MARKET REPORT - MONDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 2014 DAIRY PRESS
Hesper Hoists Heifer Craven Dairy Title
Multiple past champion Brian Moorhouse, who runs the Airebank pedigree Holstein dairy herd at Hesper Farm, Bell Busk, sent out his first title winner of 2014 at the main February Craven Dairy Auction at Skipton Auction Mart.
The home-bred victor, the first prize newly
calven heifer, is by the Genus sire Galastar Bluesky and the first of his crop
to make an appearance in the show ring for Mr Moorhouse.
Out of a 10,000kg dam, the champion, who had
calved on February 5 and came to market giving 31kg, headed the day’s selling
prices by some distance at £2,650 when joining D Clarke, of Hampsthwaite,
Harrogate.
The same buyer also paid second top call of
£2,250 for another newly calven commercial heifer shown by Eldroth’s Gary
Robinson, reserve champion at Skipton’s opening February dairy show.
Dales dairyman Richard Close, of Starbotton,
bagged the reserve championship with his second prize seven days-calved heifer,
giving 27 litres and falling for £2,120 to regular local buyer John Howard, of
Hesleker.
The third prize newly calven heifer from
Bishop Thornton’s Peter Baul sold for £1,950 to Mark Goodall, of Tong,
Bradford,, with heifers averaging £2,125 overall. Newly calven cows sold to a
high of £1,500 for a Brown Swiss entry from Nidderdale vendors D&P Brown,
of Ramsgill.
The 39-strong entry featured a good number of
younger cattle, with J&J Whitaker, of Laneshawbridge, again to the fore
with a quality selection of 29 in-calf and maiden heifers, which sold to a high
of £1,700 for a March-due entry. The buyer was Gargrave’s David Shuttleworth.
Mick Corner, of Easingwold, was responsible
for the top price in-calf heifer, which sold well at £1,860 to Kevin Midgley,
of Thorpe Bassett in Ryedale, producing an overall selling average of £1,492
per head. The Whittakers’ 17 to 22-month-old bulling heifers sold to a high of
£1,300 and averaged £1,117, with their 6 to 8-month-old heifer stirks selling
to £800, with an average of £609 each.
Robin Jennings, of the Stainbank pedigree
Holstein Friesian herd in South Stainley, judged at the BOCM Pauls-sponsored
show.