Mr Smith, who runs a 200-strong Holstein Friesian commercial dairy herd at Bent Farm, Sutton, secured his first calf championship at Skipton Auction Mart “in more than a decade” with a 36-day-old British Blue-cross bull calf, by the Cogent sire Flintoft, out of a home-bred dairy cow.

With the CCM Skipton Spring rearing calf title winner are, from left, Barry Lawson, Cogent’s breeding adviser for Yorkshire, exhibitor David Smith, BOCM Pauls’ Phil Coleman and judge Tony Binns.

The victor sold to part-time farmer Andrew Summers, a member of the well-known farming and butchery family in Clayton, Bradford. A wagon driver for Bradford Council, Andrew will finish his new acquisition, before its likely return to Skipton for resale.

Mr Smith’s reserve champion was his second prize British Blue-cross bull calf, which, at 41-days-old, joined NorthLincolnshire customers Nigel and Maria Mason, of Crowle, Scunthorpe, for £470. The Masons were making a welcome return to Skipton following their first visit as buyers at the opening New Year rearing calf show, when they acquired the three principals.

The Masons also paid £470 for the third prize British Blue-cross bull calf from brothers Shaun and Peter Sowray, of Bowes Green Farm, Bishop Thornton, Harrogate.

The Sowrays, reigning dairy and calf section title holders in CCM’s Farmer of the Year Awards, were also responsible for the first prize British Blue-cross heifer calf, which made £332 when joining Gargrave’s Paul Drinkall.

The second prize winner from Robert Metcalfe, of Brearton, Otley, sold for £330 to Edwards Farm Butchers, of Burnley, though it was the third prize winner from Church Farm Enterprises, of Burton Leonard, that headed the class prices at £355 when knocked down to Robert Foster, of Thorp Arch, Wetherby.

Continental calves met with very good trade, with Sutton-in-Craven’s Richard Spence presenting both the first prize and top price Limousin bull and heifer calves at £495 and £252 respectively. The former became another acquisition by the Masons, the latter joining co-judge Tony Binns in Clint, Harrogate.

Church Farm Enterprises were also prominent when presenting the first prize native breed bull and heifer calves, both Aberdeen Angus, sold for £265 and £168 respectively, the former joining Edwards Farm Butchers.

Black and white bull calves were strong too, though young dairy bull calves fell slightly short on previous weeks’ prices due to snow preventing the attendance of one or two regular buyers.

In the stirk classes, JD Crabtree & Son, of Burnt Yates, Harrogate, also achieved £495 with the first prize British Blue-cross bull, yet another Mason family purchase, while the first prize Continental-cross heifer stirk also came fromChurch Farm Enterprises and made £395 on joining Paul Drinkall. Church Farm Enterprises also stepped forward with first prize native male or heifer stirk at £248.

Despite the weather, the overall average for the 65 rearing calves forward was a few pence short of £216 per head, well up on the previous week’s £146.38.

The second co-judge was Richard Umpleby, of Killinghall, with the show sponsored by BOCM Pauls and Midgley Motor Cars, along with a new British Blue show class sponsor Cogent Breeding. The next seasonal CCM Skipton rearing calf show is on Monday, May 20, with weekly sales continuing as normal.

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	Skipton Weekly Round Up

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