BANK Holiday Monday trade for the 64 rearing calves on parade at Skipton Auction Mart was described as “fantastic,” notably for British Blue-cross youngsters.

Father and son Fred and Mark Houseman of Church Farm Enterprises in Burton Leonard, once again led the way when selling both bull and heifer calves to the day’s joint high of £600.

The bull calf fell to Charles Mason, of Scunthorpe, who purchased five youngsters in total, while the heifer found a new home with J Stephenson, from Bradford.

Other Blue vendors also achieved flying trade, among them Lothersdale’s Geoff Booth, who sold calves at £530 and £520. The overall Continental-cross average was a shade over £373 per head.

Some quality black and white youngsters were also a serious trade, averaging £93.13 per head overall and topping at £130 for a bull calf from Stephen Marshall, of West End, who also headed the native breed prices at £285 with an Aberdeen Angus bull calf. Native entries averaged £205 each.

Meanwhile Skipton Auction Mart’s latest fortnightly Wednesday cattle sale attracted a 439-strong turnout, among them 112 young feeding bulls and 325 bullocks and heifers, said to represent a good lambing time entry.

All were easily cleared to the usual enthusiastic crowd of buyers, bolstered by several seasonal buyers who were looking to put together cattle for summering. Trade was better than anticipated, with yearling bullocks again in particular strong demand.

Young bulls sold to a Continental-cross average of £907per head, with a native average of £860. The section high of £1,240 fell to a British Blue-cross from Jack Wallbank, of Keasden, with the top price pen of three Limousin-cross youngsters from the Prince family in Pateley Bridge each sold away at £960.

Store bullocks averaged £1,004 each for Continental-cross and £869 for native breeds. Joint top price of £1,280 fell to a Limousin-cross from Simon Jowett, of Oakworth, and a Blonde-cross from Skipton’s Keith and Jeanette Marshall. Ivan Thomas and Son, of Sutton-in-Craven, were responsible for the top price pen of three Limousin-cross bullocks, which made £1,265 each

Store heifers sold to an average of £916 for Continental-cross and £718 for native breeds, with a section high of £1,240 for another British Blue-cross from Jack Wallbank. James and Deborah Ogden, of Austwick, presented the top price pen of six Charolais-cross heifers, sold for £1,180 each.