A SOLID mid-summer turnout of almost 400 head of cattle for Skipton Auction Mart’s latest Wednesday fortnightly sale saw trade for the 105 young feeding bulls among them move up a notch.

Top call of £1,290 fell to a 13-month-old British Blue cross from Alan Lodge, of Westside House, Malham Moor, closely followed at £1,280 by a Limousin-cross of the same age from Jimmy Baines, of Trawden, who also sold a year-old Blue-cross at £1,200.

Strong bulls maintained a good trade throughout, with Robert Wade, of Cononley, making £1,260 and £1,200 with a pair of 12-month-old Limousin-crosses. However, it was the younger square types that saw the best lift.

The top price pen of three Limousin-cross young bulls from David Towler, of Grindleton, each made £1,050.

In the 235-strong store section, a yearling black Limousin bullock from Richard Shepherd, of Pateley Bridge, raced away to £1,280, while John Lancaster, of Bordley, led the heifer prices with a 12-month-old Limousin-cross-Blue knocked down for £1,210.

A good show of native beef-sired cattle saw Angus heifers topping at £1,085 for an entry from Alan Butler, of Earby, with Hereford bullocks selling to £1,140 twice – these both from Colin Winterburn, of Bolton Abbey.

A total of 33 black and white bullocks in the mix peaked at £990 and averaged £745. Overall averages saw young feeding bulls level at £976, 109 bullocks at £928 (Continental-cross £1,004, natives £1,067), and 126 heifers at £911.

The top price pen of three Hereford-cross bullocks from Paul Drinkall, of Gargrave, each made £1,110, while the highest priced pen of three Limousin-cross heifers from David White, of Hebden, made £1,000 each.

In addition, a nice show of 39 breeding cattle also found a decent trade, all selling to four-figure highs and a top of £1,650 for a Limousin-cross cow with Limousin-cross bull calf at foot from Ashley Caton in Otterburn.