Simon Bennett, of Delph Farm, Silsden Moor, landed a notable championship and reserve championship double at the March prime cattle show at Skipton Auction Mart on Monday.

Mr Bennett, who was reserve champion last month when returning to the cattle show arena at Skipton after a break, went one better at the latest renewal when his first prize 555kg Limousin-cross heifer was crowned champion.

The victor progressed to achieve the day’s leading price of £1,451, or 261.5p/kg, when becoming another championship-winning acquisition by Keelham Farm Shop in Bradford.

Mr Bennett repeated his reserve championship success with his first prize 640kg Charolais-cross steer, which sold for £1,284, or 200.5p/kg, to butcher Paul Binns, and will go on sale at his shop in Rawson Market, Bradford.

Limousin-cross heifers also landed the other prizes, with the runner-up from Embsay’s John and Claire Mason selling for £1,110, or 205.5p/kg, to Edwards Farm Butchers in Burnley, while Walshaw’s Brian Lund had the third in class, which became another Keelham Farm Shop buy at £1,114, or 196.5p/kg.

So too did the top price under 30-month Blonde-cross heifer from local vendors John and Alison Spensley, of Thorlby, at £1,163, or 209.5p.kg. The Spensleys also stepped up with a Limousin-cross heifer that achieved the same by-weight price and a per head price of £1,082 when falling to Stanforths Butchers in Skipton.

Trade for cast cattle again maintained an upward trend, with dairy-breds among the 42-strong turnout very nearly back at 110p/kg on average, with an overall cull cow selling average of £821.51 per head, or 118.39p/kg.

More beef cows were on offer, with trade headed by the first prize winner in the show class, an exceptional seven-year-old pure-bred British Blue presented by Sheila Mason on behalf of JH&SM Mason, of Keasden Head, which tipped the scales at 935kg and made 186.5p/kg, or £1,744.

The second prize beef-bred entry, a Limousin-cross from Pateley Bridge’s Bernard Simpson, achieved a class-topping £1,052, or 153.5p/kg.

The red rosette-winning dairy-bred entry from RW Marston, of Askwith, sold for £822.50, or 117.5p/kg, with black and white prices peaking at £1,011, or 145p/kg, for an entry from Rylstone’s Jonathan Caygill.