-sale judge David Hall, of Coniston Cold, remained in the heifer class for his chosen reserve champion, the second prize winner from Brian and Judith Moorhouse’s pedigree Holstein herd at Hesper Farm, Bell Busk.

This was another Picston Shottle daughter, Aireburn Shottle Becky, out of the home-bred Aireburn Tee-Off Becky 2. Ten days calved and also giving 27kg, she sold for £2,000 to William Oldfield, of Stocks Enterprises, Gisburn.

The first newly calven heifer into the ring set the tone for a successful sale when selling for £1,900. It came from the Bishop Thornton-based Ravensgate pedigree herd of Peter Baul, champion at the previous show. The home-bred, 17 days calved and giving 30kg, joined Brian Blezard in Ribchester.

Mr Baul, who trades as M Baul & Partners, also went onto to collect the Frank Wade Perpetual Trophy for the champion in-calf heifer. It came from his pen of six he brought on the day and sold for £960 to Ripon’s M Burrill.

However, it was John Ireland, of Thorpe Bassett, who consigned the top price £1,250 in-calf heifer, which went home with the Longster family from Fellbeck, Harrogate.

At the same day’s weekly rearing calf sale, the 60-strong entry sold to joint highs of £380 for British Blue-cross heifer calves from Church Farm Enterprises in Burton Leonard. The overall Continental average was £305.60 per head, with natives averaging £237.70 and black and whites £51.69.