Keith Downs, of Milnerfield Farm, Bingley, saw his first prize heifer crowned champion to land his first-ever title in the dairy ring at Skipton Auction Mart.

Pictured with the main March Craven Dairy Auction principles are, from left, Mandy Cameron, of Yorkshire Foot Trimmers, Stephen Coates and the reserve champion, Keith Downs and the champion, BOCM Pauls’ Keith Colley and judge Tom Dodgson.

Home-bred by Airebank Duke, acquired from another well-known local dairyman Brian Moorhouse, of Bell Busk, the two weeks-calved victor, giving 36 litres of milk, sold for £2,300, top price in show, to brothers Shaun and Peter Sowray, of Bowes Green Farm, Bishop Thornton, regular vendors of prize-winning calves at Skipton, multiple champions among them.

The reserve championship fell to the second prize newly calven heifer from the Bailmoor pedigree dairy herd of Stephen Coates, of Low Springs Farm, Baildon.

A home-bred product of the Semex sire Regancrest Mr Samuelo and from the renowned Jazz family, the runner-up has two generations of VG/EX milkers behind her. Eighteen days calved and giving 37kg, she joined regular buyer Daniel Reed, of Bielby, York, for £2,150.

Mr Downs also stepped forward with the second prize newly calven cow, giving 43 litres and sold for £1,980 to another frequent Skipton buyer Wick Williams, of Nantwich. The same vendor successfully sold a run of ten newly calven heifers and cows, among them two other heifers at £2,000-plus.

Regular vendors Malcolm and Robert Swires, of Haverah Park, Harrogate, presented the first and third prize newly-calven cows. The former was another acquisition by Mr Reed at £1,980, while the Swires also sold four newly calven heifers to a high of £2,120.

A Lawson & Son, of Arthington, Otley, were again prominent when selling a pedigree newly calven heifer for £2,260, second top call of the day, while Bishop Thornton’s Peter Baul made £2,100 with a newly calven heifer. Both again fell to Mr Reed.

A strong run of six in-calf Brown Swiss-x-Holstein heifers from North Lincolnshire vendors J Rigg & Son saw two achieve first and third prizes in class and sell to a high of £1,400 for a May calver purchased by Silsden’s Nick Parker.

From a nice run of six-week-old Holstein Friesian calves presented by J&SA Lancaster, of Horton-in-Craven, three sold for £350.

Pedigree newly calven heifers averaged £1,958, with an overall heifer average of £1,706. Newly calven cows averaged £1,980, in-calf heifers £1,208 and maiden heifers £286.

Tom Dodgson, of Bank Newton, made his debut in the dairy ring as a judge, with the show sponsored by BOCM Pauls, whose Keith Colley presented the trophy, and Yorkshire Foot Trimmers, of Queensbury, represented by Mandy Cameron. Next month’s opening Craven Dairy Auction is on Monday, April 8.

	Related Links
	Local Vendors Bag Top Craven Dairy Auction Honours
	Cull Cows Excel at CCM Prime Shows
	Skipton Weekly Round Up

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