| 2014-03-05 |    |
Skipton March Primestock Show Highlights
Simon Bennett, of Delph Farm, Silsden, Moor, landed a notable championship and reserve championship double at the March prime cattle show at Skipton Auction Mart. (Mon, March 3)
Mr Bennett, who was reserve champion last month when returning to the cattle show arena at Skipton after a break, went one better at the latest renewal when his first prize 555kg Limousin-cross heifer, again by his Gunnerfleet stock bull, was crowned champion.
Simon Bennett with his March prime cattle champion and reserve
The victor progressed to achieve the day’s leading price of £1,451, or 261.5p/kg, when becoming yet another championship-winning Skipton acquisition by Keelham Farm Shop in Thornton, Bradford, and one of several purchases.
Mr Bennett repeated his reserve championship success with his first prize 640kg Charolais-cross steer, which sold for £1,284, or 200.5p/kg, to butcher Paul Binns, and will be go on sale at his shop in Rawson Market, Bradford. Paul is the son of show judge Dick Binns, also a butcher in Saltaire.
Limousin-cross heifers also landed the other prizes, with the runner-up from Embsay’s John and Claire Mason selling for £1,110, or 205.5p/kg, to Edwards Farm Butchers in Burnley, while Walshaw’s Brian Lund had the third in class, which became another Keelham Farm Shop buy at £1,114, or 196.5p/kg.
So too did the top price under 30-month Blonde-cross heifer from local vendors John and Alison Spensley, of Thorlby, at £1,163, or 209.5p.kg. The Spensleys also stepped up with a Limousin-cross heifer that achieved the same by-weight price and a per head price of £1,082 when falling to Stanforths Butchers in Skipton.
Trade for cast cattle again maintained an upward trend, with dairy-breds among the 42-strong turnout very nearly back at 110p/kg on average, with an overall cull cow selling average of £821.51 per head, or 118.39p/kg.
More beef cows were on offer, with trade headed by the first prize winner in the show class, an exceptional seven-year-old pure-bred British Blue presented by Sheila Mason on behalf of JH&SM Mason, of Keasden Head, which tipped the scales at 935kg and made 186.5p/kg, or £1,744.
The second prize beef-bred entry, a Limousin-cross from Pateley Bridge’s Bernard Simpson, achieved a class-topping £1,052, or 153.5p/kg.
The red rosette-winning dairy-bred entry from RW Marston, of Askwith, sold for £822.50, or 117.5p/kg, with black and white prices peaking at £1,011, or 145p/kg, for an entry from Rylstone’s Jonathan Caygill.
Hayley again the hotshot at Skipton prime lamb show
Clitheroe’s Hayley Baines continued her sparkling run of form in the prime lamb arena at Skipton Auction Mart when securing both the championship and reserve championship at the March show.
Hayley Baines is pictured second from left with her March prime lamb champions at Skipton, joined by, from left, her mother Lynne Baines, Nicola Worsley, of sponsors Wynnstay, and CCM’s Andrew Fisher.
Hayley, also reserve champion at the February show, landed a notable double at the latest renewal with two pens of five Beltex-cross lambs. Her 37kg title winners sold for a show-topping £121 per head, or 327p/kg, to Vivers Scot Lamb in Annan, with the 45kg runners-up selling for £113.50 each, or 252p/kg, to Felliscliffe’s Andrew Atkinson, buying on behalf of Hartshead Meats in Mossley, Oldham.
Vivers Scot Lamb also paid £109 per head, or 279.5p/kg, for the third prize 39kg Continental pen, again Beltex-cross, from Farleton’s Robert Towers.
Newark’s Stephen Dorey picked up four rosettes. He presented the first and third prize 49kg and 50kg Suffolk-cross pens, which sold at £92 and £95 per head to the same buyer, native breeds specialist Swaledale Foods in Skipton.
Mr Dorey also had the first and second prize Mule pens, the 46kg red rosette winners knocked down at £83 each to Hellifield’s Paul Watson, buying on behalf of Dunbia Foods in Preston, with the 51kg runners-up falling for £85 each to Andrew Atkinson, who also paid £84.50 per head for the third prize from Alan Lodge, of Malham Moor.
Dunbia Foods added all three prize-winning pens of horned lambs to their day’s acquisitions, paying £78 per head for the first prize 43kg pen from Trawden’s Jimmy Baines, and £73.50 each for the second and third prize winners, both 42kg pens from, respectively, Rita Tulley, of MIR Heseltine & Co, Summerbridge, and Brian Church, of Asquith.
The second prize 40kg Suffolk pen from Threshfield’s Charles and Richard Kitching sold for £84.50 each to Roy Schofield, buying on behalf of MJ Birtwistle, of Worsley.
A total of 2,354 prime sheep were forward, with the 1,998 old season lambs among them selling to an overall average of £81.94 per head, or 195.2p/kg (SQQ 197.4p). All breeds were generally dearer, with Mule and horned lambs notably better to sell, especially 44-46kg Mules, which were all around £35- £37 over the weight.
Horned lambs saw some nice 35kgs in the early mid-£60’s per head, with nice prime weight wethers at £30 to £33 over the weight. Commercial Suffolk and Continental export lambs were generally 195-215p/kg, with smart types experiencing a very dear trade, as illustrated by the day’s overall Beltex average of £98.26 per head, or 243.4p/kg. Heavy lambs were around £3 to £5 per head dearer on the week.
The 356 cast sheep forward were keenly sought after by a full ringside of customers, with big Mule ewes selling in the mid to late £70’s, strong horned ewes well on in the £50’s and heavy Continental ewes into three figures.
The overall cast sheep and ram average was £63.25, with cull ewes peaking at £133.50 per head for a Texel pen from Michael and James Spensley, of Elslack, and cast rams selling to a high of £87.50 for a Suffolk entry from JP&KE Hartley, of Storiths.
