WHILE fortnightly dairy sales have been ongoing for most of the year, the first Craven Dairy Auction show of 2021 was staged at Skipton Auction Mart, on Monday.

The honour of winning the year’s opening returning show fell to father and son, Miles and Oliver Stapleton, who run the Lindonmoor pedigree dairy herd at Dunkeswick Lodge, Weeton, Leeds. It was first established by Miles’ father, Tom Stapleton, when aged 28 – he is now 92 and still follows the herd’s progress with keen interest.

The red rosette went to their June 13 calved heifer, Lindonmoor Bromley Pixie, an April, 2019 daughter of the ABS Global dairy sire, Welcome-Tel Bromley, out of a dam who gave 9,752kg across her second lactation at 5.02 percent fat and 3.19 per cent protein. One of two consigned by the Stapletons, the victor, herself giving 31kg, sold for £2,120 top call to regular dairy buyer Mark Goodall, of Tong, Bradford.

Trade was strong for the small number of top quality heifers on offer, averaging £1,940 per head. Andrew Ayton and daughter, Molly, who run the Hawbank pedigree herd in Eastby, showed for the first time in many years and their second placed heifer by Midwolder Marquis from the Tulip family also fell to Mr Goodall at £1,820.

Alan Middleton, of the Beamsley-based Hartley dairy farming partnership, paid the same price for the third placed heifer from another returning vendor Stephen Coates, who runs the Bailmoor pedigree herd in Baildon, adding. a second Lindonmoor heifer that made the £2,000 barrier.

The opening show, judged by Hutton’s Tom Critchley, was supported by regular sponsor NMR, along with Skipton NFU and Mulberry Farming.

There was another solid trade for primestock at Monday’s weekly sale, notably in the beef ring, with every one of the 11 under 30-month clean cattle selling at 262.5p/kg or above.

Robertshaw’s Farm Shop in Thornton took home a trio, including the top gross price of £1,701 and the highest price per kg of 283.5p for a 600kg Limousin-x heifer from Threshfield brothers Charles and Richard Kitching.

The same home was also responsible for the top price steer, a 605kg Limousin-x, one of two sold for £1,691, or 279.5p/kg, to Ellisons Butchers in Cullingworth. Ralph Pearson Wholesale Butchers in Bradford was again the principal buyer with six quality acquisitions.

Cast cows were in short supply, as farms remain busy with crop. Consequently, all categories were good to sell, the 14 head on offer achieving an overall average of 133p/kg, or £911.52 per head.

The entry of 3,538 prime sheep was the largest of the season to date, with 3,164 Spring lambs selling well throughout to an overall average of £107.29 per head, or 255.9p/kg. Heavies were keenly contested and achieved the leading prices, with all lambs 45kg and more averaging 263p/kg.

Top price per head of £170 fell to a Texel pen from Mark Crabtree, of Kettlesing, going to Hartshead Meat Co in Mossley, while top call per kilo of 328.9p went to a 45kg Texel pen from Nigel Boynton, of Ripon, selling to Vivers Scotlamb.

In the cast section, with numbers decreasing nationally, prices rocketed for 374 cull ewes, which sold to an overall average of £106.55. Heavy ewes, both white-faced and North of England Mules, were in high demand, the former topping at £164.50 for Texels from Clitheroe’s John Barnes, the latter averaging £100.

The weekly sale of 42 rearing calves produced buoyant trade, notably for black and white youngsters, which averaged £128 and sold to a top of £228 for a bull calf from John Rushton, of Elslack, Broughton’s Sam Chapman, trading as RM Shackleton, also selling 15 to 21-day-old black and whites to £168. Top call of £450 fell to a British Blue-x bull calf, again from Eastby’s Andrew Ayrton.