CALDERDALE’S David Bamforth was supreme champion and local breeder John Stephenson, from Bordley, stood reserve supreme champion at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual Christmas prime cattle show and sale, at which leading regional independent retail butchers and meat wholesalers again sourced top quality beef for their customers’ Christmas tables.

The title winner, a home-bred 670kg Limousin cross bullock, made the day’s leading price of £2,981.50, or £4.45p/kg, while the 640kg runner-up, a British Blue heifer, sold for £2,035, or £3.18p/kg. It was an outcome that more than justified the choices of the show judges, Lincolnshire farmers and wholesale butchers, mother and son Miranda and Richard Brown – they trade as L Brown & Son Wholesale Meats at City Abattoir, Crofton Road, Lincoln – who, looking for “some meat for Christmas,” then proceeded to claim both their principals at the ringside on behalf of regular customers. They bought others too.

Mr Bamforth, of Hoyle Bottom Farm, Wainstalls, landed leading honours with his first prize any other breed steer and male champion, which also won a special prize for the best home-bred animal. The first time-shown 18-month-old son of his main Waindale herd stock bull is out of a pure British Blue cow owned by Mr Bamforth’s wife Lesley.

John Stephenson was lifting reserve supreme honours for the second year in succession, this time with his first prize over 526kg British Blue heifer and female champion. It was the home-bred’s second time out, as the heifer was also second in class at Kilnsey Show this year.

It proved another highly successful outing at the annual highlight for Mr Stephenson, who also sent out the first prize over 526kg British Blue steer and reserve male champion, which was purchased at Skipton in February this year as the first prize 10 to 12-month-old young feeding bull in the hands of breeders, brothers David and Stephen Hollings, of Peckett Well. This, too, joined the Browns at £1,612, or £2.52p/kg. Reserve female champion was the red rosette-winning any other breed heifer, a 652kg Limousin shown jointly by Janet Sheard, of Almondbury, Huddersfield, and Stephen and Nicola Jowett, of Lower West Scholes Farm, Queensbury.

Acquired from her Pickering breeders, Mark Harriman and Sarah Warriner, the youngster had been paraded with great success on the regional show circuit this summer by the Jowetts' 16-year-old daughter Fiona, becoming champion at Honley, reserve champion at Arthington and third in class at the Great Yorkshire. She was again in charge of the heifer at Skipton when it sold for £1,612, or 258p/kg, to Kendalls Farm Butchers, for its shops in Pateley Bridge and Harrogate.

ENDS

Pic caption 1: David Bamforth is pictured with his 2016 Skipton Christmas prime beef supreme champion.

Solo and ring pics of above also attached.

Pic caption 2: David Bamforth is pictured with his 2016 Skipton Christmas prime beef supreme champion, joined by show judges and buyers, Miranda and Richard Brown.

Pic caption 3: John Stephenson is pictured with his 2016 Skipton Christmas prime beef reserve supreme champion.

Ring pic of above also attached.

Pic caption 4: Willie Timm is pictured with his 2016 Skipton Christmas prime beef un-haltered champion.

Pic caption 5: Ben Townend is pictured with his 2016 Skipton Christmas prime beef un-haltered reserve champion.

Judging pics also available on request.

PLEASE CREDIT: Pictures by Adrian Legge Photography.