A BRACE of newly calven Holstein Friesian heifers from Sally Wellock, who runs the Harehills pedigree herd at West House Farm, Oldfield, Keighley, bagged principal honours at the second March Craven Dairy Auction at Skipton Auction Mart on Monday.

The three weeks-calved 26-litre victor, Harehills Girlish 87, by the Genus sire, Farnear Ayres, sold for £1,600, while the 23 days-calved 28-litre reserve champion. Harehills Lobelia 757, by another Genus sire, Luncrest Millard, made £1,500. Both joined regular local buyer John Howard, of Heslaker.Calderdale’s Jon Midgley, from Ludendenfoot, who consigned the first prize newly calven cow at the previous dairy show, returned to repeat the feat, also adding the runner-up for good measure. Both were third calvers giving 32 litres and the respective buyers at £1,500 and £1,450 were Dacre’s Rob Marshall and the Goulding family, from Oxenhope.

Brian Moorhouse, of the Aireburn herd in Bell Busk, judged, with National Milk Records again sponsoring.

The same morning’s weekly rearing calf sale attracted 52 entries and saw 12 of them sell from £370 to £390, the joint top price achieved no less than five times for British Blue-cross bull calves.

Three of these came from Joss Lancaster, of Horton-in-Craven, the other two from Fellbeck’s Mike Longster and John Marshall, of Dacre.

Mr Lancaster was also responsible for a brace of £360 top price Blue-cross heifer calves, while the Hayton & Stocks farming partnership in Bolton Abbey headed the Limousin prices with a bull calf at £360 and a £330 heifer calf. The overall Continental-cross selling average was £335.

A decent run of black and white calves met a similar trade to recent sales, with Alf Townsend, of Southfield, Burnley, the standout performer with £220 for a strong Friesian bull calf, with more regular entries making £65-£85. The section average was £72.

A single Aberdeen-Angus bull calf from the Wellock family in Eshton was highly sought after at the ringside, falling for £305.