IT was a multi-coloured day at Skipton Auction Mart, on Monday, with the regular fortnightly Craven Dairy Auction for black and whites supplemented by the Spring Coloured Breeds show and sale.

Top price of the day and overall championship honours under judge Rebecca Jarvis, Gargrave, was in the former for the ABS Eldridge 30kg robot-trained heifer from Mark Smith, of nearby Winterburn, who also stood champion at the previous fortnightly show earlier this month. The hammer finally fell at £2,500 after a flurry of bids from regular purchasers to West Yorkshire ringside regular Mark Goodall, Tong, who also took home his namesake’s previous victor.

The latest title winner’s herdmate, by Relough Directive, fresh in her third lactation and climbing from 46kg per day, was a wealthy robust cow with a low cell count and was also keenly sought, commanding £2,300 and also heading home to Tong.

A decent gathering of 15 Jerseys then took centre stage and again the judge’s placings were vindicated, with Lot 1, an early April-calved heifer already giving 26kg, awarded 1st prize in-milk heifer, then overall reserve champion for Ravenfield Jerseys, before topping the coloured breeds prices at £1,470 and heading home in a trailer of five to Cartmel with Stephen Potter.

The Heaths, from Ravenfield Jerseys, Cowden, Hull, consigned four milkers, three having being purchased at the Tyringham dispersal and two sired by the Thurlstone Banging bull sold by Cogent and bred by the South Yorkshire-based Thurlstone herd of John, Sue and Thomas Dickinson. At £1,365, the April 1st-calved 19kg/day heifer, Tyringham Oyster Doyle, claimed second top call in the Jersey in-milk section.

Three in-calf heifers due May to the Limousin and originating from Brenda Leddy’s Jersey herd were sold by Lisa Metcalfe, Clayton, Bradford, to average £903, with one, the 1st prize in-calf or maiden heifer, topping the in-calf section jointly at £945 with Suffolk’s Ben Etteridge, Moonshine Jerseys, Beccles, with his Moonshine Sherpa Apricot 2, a June-due in-calf heifer potentially 6th generation VG or EX and in-calf to Lonestar.

The next fortnightly Craven Dairy Auction on Monday, May 8, also includes a standalone section for dairy bulls. The advised closing date for catalogue entries is this coming Tuesday. Dairy sales co-ordinator Sarah Liddle can be contacted on 07710 795585.

The same morning’s weekly sale of 32 dairy-bred rearing calves saw British Blue-x youngsters again command the leading prices, top call of £470 falling to a bull from J&JR Clarkson, Barkisland, with Blue heifers peaking at £380 from LM&MA Clarke & Sons, Thornton-in-Craven. Limousin bulls sold to £420 from G Pickersgill & Sons, Hawksworth.

Of the natives, Aberdeen-Angus bulls sold either side of £250 up to £255 from Edward Fort, Silsden Moor, and Angus heifers from £145 up to £175 from Townhead Farm Products, Grassington. Hereford prices were headed by James Gooch, Cononley, with a bull at £220 and heifer at £180.