A buoyant trade for dairy cattle saw a turnover of 100 head sell to 22 buyers, with almost a quarter traded via the live internet bidding facility to purchasers from Scotland and Shropshire at the Craven Auction Mart's recent sale at Skipton.

The fixture which comprised a show and sale of fresh milkers, along with a consignment dairy youngstock and followers, was topped at £2400 by Wormanby Chief Z Mahala – one of a consignment of 23 pedigree Holstein Friesian in-calf heifers from the Sharp family's Tewitthall herd, Oakworth, Keighley.

This March, 2020-born heifer by Stantons Chief is backed by nine generations of cows in the top two grades, being from an Ex90 Zeber daughter that gave more than 12,400kg at 4.5% fat in her third lactation. She sold due in May, sexed to Milksource Cheers, to brothers William and Michael Oldfield, of the Whinhill Holstein herd in Newsholme, near Gisburn.

Peter Waring, who runs the Winton pedigree herd with son, James, at Field House Farm, Cherry Burton, Beverley, made his long journey west to Skipton worthwhile with a consignment that included seven milkers and three yearlings. He was rewarded with a clean sweep of the prizes in the newly calved heifer show class, with his two frontrunners tapped out as champion and reserve respectively by the show judge, Bishop Thornton dairyman Shaun Sowray.

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The victor, Winton Shottle Bess, a late March calved heifer giving 30kg, made £2380 when heading to Tong, Bradford, with regular buyer Mark Goodall, while John Harrison, of Penrith, took home Winton Fuel Baby, a 35kg heifer fresh since March 15, at the same price.

The five Winton Holstein milk heifers averaged £2092, while a brace of Ayrshire milkers from the same home levelled at £1100.

Batches of between five and 15 served and bulling heifers enjoyed generally strong trade. Among them were consignments from mother and son team, Karen and Paul Hutchinson in Scorton, Richmond; the Coates family from Baildon; Allan and Richard Throup in Silsden, Healey Home Farm at Riding Mill, Northumberland; the Carlisles from Leyburn; Northallerton’s Richard Flintoff and David, Margaret and Jennie Booth, of Lothersdale.

The pick of the averages included 10 just served and bulling age group entries from the Hutchinsons selling at £1100 with the Coates family averaging just over £1000 on their batches.

CCM’s dairy sales co-ordinator Sarah Liddle said: “The youngstock sale proved a huge success, producing great appreciation of stock for their pedigrees, potential, high health statuses and overall confirmation."