Cattle on parade

Store bull trade was in line with expectations, with correct age and farm-assured cattle still looking well sold against current prime returns. Store cattle also met with a good trade when continuing to resist the falling prime cattle market, with smart, well-grown bullocks and heifers also receiving a nice following.

Young bulls sold at an overall Continental-cross average of £842 per head, with a native average of £733. Best on price at £1,200 was another top-notch British Blue-cross entry from Clapham’s Jonathan Townley, while a Limousin-cross from John Lambert, of Selside, also sold well at £1,180.

The Towler family from Grindleton presented the top price pen of four Limousin-cross young bulls, which each sold for £975.

The Continental-cross average for store bullocks was £890 per head, along with a native average of £772 and black and white mean of £695.

Achieving four figures were a Limousin-cross entry from Kevin Wilson, of Blubberhouses, at £1,080 and a £1,040 British Blue-cross from Roger Naylor, of Middleton, Ilkley, who was also responsible for the top price pen of Bazadaise bullocks at £970 per head.

Store heifers achieved a Continental-cross average of £858 per head and a £797 native average.

Setting the pace at £1,165 was a Limousin-cross from Stephen Harker, of Stanbury who also sold a Parthenais at £1,075. Ellis Bros, of Addingham Moorside, presented the top price pen of three Limousin-cross heifers, each knocked down at £890.

All classes of breeding cattle sold to four figure highs, with several prices exceeding £2,000 and a top of £2,400 for a Limousin heifer with Limousin heifer calf at foot from Ashfield Farms in Lothersale. British Blue-cross heifers with Limousin heifer calves at foot averaged £2,090.