| 2015-04-27 |    |
Anticipation High for Pedigree Limousin Highlight
Anticipation is growing ahead of Skipton Auction Mart’s high profile annual pedigree Limousin cattle double-header.
The annual Spring show and sale of pedigree Limousin bulls and females on Wednesday, May 12, remains the mart’s premier breed highlight of the year and continues to grow in popularity and stature among both vendors and buyers.
Brontemoor bulls ready for the Skipton sale, left to right, Izzard, Jackata, Junglebook, Jackpot, Irishwhiskey, Isaac, Itchy, Innovator and Ivor
It attracts in a wide audience, with year-on-year improvement in quality ensuring plenty of choice for premium beef produces and dairymen. Last year, senior bulls averaged £3,080, intermediate bulls £3,105 and junior bulls £2,342. Junior bulls in particular are developing a good trade.
The 64-strong entry in 2014 has been well eclipsed this year, with an anticipated entry of 99 cattle, including 67 bulls – 15 senior, 18 intermediate and 34 junior – along with 32 females, among them maiden heifers, in-calf cows and females with calves at foot.
The pre-sale show begins at 9am and will be judged by Peter Kirton, of Bewdley in Worcestershire’s Severn Valley, formerly chairman of the British Limousin Cattle Society who also adjudicated at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2010. The sale itself begins at 11am.
The renowned Oddacres Limousin herd of John and Claire Mason in nearby Embsay, which last year secured the day’s leading price of 5,400gns with the first prize intermediate bull, by their 10,500gns prize-winning stock bull Homebyres Dixon, is again staging its annual production sale.
On offer are ten young bulls, 10-14 months of age, seven of which are sired by Homebyres Dixon and three by their new junior stock bull, Gallois. He was bred in France by the famous Patureau herd. Also forward are three maiden heifers and three cows with calves at foot, two of which are Gallois-sired youngsters.
The award-winning Oddacres herd was placed first in the large herd section of the North East Limousin Breeders Club (NELBC) 2014 herd competition. “We feel local sales such as this are becoming more popular. With the excellent facilities at Skipton Auction Mart, Craven Limousin Day also benefits by being held alongside a big store cattle sale,” said the Masons.
The Tomschoice herd of James and Sarah Cooper, based in Dacre, Harrogate, will also be well represented with a 12-strong entry – six yearling heifers, three cows with calves, two in-calf cows and a stock bull.
Mr Cooper said: “This is the first time we will have sold females through the ring in five years. We have been trying to build numbers up to around 60-65 breeding cows and have eventually reached our numbers. We anticipate that this will be the first of an annual sale at CCM Skipton.”
Ian Handley’s Gunnerfleet herd in Chapel-le-Dale, Ingleton, is making a welcome return to the breed highlight for the first time since taking supreme championship honours back in 2011 with a strong hand of home-bred bulls aged up to around 19 months.
The sires include the £40,000 Plumtree Fantastic, whose first batch of bulls averaged £8,000 and who was also responsible for this year’s Welsh Winter champion, and the £35,000 Brynmor, who has bred bulls to £14,000.
Another Gunnerfleet bull is by Silex, who has bred Smithfield Show commercial champions, out of the £11,000 Goldies Flochie, while Gunnerfleet Intruce, the dam of another Skipton bull entry, was also an £11,000 purchase.
The Gunnerfleet herd was established 28 years ago and remains one of the oldest established foundation herds in the country.
The Priestley family - Michael, Steven and Ruth, and their son Richard - who run the Brontemoor pedigree herd, established on the outskirts of Bradford in 1987 and now based in Cumbria at Kirkcambeck, near Brampton, will again be selling at the fixture.
Their annual consignment this year consists of nine bulls. Four are sired by Elite Benn (Nenuphar son), who has bred bulls to £7,800, and two by Elderberry Einstein (Wilodge Vantastic son). The other three are by top AI sires, notably Powerhouse Elite, Bahut and Limo Tanat.
The
Priestleys commented:
“We have been regular supporters of the Craven
Limousin sale ever since it began at Skipton Auction. It has become
a major feature in the breed calendar and attracts a large ringside
of buyers from across the country.”
Other leading Limousin herds are also due to consign cattle at Skipton’s “Red Event” this year. They include entries from: Overthwaite, Carnforth; Carlospride, West Auckland; Tancred Grange, Scorton; Cornfield, Burnley; Siddall, Birch; Fawn Isaac, Pilsworth; Angiean, Milton; Boldventure, Oswaldtwistle; Arkle, Reeth; Redland, Hunsingore; Highhills, Halifax; Fewacres, Ealand; Prietec, Bentham; Toftgate, Greenhow; Gallaber, Burton-in-Lonsdale; Barbondale, Barbon; Palraine, Lum; Pikestone, Bishop Auckland; Highbirks, Clayton; Lissett, Fraisthorpe; Clifftown, Broughton; Harlingtontop, Hartlington; and Lowflan, Ulverston.
Craven Cattle Marts’ general manager Jeremy Eaton noted: “There seems to have been a move in recent years towards buying junior bulls to grow on and build into the herd, and our sale has a very strong selection this year.”
Skipton’s Limousin fixture is a double-header once again supported by the North East Limousin Breeders Club. Day one on Tuesday, May 12, features the annual show-only Northern Limousin Extravaganza for 2014-born halter-led pedigree and cross-bred Limousin youngsters, which will also be judged by Peter Kirton.
This year’s NLE looks to be another record entry, surpassing last year’s record total of 74 animals. Prize money of £1,500 has been pledged. The 2014 champion, Carwin Icaros, from the Tomschoice herd, has just seen his first offspring born.
Again on the agenda the same afternoon is a stock judging event organised by NELBC, with an opportunity for pre-sale viewing of entries for the following day’s big Limousin show and sale.
