BRITAIN'S oldest Beef Shorthorn herd, run by The Hon Gerald Turton at The Grange, Upsall, near Thirsk, made it an Armistice Day outing to remember proving the standout performer at the sixth annual show and sale of pedigree Beef Shorthorn cattle staged on behalf of the North of England Beef Shorthorn Club at Skipton Auction Mart, attracted a record entry.

Established over a century ago in 1909, the Upsall herd won both junior heifer show classes, one selling for the day’s top price of 4,400gns, the other standing reserve champion.

The Skipton showcase has been a happy hunting ground for the Upsall holding, which last year secured a championship, reserve championship and top price treble, as well as also being responsible for the 2012 Skipton title winner.

Their latest top price performer was the 18-month-old Nonpareil X1001 of Upsall, a daughter of the home-bred sire, Fortress of Upsall, himself a powerful roan son of Ingleton C111, out of Nonpareil X469 of Upsall.

She fell to Amy Mountain and her partner Will Gore-Browne, who trade as New York Farms and run their Shorthorn herd, established three years ago, at Walton Hole Farm on Silsden Moor.

The up-and-coming breeders, both in their 20s – Amy also works as a land agent with Dacre, Son & Hartley in Ilkley – made a second Turton acquisition when paying 2,500gns for the May, 2014, junior heifer, Gem X999 of Upsall, a home-bred daughter of Eurosceptic of Upsall.

They came away with 11 heifers in total, among them a trio of 2,600gns 2014-born acquisitions from the Wharfedale-based Westmoor herd of Robin Paisley in Middleton, Ilkley – Westmoor Joyful Honeydew, Westmoor Yasmin Heather and Westmoor Lancaster Harriet. All were by Alvie Bovill.

Amy and Will’s Skipton buys have boosted their Shorthorn holding to 30 breeding cattle and followers. The new arrivals, purposely bought empty, will be put to their latest sire, an all-white bull, Podehole Ghost, acquired from well-known East of England Shorthorn breeders Charles and Sally Horrell.

Aimie Park, wife of Mr Turton’s herdsman Ian Park, led out the reserve female and overall reserve champion, the March, 2014-born Clipper X968 of Upsall, by Dingo of Upsall, who has bred first-rate bulls and females. Out of the EX91 classified Clipper X968 of Upsall, a daughter of the Canadian sire, Crooked Post Triple, the runner-up sold in calf to Firefox of Upsall for 3,900gns to RJ Baudains, of Nunnington in Ryedale.

The same buyer also bought three further Upsall junior heifers, paying 3,100gns for Clipper X980 of Upsall, a daughter of Belmore Patriach, 2,700gns for Clipper X997 of Upsall, another Dingo daughter who was runner-up in her show class, and 2,400gns for Ury Maid X998 of Upsall, by Democrat of Upsall.

Of the brace of Shorthorn bulls on parade, the first prize winner and male champion, recipient of the Wm Morrisons Perpetual Trophy, was the October, 2013, Hallsford Parade, from Cumbrian breeders Andrew and Helen Tomkins, who farm near Haggbeck, Carlisle.

The 59 Beef Shorthorn cattle on parade met a solid trade . Heifers averaged £1,930, in-calf heifers £2,432 and heifers either in-calf or with calves £1,575.

Beef Shorthorn Society secretary Frank Milnes said: “We had the best ever entry of cattle for this sale at Skipton and the high quality of the heifers on show was evident from the excellent prices achieved. A top price of 4,400gns and an average of £1,930 for all the heifers, which included all the maiden heifers, reflected the continuing demand for top quality Beef Shorthorn females.”