A large entry of 432 cattle at Skipton Auction Mart’s fortnightly Wednesday sale attacted a full attendance of buyers on June 11).

Young feeding bull trade was brisker than anticipated, with several customers making the journey from the Midlands to compete for the 149-strong entry on offer, producing an overall Continental-cross average of £815 per head, with a native average of £660.

Top call of £1,160 fell to a British Blue-cross from Clapham’s Jonathan Townley, with the Dean Partnership in Bolton Percy, York, presenting the top price pen of three Blonde young bulls, each sold at £915.

The store section featured a full range of 257 bullocks and heifers, among them some smart Continental-bred forward stores, which sold away nicely, while several runs of Angus and Hereford cattle were keenly contested. Black and white bullocks were also forward in good numbers and attracted a number of fresh faces to the ringside.

Store bullocks sold to a Continental-cross average of £863, with a native average of £840 and a top price of £1,195 for a Limousin-cross from Ian Hammond, of Glasshouses. Roland Carr, of Addingham, was responsible for the top price pen of three £885 per head Limousin-cross bullocks.

Store heifers averaged £860 for Continental-cross entries, with a £652 per head native average. Limousin-cross entries from Andrew Rigby, of Slaidburn, proved popular when achieving the two leading standalone cattle prices on the day at £1,410 and £1,400. Heading the pen prices at £1,065 each were three Limousin-cross heifers from Ted Ridding, of Kearstwick, Kirkby Lonsdale,

In the breeding cattle section, grazing cattle and suckler calves found many bidders eager to keep sheds and fields topped up at realistic prices, with a high of £2,020 falling to a British Blue-cross heifer with Blonde bull calf at foot from Cowling’s Andrew Ogden.