A RYEDALE father and son duo bagged the reserve championship at the annual Craven Dairy Auction Christmas show.

Paul and Phillip Dunn, who run the 120-head Newsley pedigree herd at New Lays Farm, Helmsley, made their first appearance into the dairy arena at Skipton Auction Mart on November 30.

The fortnight calved black cow was initially chosen as the first prize winner in its show class, before being awarded the reserve championship. Approaching 50kg per day, she made £1,800.

While still actively involved with the herd, Paul has handed over the reins to his son after 76 years.

While new to the Craven Dairy arena, Paul has previously sold both pedigree Suffolk sheep and British Saanen goats at Skipton.

An unprecedented fourth successive Craven Dairy Auction Christmas championship was bagged by husband and wife, Brian and Judith Moorhouse, who run the multi award-winning Aireburn pedigree Holstein herd at Hesper Farm, Bell Busk, west of Skipton.

The couple clinched another title with their first prize heifer in milk, Aireburn Crackshot Lou, a two weeks-calved 30kg daughter of the Semex sire, Sandy Valley Crackshot, out of a VG88 Aireburn Zelgadis dam who has seven generations of VG or EX behind her.

Sponsors included NFU Mutual, National Milk Records and Mulberry Farming Asset Finance with Cumbrian judges, John Harrison and Ernie Wilson.