Past Champions Reign Again at Skipton Prime Shows
2012-06-12

Both championships at the June prime shows at Skipton Auction Mart fell to regular exhibitors who are well used to success in the exhibition arena at the North Yorkshire venue. (Mon, June 10)

Paul Baines with his father Jim’s Skipton June prime cattle champion, joined by judge James Dewhirst.

Jim Baines, of Trawden, secured yet another prime cattle title, while Robert Towers, of Farleton, Lancaster, was victorious in the prime lamb show classes.

Mr Baines’ latest title winner, a Limousin-cross heifer weighing 510kg, also headed the by weight prices when joining Halifax wholesale butchers J&E Medcalf for 257.5p/kg, or £1,313. The victor is destined for Stephen Dorsey Butchers in Halifax Borough Market.

Reserve champion was a 590kg Limousin heifer consigned by JG Bamforth & Sons, of Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, which fell to Keelham Farm Shop at Thornton, Bradford, for the day’s top gross price of £1,325, or 217.5p/kg.

James Robertshaw, of Keelham Farm Shop, multiple buyers of prime champions and prizewinners at Skipton, then transferred his interest to the prime sheep sales ring when purchasing Mr Towers’ title-winning pen of Charollais lambs for £90.50 per head, or 225p/kg, top price by weight.

Robert Towers, left, with his Skipton June prime lambs champions, joined by buyer James Robertshaw, of Keelham Farm Shop, Thornton.

Back with the prime cattle, the Bamforths also presented the first prize Charolais-cross bullock sold for £1,325, or 193.5p/kg, to Bobby Booth, of Rossendale, on behalf of Worldwide Foods, Manchester.

A standalone show for cull cattle saw Brian Lund, of Walshaw, Hebden Bridge, land another Skipton championship with his first prize beef class winner, a British Blue-cross sold for top price of £1,381, 170.5p.kg, to Dawn Meats, of Carnaby, Bridlington.

Standing reserve was the first prize pure-bred animal, a Saler from Beeston Hall Farms, of Ripponden, which made £1,140 when also joining Dawn Meats.

T B Moorhouse, of Dacre, Harrogate, was responsible for the red rosette-winning dairy-bred entry, sold at £976.45, or 138.5p/kg, again to Dawn Meats.

Jim Baines also sold a British Blue-cross heifer at £1,069, 227.5p/kg, and another Limousin-cross heifer at £1,003, 225.5p/kg.

With 65 prime cattle forward, heifers to 590kg averaged 216.36p/kg, the heavier weights averaging 202.21p/kg. The overall selling average was £820.79 per head, or 128.43p/kg, and for cull cows £810.66 per head, or 125p/kg.

Prime sheep numbers totalled 1,576, with Spring lambs trading at an overall average of £82.36 per head, or 208.3p/kg. Top price per head at £103 fell to a pen of Texels from Anthony Thompson, of Foulridge.

Prime hoggs and shearlings sold to an overall average of £66.29 per head, or 142.7p/kg, with Texels from Greenside Farm, Sheffield, again the best individual performers at £86 each.

The top price pen of cull ewes at £123.50 per head was presented by Watson Livestock, of Hellifield, achieving an overall average of £74.14. Cast rams averaged £74.90, the two leading prices falling J W Sayer, of West End, at £98.50 and £78.50.

In the weekly sale of rearing calves, a Limousin-cross bull calf from G Hayton, of Bolton Abbey, was the leading performer at £445 when bought by J A Throup, of Silsden, while H Hayton and E C Stocks, also from Bolton Abbey, presented the £420 top price heifer calf, another Limousin-cross. The overall selling average of the 49 calves forward was £215 per head, with Limousin bull calves averaging £378 and Limousin heifer calves £307.

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