The Critchley family from Mercer Farm, Hutton, Preston, landed their second successive monthly prime cattle championship at Skipton Auction Mart’s April show and sale on Monday.

The Critchleys - husband and wife, Richard and Julie, and their three sons, Robert, John and Thomas - saw their first prize 515kg Limousin-cross heifer awarded top honours by the show judge, Keelham Farm Shop’s James Robertshaw, who then transferred his interest to the ringside to claim his chosen champion for the day’s top call of £1,465, or 284.5p/kg.

The family, who buy in store cattle and then further improve them at home before selling on – they currently keep 70 Limousin and British Blue crosses – were also responsible for the third prize heifer, another Limousin-cross weighing 520kg, which sold for £1,349, or 259.5p/kg, to Countrystyle Meats Farm Shop in Lancaster. Both prizewinners had been bought at Skipton at the beginning of this year.

Reserve champion was the first prize 550kg Limousin-cross steer from Baldersby Park’s Malcolm Metcalfe, which was again sold to the judge for £1,371, or 247.5p/kg. Keelham maintained its record as Skipton’s principal purchaser of under 30-month clean cattle when Mr Robertshaw claimed a total of 14 of the 29 cattle on offer for their two family-run shops in Skipton and Thornton

Also catching the eye at £1,422, or 249.5p/kg, was the second prize British Blue-cross heifer from EW&JR Parkinson, of Dunsop Bridge This also sold to Countrystyle Meats Farm Shop, who took home four in total.

Mr Metcalfe also presented the third prize Limousin-cross steer, sold for £1,361, or 247.5p/kg, with Carleton’s James Drake finishing runner-up in the same class with another Limousin-cross that made £1,359, or 236.5p/kg. Both were among Keelham’s buys.

Skipton-based Stanforths Butchers bought three cattle, while Charlie Clough claimed another for his Stainthorpe’s Family Butchers in Queensbury.

A larger entry of cast cattle comprised more fed cattle, with dairy entries comprising 41 of the 45 cows presented. Trade was firmer on the week, with top dairies touching 120p/kg, producing an overall cull cow average of £751.26 per head, or 110.62p/kg.

FA Holmes & Son, of Castley, headed the black and white gross prices at £992, while Roger Dakin, of Hellifield, topped by-weight with a 121.5p/kg sale. The pick of the beef-bred entries was a £1,026, or 143.5p/kg, Murray Grey from John and Judy Garnett in Draughton.