Tomschoice Limousins Excel at Skipton Pedigree Beef Fixture
2009-10-18

Limousins once again dominated the show classes, as they have done in recent years, at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual Autumn pedigree event for beef breeding cattle. (Wed, Oct 14)

Stockman Mark Phillips is pictured with James and Sarah Cooper’s Skipton pedigree beef Limousin champion.

Both the champion and reserve champion were exhibited by husband-and-wife James and Sarah Cooper, of Tomschoice Limousins, Hill Top Farm, Dacre, Harrogate.

The title winner was the first prize junior bull, Tomschoice Dacre, a home-bred 18-month-old by Brontemoor Aceofspades, from well-known West Yorkshire Limousin showman Steven Priestley, of Denholme. The dam was Tomschoice Virtual.

The victor was reserve male champion at Skipton’s Northern Limousin Extravaganza in May this year, while his maternal sister, Tomschoice Chanel, was a first prize winner at the 2009 Great Yorkshire Show, commercial champion at Malham Show and reserve pure-bred champion at 2008 English Winter Fair.

With an EBV of +35, Tomschoice Dacre is just outside the top 1% if the breed. He sold for the day’s joint top price of 1,900 guineas to South Yorkshire-based Robert and Josie Robinson, of Manor Farm, Bramwith Woodhouse, Stainforth, Doncaster. Their new acquisition will be used as a stock bull on the couple’s British Blue and Limousin-cross suckler herd.

Reserve champion was the oldest cow in the Coopers’ herd, the ten-year-old Tomschoice Pandora, who has bred well for the couple over the years. They retain several of her sisters and daughters.

Pandora, who was shown with some success as a maiden heifer and has an EBV of 32+, was put up for sale with her bull calf at foot - she is also in-calf to Brontemoor Aceofspades.

“We are sorry to see her go. She has been an excellent servant, but we have to move on and make room for more heifers. I hope she goes to a good home,” said Mr Cooper ahead of the sale.

The purchaser at 1,800gns was Janet Sheard, of Almondbury, Huddersfield, who also acts as Skipton Auction Mart’s fieldsperson in South and West Yorkshire.

The second joint top price of 1,900gns fell to a six-year-old Limousin bull, Whitegates Ubend, from Ted Walker, of Woodend Farm, Barden. He remained in the area when joining D Clarke at Hampsthwaite, Harrogate.

First prize in the senior bull class was awarded to yet another Limousin, the December, 2007-born Coredale Ceres from Red Rose exhibitor WP Brewer & Sons, of Lower Core, Bleasdale, Preston.

Senior Limousin bulls averaged £1,659, junior Limousin bulls £1,654, Limousin cows with bull calves sold to 1,800gns, Limousin cows with heifer calves to 1,200gns, in-calf Limousin heifers to 980gns (av £1,008) and junior British Blue bulls to 1,100gns.

Show judge was John Beckwith, Gargrave, with the event sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, represented by territory manager James Porritt.

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