Dairyman makes it a clean sweep at the championships

The local dairyman was again victorious with the first prize newly calven heifer, Smellows Reece Viola 2, by the well-known AI sire Askew Reece, out of the home-bred Smellows Decker Viola, who averaged more than 11,100kg at 4 per cent butter fat over two lactations at Small House, with her grand dam, Smellows Outside Viola, herself averaging 12,500kg-plus at 14.3 per cent butter fat over five lactations.

Eighteen days calved and giving 31kg, Mr Taylor’s latest champion – described as “the best heifer I have shown all year” – sold on what proved a day of exceptional trade for £2,450 to Daniel Reed, of Bielby, York, a fond supporter of the Smallhouse herd, who also paid the same price for Mr Taylor’s previous title winner as he continues to build his commercial dairy holding.

The reserve championship fell to the second prize newly calven heifer from the Morton pedigree herd of Richard and Marion Walker, and their son Andrew, of Moorlands Farm, East Morton, Keighley.

By their former stock bull, the North Craven-bred Ingleview Velux, and the fourth calf of the home-bred Morton Delight, who was giving 10,000kg on her last lactation, the runner-up sold for £2,100 to Redmayne Brothers, of Balderstone, Preston. The Walkers sold two further newly calven heifers at £2,050 and £1,920.

With trade unstoppable, other Craven Dairy Auction regulars also achieved high prices. From a consignment of eight newly calven cows and heifers, father and son Malcolm and Robert Swires, of Haverah Park, Harrogate, made a clean sweep of the prizes in the show class for cows.

They also headed the day’s prices at a heady £2,700 with the red rosette winner, a home-bred second calver by the Semex sire Penview Icepack. Giving 50 litres, she joined the Kellett dairy farming family in Bishop Thornton. All but one of the Swires’ entries topped £2,000, including one at £2,600 and two at £2,400.

Stephen Coates, of Baildon, sold two quality entries, including the third prize newly calven heifer at £2,420, again to the Kelletts, while David Lawson, of Arthington, achieved £2,300 with a newly calven heifer that became a further Daniel Reed acquisition.

Raymond and Robert Johnson, of Felliscliffe, were again to the fore when selling three newly calven commercial heifers to a top of £2,200, this also falling to the Kelletts. Calton’s Robert Crisp sold two newly calven heifers to a high of £2,010.

Newly calven heifers averaged £2,143 and cows £2,233, the 23-strong dairy turnout selling to an overall average of £2,127.

The show was judged by Malcolm Abbott, of Dacre, and sponsored by BOCM Pauls and Yorkshire Foot Trimmers.