A birthday bull was champion at Skipton Auction Mart’s second annual pedigree native cattle show and sale. last Wednesday.

Two-years-old on show day, the Aberdeen Angus bull, Airedale Evotar, came from the Airedale pedigree herd of South Craven father and son farmers and butchers, David and Joshua Isherwood.

Evotar is out of Oak Moor Evora, who was bought carrying the victor in 2013 by Mr Isherwood and is a product of the renowned Aberdeenshire Blelack Angus herd. Evora was herself by Blelack Equity, whose own dam, Blelack Eyrie G197, was until recently the UK’s record price Angus cow at 32,000gns.

By the Lockerley Legolas son, Rawburn Ernst, bred near Kelso by John Elliott, the Skipton title winner was later sold outside the sale ring for 3,000gns (£3,150) to a local buyer from Malhamdale.

Mr Isherwood established his Airedale herd at Lane Bridge Farm, Kildwick, relatively recently in 2013 to add prestige to the combined farming and butchery operation, and it has since expanded quickly to now stand at almost 160-strong, with 67 due to calve this season.

Prime quality meat from the herd also finds its way into the family-run Isherwoods Butchers in Kirkgate, Silsden.

Reserve champion was the second prize bull, an August, 2015, Hereford from another father and son farming duo, Stephen and Joseph Tate, who run the Blackwood pedigree herd at White Lodge Farm, Easingwold, York.

Blackwood Nutcracker is by Dieulacresse Jamison, bred in Leek, Staffordshire, and acquired four years ago by Mr Tate, who established his now 22-strong Hereford herd a decade ago. Out of the home-bred Blackwood Gina 1, herself a product of Dieulacresse breeding lines, the reserve champion sold for 1,800gns to JH Bradley, from South Crosland in Kirklees.

A second Aberdeen Angus highlight was the 1,950gns achieved by another York area vendor, Peter Turnbull, who runs the Fox Foot pedigree herd in Coxwold, with his January, 2016, bull, Fox Foot Epic, by Logie Result and also with Blelack bloodlines, being bred by the Blelack Eldorado-sired cow, Foxfoot Evon. The buyer was Robin Jennings, who runs the Stainbank pedigree dairy herd in South Stainley, between Harrogate and Ripon and is a familiar face and multiple past champion in the Craven Dairy Auction show arena. The three Angus bulls sold averaged £2,599 per head overall.

The sale achieved total clearance, with the pick of the commercial breeding cattle a Shorthorn cow with her Shorthorn calf at foot from Burnsall’s Michael Daggett. The buyer at £1.380 was Long Preston’s Mark Thompson.

The second fixture in the mart’s 2017 pedigree beef season was judged by David Wellock, who has his own Aberdeen Angus herd in nearby Otterburn. It formed part of a sale of 82 head of native store and breeding cattle.

Leading the way on price at £1,010 was an Aberdeen Angus bullock from D&GM Scott, of Sawley, Clitheroe, while local vendors John and Alison Spensley, of Thorlby, achieved £1,000 twice and £980 twice for their consignment of Hereford heifers. Smaller grazing cattle were well competed for, with plenty of buyers ringside.