THE opening New Year rearing calf show at Skipton Auction Mart, which attracted a solid entry of 86 head, produced a first-ever championship success for Yorkshire Dales husband and wife, Paul and Janet Bolland, who farm with their son James at Dykelands Farm, Airton.

The family – they only rarely show calves at their local auction mart – took the title and top call of £480 with the first prize British Blue-x bull calf, by the Cogent sire, Springhill Improver, out of a Holstein cow. It joined regular buyer Tom Watson, of Ripon.

Show judge Frankie Brown, of Halton Gill, remained in the same show class for his reserve champion, the second prize winner from Alan Middleton, who trades under the family partnership of JP&KE Hartley at Lane House Farm, Beamsley. By the locally bred stock bull, Greystone Money, which has produced other Skipton calf champions for the Hartleys, it was not far behind the title winner when knocked down at £475, again to Mr Watson.

Blue bulls were a real trade, with nice rearing 4–6-week-old goods selling at £420-£480, mediums at £340-£390 and smalls £200-£280. The first prize Blue-x heifer calf from Threshfield’s Angus Dean got away at £330, with the red rosette-winning Continental bull calf, a Simmental-x from the same home topping at £380.

With just seven Blue heifer calves forward trade topped at £345 for one from LD&MA Clarke, of Thornton-in-Craven, mediums getting away at £260-£320 and bobbies £180-£230.

Limousin bull calves sold to £420 for the first prize winner from G Pickersgill & Sons in Hawksworth, the same vendors also responsible for the red rosette black and white bull calf, which topped its section at £195. A total of 27 black and white youngsters averaged £87.

Among the natives, both the bull and heifer show classes were won by Aberdeen-Angus from A&M Beecroft, of Fewston, the former heading the section prices at £325 when claimed by the judge.