| 2016-03-16 |    |
Ravensgate Herd Bags Another Dairy Championship
The Ravensgate pedigree dairy herd of Peter Baul rattled up its third Craven Dairy Auction championship success of the year at the opening March show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart. (Mon, March 14)
Mr Baul, who trades as M Baul & Partners at Watergate Farm, Bishop Thornton, has now won three of the five titles up for grabs at the mart in 2016, also bagging the reserve championship at the other two shows.
Pictured with the two principals at the opening March Craven Dairy Auction are, from left, judge James Kayley, champion Peter Baul, reserve champion Robin Jennings and Helen Whittaker, of NMR.
He secured his latest victory with his first prize newly calven heifer, Ravensgate Tiergan Sparkle 222, by the Cogent dairy sire, Ballycairn Tiergan, out of Ravensgate Loader Sparkle 183. Twenty one-days calved and giving 32 litres, she sold for £1,780, top price in show, to regular local buyer John Howard, of Heslaker Farm, Carleton.
Robin Jennings, who runs the Stainbank pedigree Holstein herd at Hill House Farm, South Stainley, and was Skipton’s most prolific dairy champion in 2015 with seven titles to his name, stepped up with the second prize newly calven heifer and reserve champion.
However, this was one of his commercial entries, bought at Skipton two years earlier from the late John Whittaker, of Laneshawbridge. Giving 33 litres and 18 days-calved, she fell for £1,700, again to Mr Howard, who also paid £1,150 for the third prize newly calven heifer from Thimbleby Farms in Northallerton.
Bingley’s Keith Downs also sold four newly calven heifers to a high of £1,320, this falling to Ken and Lynne Throup, of Silsden Moor. With improved trade seen on recent sales, the18 newly calven heifers among the 27-strong turnout of dairy cattle averaged £1,188 per head.
Better trade for in-calf heifers was also seen, with the four on show averaging £1,058 per head overall and selling to a top of £1,120 for a submission from David and Jill Pennock, of Hazelwood, who took second and third prizes in this show class. Their frontrunner joined Gargrave’s David Shuttleworth.
The red rosette-winning in-calf heifer came from Brian and Susan Barningham, who trade as Isaac Oliver & Partners in Darley. Their charge sold for £1,100, again to Mr Shuttleworth. James Kayley, of Halton West, was show judge and sponsors NMR and VG Energy.
Blistering calf trade maintained
Trade at the same day’s weekly rearing calf sale again maintained
recent solid levels for the 64 youngsters forward, which had
an average age of 47 days.
British Blues youngsters once more led the way when producing a top price of £435 for a bull calf from Gargrave’s John Blackwell, while a run of eight from Johnny Moons, of Wigglesworth, peaked at £415.
Blue heifers were also well fought over by numerous bidders, with seven of the 13 forward selling at over £300 and to a top of £385 for a submission from JP&KE Hartley, of Bolton Abbey, though some small calves pegged the average back to £282.
A more even show of Limousins saw the top price £395 entry from Graham Hayton, also of Bolton Abbey, help the average up to £360 per head for bull calves. The overall Continental average was £318.42.
Native-bred prices peaked at £275 for an Aberdeen Angus bull calf from JM Smith & Son, of Carleton, producing a section average of £223.40 each.
With 90% of the calves beef bred, the few black and whites on offer were keenly contested and sold to a good average of £69 per head for what was on offer, with more needed. Top on price was a £100 bull calf from dairy show judge James Kayley, of Halton West.
