| 2017-01-18 |    |
Simmental-Cross Secures Skipton Calf Title
A Simmental-cross youngster was awarded the title winner’s rosette at the opening rearing calf show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart. (Mon, Jan 16)
The five-week-old bull also clinched a first-ever calf championship at the mart for breeders Chris and Steph Harrison, and their son Tom, who run a commercial Holstein Friesian dairy herd at Low Ground Farm, Elslack, where they currently milk 180 cows.
Tom Harrison with the family’s first-ever Skipton rearing calf champion
By the Genus sire Nautical, the victor then set sail for the sale ring, where it sold for a price-topping £460 to show judge Simon Thompson, of Driffield. The Harrisons also sold a Simmental-cross heifer calf at £330.
Standing reserve champion was the first prize British Blue-cross heifer calf from Skipton regular Fred Houseman, of Church Farm Enterprises, who runs the 350-strong Senterprise pedigree dairy herd with his son Mark at Burton Top Farm, Burton Leonard. They currently have 300 cows in milk.
This, too, was a product of Genus breeding, being by Brookfield Dev. The overall runner-up joined a new buyer, M Smith, of Warley Edge, Halifax for £420. Mr Houseman’s all-Blue consignment saw further heifers sell at £410 and £380, while his six bull calves averaged £420 per head. He also sold an Aberdeen Angus bull calf at £280.
Colin Whitelock, of Gargrave, also saw strong bidding for his young calves, topping at £410 for a Blue-cross bull, as well as selling a Limousin-cross bull calf at £340. Also catching the eye at £390 was a Salers bull calf from Townhead Farm, Grassington.
Native breed prices peaked at £290 for an Aberdeen Angus bull calf from the Bowker family in Earby, who also had the top price £220 Angus heifer calf. Bolton Abbey’s Alan Middleton also sold a brace of Angus bull calves at £260.
Black and white prices have slowly been creeping up since the New Year, with RL Wright & Son, of Airton, selling three Friesian youngsters at a section-topping £125, the two others at £110 and £100.
The 81 rearing calves on parade produced a Continental-cross average of £357.47, with Blues leading the way as usual, bull calves averaging £388.45 and heifers £335. Natives averaged £212.45 and black and whites a shade over £73.
