IT was a day for the ladies at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest Craven Dairy Auction show and sale, with Suzie Lawson, of the Newbirks herd in Arthington, Otley, taking the supreme championship, and Sally Wellock, of the Harehills herd in Oldfield, Oakworth, standing reserve champion.

Suzie secured the title with the family’s first prize newly calven heifer, Newbirks Crest Heliotrope 392, by the home-bred stock bull, Newbirks Crest. A fortnight calved and giving 30 litres, the victor sold for £1,900 to show judge Angus Dean, of the Threshfield pedigree dairy herd based at Toft House.

Newbirks was also responsible for the second prize newly calven heifer, this one, Newbirks Command Jazz 1823, by another home-bred stock bull, Newbirks Green Command, came to market four weeks calved and also giving 30 litres.

Sally Wellock scooped the reserve championship with her prize newly calven cow, Harehills Lobelia 748, by the Genus sire, De-Su History. The 33 litre cow, which calved for the second time 19 days prior to the show, sold for top call of £2,120 to Richard Sutcliffe, of Queensbury.

Harehills also consigned the third prize newly calven heifer sold for £2,050 to Mark Goodall, of Tong, Bradford, with a third Wellock heifer making £1,980.

Good commercial heifers sold from £1,600-£2,000, a couple from Robin Jennings, of South Stainley, catching the eye at £1,800 and £1,900. Pedigree newly calven heifers averaged £1,762, their commercial counterparts £1,710.

Rearing calves produced a top price of £380 for a British Blue-cross bull from the Hartley family in Beamsley, claimed by Tom Watson, from Sawley, Ripon.

Heifer calves saw four from both Colin Whitelock in Gargrave and Bishop Thornton’s Shaun Sowray all make £300. Mr Whitelock also hit £320 with a Limousin-cross bull calf. The overall Continental-cross average was £289.

Flasby Estates sold some nice bull calves, among them a Flekvieh at £125 and a black and white dairy bull at £62. Native youngsters averaged £85, black and whites £50.