Barden farming brothers Stephen and John Fawcett won the two show classes for young bulls at Skipton Auction Mart’s fortnightly Wednesday cattle sale, which attracted a turnout of 732 head last Wednesday.

Stephen, of Fold House Farm, Barden, won first prize in the 10 to12-month-old bull section with a British Blue-cross.

His victor sold for a class-topping £1,300 to York farmers and butchers Stephen and Anthony Swales.

They also swooped to pay £1,250 for the first prize under 10-month-old bull from John Fawcett, who is based at Dale Head Farm, along with the third prizewinner in the same class from Saddle End Farms in Chipping at £1,260.

They were also responsible for the top price pen of three Blonde-cross bulls, which each made £1,140.

Brian Lund, of Walshaw, Hebden Bridge, presented the runner-up in the show class for bulls under 10 months. The British Blue-cross sold for £1,100 to Stephen Eastwood, of Emley, Huddersfield.

JC Walker & Son, of Dunsop Bridge, were responsible for the runner-up in the 10 to 12-month show class, with another British Blue-cross which fell for £1,180 to John and Robert Matten in Thirsk.

Generally, the 290 young bulls forward could not maintain the fearsome trade seen the previous fortnight, with the best bulls marginally cheaper and second and third draw bulls noticeably so. They sold to a Continental-x average of £854.61 per head and a native average of £515.

Store cattle, comprising 442 bullocks and heifers, also met with some resistance, as feeders reacted to a falling finished cattle trade, though prices were, in the main, not much different to last sale, with quality sorts and yearling heifers again in high demand.

Bullocks sold to a Continental-x average of £1,012.22, with a native average of £702.25 and a top price, the best of the day, of £1,340 for a Limousin-cross from Matt and Ted Mason, of Appletreewick. The buyer was Wakefield’s John North.

The Masons again presented a large and quality consignment, which also saw 14 bullocks sell at £1,200, among them the top-price Limousin-cross pens, plus three at £1,185, five at £1,170 and a further five at £1,150.

Store heifers averaged £866.74 for Continental-x, with a native average £707.13. Saddle End Farms stepped up again with the top price £1,350 British Blue-cross, which became a further Stephen Eastwood buy. Pen prices peaked at £1,060 per head for three Limousin-cross heifers from J Verity & Son in Middlesmoor.