FARMING brothers David and Stephen Hollings, of Spinks Hill Farm, Pecket Well, Hebden Bridge, claimed another championship at Skipton Auction Mart.

It came in the Spring store cattle show with the Hollings brothers’ first prize British Blue-cross heifer by Littlebank Harry, who was also responsible for their victor in a young bulls show at Skipton last month.

In fact, the prolific sire, which was bought out of Skipton from North Craven breeder Richard Maudsley, of Rathmell, has landed multiple show successes for the brothers at the mart. Their latest title winner became the day’s top price heifer when selling for £1,290 to Adrian Stansfield, who farms near Barnsley.

Judge Ian Swales, of Goole, remained in the heifer show class for his overall reserve champion, the second prize winner, another Blue-cross from local breeders Steven and Tracey Fawcett, and their daughter Samantha, of Fold House, Drebley. Among the second cross of calves to their Warwickshire-bred New Close bull, the runner-up made £1,190 when joining Thompson Brothers in Pickering. Also on the same day’s agenda was an inaugural show for feeding cows, featuring classes for both Continental-sired and native-sired cattle, and staged to provide added interest to customers who bring store cattle, geld and feeding cows to Wednesday sale days.

John Fawcett, of Dale Head Farm, Barden, won the Continental show class with a seven-year old Blonde-cross and mother of three calves that went on to top the sale at £1,420, also taking third spot with a nine-year-old Limousin-cross cow, mother to six calves, sold for £1,070.

The first prize native-sired feeding cow was a five-year-old Beef Shorthorn from Geoffrey Wilson, of Gordale Farm, Malham. She was sired by Dunsyre Bonaparte, bred south of Edinburgh by Carey Coombs and bought out of The Hon Gerald Turton’s renowned Upsall Castle Estate Shorthorn herd near Thirsk at a North of England Beef Shorthorn Club annual sale at Skipton.

Mr Wilson currently keeps 35 Beef Shorthorn, all by Bonaparte, whose red rosette winner made £1,200. The same vendor also sold a seven-year-old Limousin-cross cow for £1,220.

Robert Wade, from Cononley, presented a nice run of cows, the best of these a four-year-old cross-bred beef animal at £1,300. A Tennant, of Peckett Well, sold an overage Charollais heifer at £1,250, while the Stockdale family in Burnsall made £1,230 with a six-year-old Blue-cross.

Another good run of cows from Andrew Houseman, of Dacre, peaked at £1,210 for an eight-year old-Limousin cross, while Messrs Clark & Johnson, from Windermere, achieved £1,225 with a ten-month old Charolais, and Slaidburn’s Thomas Robinson £1,200 with a Limousin-cross.