Double Triumph for David at Craven Dairy Auction
Skipton Auction Mart’s monthly Craven Dairy Auction (Monday 4th January) proved a double triumph for David Lawson from A. Lawson & Son of Arthington, near Otley, who presented both the Champion and Reserve Champion.
The show championship was won by David’s home-bred pedigree Holstein-Friesian heifer, while the reserve was a four-year-old second-calved pedigree Holstein-Friesian cow – both sired by the Genus bull, Shottle.
Both the January champion and reserve, judged by Wick Williams of Nantwich, Cheshire, were bought by Martin Jennings of Cowling for £2,120 - the top auction price in the dairy show - and £2,100 respectively.
Despite severe winter weather, there was an excellent attendance at Skipton for Craven Cattle Marts’ first show and sale of 2010, described as "buzzing" by one satisfied regular. Among the smiling faces was Andrew Wells, of A. T. and S. Wells, who travelled from Kilnsea, near Hull, and took first, second and third places in the dairy auction’s In-Calf Heifer class.
At auction, their consignment of new-calven heifers and in-calf dairy cattle sold to a top price of £1,580, completing the final stage of a successful herd dispersal which began last year. Despite the distance from the east coast to Skipton, Andrew said he regarded CCM’s Skipton Auction Mart as the "best place for the sale of dairy cattle in the region".
With a total of 21 cattle sold in the auction ring, prices for New-Calven Heifers were to £2,120 (average £1,870), New-calven cows sold to £2,100 (average £1,637) and in-calf heifers sold to £1,580 at an average of £1,346.
