TWO WENSLEYDALE dairy farmers dominated the major prizes in this year's Yorkshire County Milk recording herd competition.

Mr Chris Iveson of Myers Farm, Wensley, achieved a 15 year ambition in taking the overall supreme title.

And he was thrilled when Mr Alan Richardson, his herdsman for 30 years, was awarded the Miss Mitchell challenge trophy for best herds person.

Metcalfe Farms of Washfold Farm, Leyburn, won the BOCM trophy for best management and were placed first in another four categories including the elite cow and bull progeny classes.

Mr Iveson took the supreme title after winning the herd management inspection class.

Based on three times milking and 100 lactations his Holstein herd averaged 10,165kg at 3.75pc fat and 3.14pc protein and a value of £1,547.

"It is the first time I have won the county championship, it is wonderful, I have been trying for 15 years," he said.

"We have kept production up while some people have let it slip a bit.

"We have been on three times a day milking for about ten years now and it is nice to get the work out of them to get the yields."

He was runner up to Metcalfe Farms in the elite cow class. Second place was taken by Myersgarth Promise Tina who yielded 14,867kg at 3.92pc fat and 2.90pc protein, valued at £2,206. Her cell count was 40.

In the large herd section of the Holstein classes Mr Iveson won the management inspection class, won the best cow section with Myersgarth Budget Sunshine and the best cow family with the Florence Family.

Metcalfe Farms, which are near neighbours of Mr Iveson, enjoyed their best ever year in the awards taking five firsts, four seconds and a third placing.

Mr John Metcalfe revealed the family had double cause for celebration as one of their sons, Philip who runs the herd, and his wife, Judith, were celebrating the birth of a baby son, Robert.

Mr Metcalfe, whose two other sons David and Brian are heavily involved in the other farming operations, attended the awards dinner at York Racecourse with his wife, Thora.

The family was third in the supreme section. They milk three times a day and over 292 lactations the average yield was 10,394kg at 3.70pc fat and 3.09pc protein giving a value of £1,558.

They also won the BOCM trophy for best management and the elite cow cup for Washfold Star 11 who yielded 14,974 kg at 3.62pc fat and 3.35pc protein with a cell count of 58 and a value of £2,332.

They were second in the efficient milk production class and first in the bull progeny group with Skalsummer Sunnyboy giving a combined fat and protein of 3962.

Washfold Dairymaid 14 was second in the lifetime daily yield but top for highest lactational value of £2,402 and top over three lactation production with a combined fat and protein of 3140.

The reserve supreme title was won by G B Moorhouse of Bell Busk, Skipton, who, over 125 lactations, achieved an average yeild of 8,883 at 3.90pc fat and 3.23pc protein at a cell count of 140 and a value of £1397. He also won the overall inspection class.

Mr John Morley of Crossbutts Farm, Whitby, dominated the Holstein small herd section winning the management inspection class.

He also won the cow and heifer section, best cow and best heifer classes.