A NEW champion was crowned at the summer rearing calf show at Skipton Auction Mart, with dairy farmer Matt Dinsdale, of Rainhall Farm, Barnoldswick, lifting the title with his first prize British Blue-x heifer. (Monday, July 24)

The Semex-sired youngster went on to achieve joint top call of £500 when claimed by young Wigglesworth show judge, Jack Foster. It was one of six dairy-bred rearing calves on offer from the Dinsdale holding, home to 110 Holstein Friesian milkers, with two others, an Aberdeen-Angus heifer and a black and white bull calf, also picking up red rosettes, the former topping its section at £275.

With some tremendous quality forward among the 60 head and a ring full of purchasers for all classes, Calton father and daughter, Robert and Ellie Crisp, also achieved £500 joint top with their 1st prize Blue-x bull in the overage show class.

Defending champions from the Spring show, Beamsley husband and wife, Alan and Emily Middleton, took the reserve championship with their red rosette-winning Blue-x bull calf sired by Genus North Pole out of a home-bred cow. It was one of five Blues from the Middletons that sold to a top of £435.

Blue bulls averaged £400, the best of them selling up to-£455 for 6/8-week-old goods, while younger calves made £340-£390 and bobbie bulls £270-£300. Blue heifers averaged £334, the best making £400-£450, good mediums £300-£360, with the younger end at a month old and plainer sorts £225-£290.

Best of the Limousin youngsters at £425 was a bull calf from Norman and Chris Bell, Cowling, with Charolais bull calves peaking at £375 for the 1st prize winner from the Peel family in Clitheroe. From Bishop Thornton, the Sowray brothers were again among the prizes, including a brace of 1st prize tickets with an Angus bull calf away at £370 and a Charolais-x heifer at £350, both topping their respective sections.

Black and white youngsters sold notably well, with good 4/6-week-old coloured calves making £100-£142, the younger and plainer end £58-£80.