Swires Bounce Back to Craven Dairy Auction Top Form
2012-10-24

Father and son ‘milk men’ Malcolm and Robert Swires, of Haverah Park, Beckwithshaw, secured their 23rd Craven Dairy Auction championship at the main October show at Skipton Auction Mart. (Mon, Oct 22)

Robert Swires with the family’s October Craven Diary Auction champion, their 23rd in recent years.

Their Whinhill Holstein Friesian dairy herd, last victorious in May, but by far the most prolific champions in recent years, bounced back to title-winning form with the first prize newly calven heifer, a home-bred pedigree by Cogent Desmond, the first time the sire had been utilised by the Swires.

Giving 33 litres, she sold for £2,040 to Wick Williams, of Nantwich - and broke the stanglehold held at Skipton of late by the Newbirks Holstein pedigree herd of A Lawson & Son, of Arthington, who were seeking a fifth successive Craven Dairy Auction championship.

They weren’t far away, presenting the first prize newly calven cow and reserve champion, along with the second prize newly calven heifer.

The runner-up, by a home-bred Picston Shottle son later sold at Skipton, came to market giving 33 litres and achieved joint top price in show at £2,180 when selling locally to James Kaley, of Halton West. The Lawsons’ second prize heifer made £1,900 on joining Ribchester’s Geoff Blezzard.

Another Craven Dairy Auction regular, Peter Baul, of Bishop Thornton, equalled the £2,180 top price with his third prize newly calven heifer, which fell to John Howard in nearby Carleton.

The Swires further chipped in with the second and third prize newly calven cows, which sold for £2,020 and £1,950 to David Oversby, of Grassington, and Tom Green, of Wigan, respectively.

The 48-strong turnout at the BOCM Pauls-sponsored fixture – show classes were judged by Gisburn’s Frank Wrathall - also included eight maiden heifers and 17 dairy cattle forming part of a continuing dispersal sale for Harry Ingham, of Glusburn.

Newly calven cows performed well to average £1,830, while newly calven heifers averaged £1,775. A consignment of 16 to 20-month-old maiden heifers from W Furniss, of Dacre, sold to a high of £900 and an average of £770.

Skipton further cemented its reputation at the head of the dairy industry in Yorkshire when over 300 dairy farmers from across the region flocked to the mart later the same evening to air their views on milk prices at a meeting organised by Farmers For Action and the NFU. Among the speakers was Farmers For Action chairman David Handley.

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