FOURTEEN-year-old Lucy Spiby, showing a 20-month old British Blue bull, won the championship in Gisburn Auction Marts 2017 young handlers’ cattle over-wintering competition, which saw sale prices peak at £1,510.

The Parbold YFC member topped the 60-strong entry with the white bull she bought at the end of October. Weighing 548kg on show day, it had achieved a daily liveweight gain of 0.96kg over the winter, and went on to sell at £1,200 to Richard France, Hartshead Moor.

The competition, intended to give young people the opportunity and experience to buy cattle through the ring interest-free, and then manage and prepare them for re-sale in the Gisburn spring store sale, saw another Blue-sired animal in reserve place. This stylish yearling heifer had been bought by 21-year-old Kerry Foster, Tarleton, at the mid-November sale and gained a daily 0.937kg to reach 480kg on the day. Selling at £1,340 to Thomas Robinson, Slaidburn, it achieved a gross margin of £390.

The highest daily weight gain in the competition was achieved by 17-year-old Robert Capstick, Swinden Moor, Hellifield, with a 14-month-old Blonde-sired heifer. Bought at the beginning of October, it had put on 1.503kg a day. Weighing 560kg it sold at £1,230 to Towson and Son Butchers, Brierfield, and also achieved a respectable margin of £400.

Eight-year-old Ellie Forster, Stainforth, Settle, was close behind in the performance class with her eight-month-old, 392kg Blonde-sired heifer which had gained 1.449kg since the end of October and sold at £905 to J E. and G Burrow, Skipton.

In third spot for weight gain was an 11-month-old Charolais steer from Harry Sutcliffe, Bolton-by-Bowland . Weighing 448kg and bought at the beginning of September, it gained 1.312kg a day.

Overall, the daily gains ranged from 0.252kg to the winner’s 1.503kg.

Chorley YFC member, 13-year-ld Charlotte Pendlebury, Haigh, Wigan, won the extremely well supported stockmanship class for bona fide YFC members. Her 11-month old Limousin steer weighed 472kg, having gained 1.238kg daily, and also picked up the Gisburn YFC George T Bargh trophy presented by Mrs Myfanwy Bargh, Nappa, in memory of her late husband. The steer sold on Saturday at £1,130 to Hargreaves Estates, Preston.

Andrew Mares, 14, Darwen, with a seven-month-old Limousin steer, won the new class for first-time exhibitors, and sold at £1,030 to S J Duerden, Nelson.

However, it was a very smart nine-month-old Limousin heifer shown into first place in class and later sold by 10-year-old Bree-Ann Fletcher, Birch, Heywood, which topped the sale at £1,510. Selling to J Feather, Keighley, it left her a margin of £620 (sale price less buying price). The animal with the highest daily gain from Robert Capstick also made the second highest margin, while Kerry Foster’s reserve champion was third on margin.

The judges this year were farmer and Pateley Bridge Auction director David Middlemiss, and last year’s over-wintering winner, Hannah Ormerod, of Burnley.