ANTICIPATION is growing ahead of Skipton Auction Mart’s high profile annual pedigree Limousin cattle double-header.

The annual spring show and sale of pedigree Limousin bulls and females on Wednesday, May 13, remains the mart’s premier breed highlight of the year and continues to grow in popularity among both vendors and buyers.

It attracts in a wide audience, with year-on-year improvement in quality ensuring plenty of choice for premium beef produces and dairymen.

Last year, senior bulls averaged £3,080, intermediate bulls £3,105 and junior bulls £2,342. Junior bulls in particular are developing a good trade.

The 64-strong entry in 2014 has been well eclipsed this year, with an anticipated entry of 99 cattle, including 67 bulls – 15 senior, 18 intermediate and 34 junior – along with 32 females, among them maiden heifers, in-calf cows and females with calves at foot.

The pre-sale show begins at 9am and will be judged by Peter Kirton, of Bewdley, former chairman of the British Limousin Cattle Society who also adjudicated at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2010. The sale itself begins at 11am.

The renowned Oddacres Limousin herd of John and Claire Mason in Embsay, which last year secured the day’s leading price of 5,400gns (£5,670) with the first prize intermediate bull, is again staging its annual production sale.

On offer are ten young bulls, aged from ten to 14 months.

Ian Handley’s Gunnerfleet herd in Chapel-le-Dale, is making a welcome return to the breed highlight for the first time since taking supreme championship honours back in 2011 with a strong hand of home-bred bulls aged up to around 19 months.

Craven Cattle Marts’ general manager Jeremy Eaton said: “There seems to have been a move in recent years towards buying junior bulls to grow on and build into the herd, and our sale has a very strong selection this year.”

Skipton’s Limousin fixture is a double-header once again supported by the North East Limousin Breeders Club. Day one on Tuesday, May 12, features the annual show-only Northern Limousin Extravaganza for 2014-born halter-led pedigree and cross-bred Limousin youngsters

This year’s NLE looks to be another record entry, surpassing last year’s record total of 74 animals.

Again on the agenda the same afternoon is a stock judging event organised by NELBC, with an opportunity for pre-sale viewing of entries for the following day’s big Limousin show and sale.