ANOTHER dairy show and sale wrapped up on Monday's Skipton’s Craven Cattle Mart. With mixed fortunes and average trade, it was certainly a buyer's market, with quality heifers on offer as shown by the last five vying for the top spot in a particularly strong heifer in milk class.

The sale was in the safe hands of senior auctioneer Jeremy Eaton, who had his work cut out making sure the 16 goods forward found homes and sold somewhere near their market value.

The 13 heifers in milk brought forward averaged £1628. Leading the way as sale topper was the 28kg three-week calved Zanderberg Art daughter from M&R Smith of Winterburn, who was the pick of Mark Goodall from Tong at £1950. Topping at £1650 for PJ JE JW Bolland, the two cows in milk averaged £1600, and the one in calf heifer, brought by WH Dunn, sold for £1300.

Monday’s show and sale finished off a busy couple of days for TD Goldie & Son’s Wiskemanor herd. Securing their second successive CCM championship with one of their four, fresh heifers, followed a 4th place win in the Senior three-year-old class at UK Dairy Expo on Saturday, with Wiskemanor Doc Satin, and the completion of a private sale of 18, which included five in-calf heifers, with the goods headed south to a new purchaser.

“Monday’s champion was Wiskemanor Pharo Browngirl, a 29kg heifer who made £1800 heading with David Smith, Skipton” reported CCM’s Dairy Co-ordinator, Sarah Liddle.

“The Goldie’s had their third batch forward today and, as they topped the day’s vendor average at £1755, vendors are now seeing the potential of these animals.”

The 16 forward in the show and sale were judged by John Harry Hitchen. Mr Hitchen was assisted by his son Henry, who purchased the 2nd prize-winning heifer in milk and Reserve Champion; a 32kg white heifer from the Dragonfly family of David, Margaret, and Jennie Booth of the Shawdale herd at Lothersdale.

Paul, Janet, and James Bolland showed 1st and 2nd prize second-calvers in the cow in milk class, who went on to sell for £1650 and £1550, respectively.

CCM’s next Dairy Show & Sale is on Monday April 1. With circa 25 head already promised, this sale includes young stock. Monday April 15 includes the Coloured Breeds Spring Sale, with early entries from Regatta, Greyleys, and Harlsey herds.