FIRST-TIME exhibitor Gerald Beresford, from Tenley Farm in Hellifield, had the first place heifer and overall champion at the bank holiday prime cattle show at Skipton Auction Mart.

His 18-month-old home-bred British Blue-cross sold for £1,648, top gross price of the day, or 253.5p/kg, to retail butcher Anthony Kitson, who also snapped up the first prize bullock, a 16-month-old Limousin-cross from Malcolm Metcalfe, of Baldersby Park, for £1,503, or 249.5p/kg.

The same buyer also made a third prize-winning acquisition when paying £1,272, or 259.5p/kg, top price by weight, for the second prize heifer, a Limousin-cross from Ben Townsend, of Laneshawbridge.

Mr Kitson runs three butchers shops in Stockton-on-Tees, Hutton Rudby and Northallerton.

Weekly Skipton prime cattle buyer, James Robertshaw, of Keelham Farm Shop, also purchased three prize-winners among a seven-strong haul that will all be prepared for sale at their two shops in Skipton and Thornton.

They were the second and third place British Blue-cross steers from Charlie Clarke, of Cowling, for £1,245, or 239.5p/kg, and Jim Baines of Trawden for £1,503, or 248.5p/kg, along with the third prize heifer, another Blue-cross from Thompson Bros, of Pickering, which went for £1,482, or 255.5p/kg.

Other retail butcher buyers included Shipley’s John Kearns, who bought a Limousin-cross steer from Charles and Richard Kitching, of Threshfield, for £1,238, or 225.5p/kg, and Saltaire’s Dick Binns, who acquired a Blue-cross heifer from Ben Townsend at £1,218, or 225.5p/kg.

In all, 17 clean cattle under 30-months were put forward. Steers sold at an average of 223.49p/kg for under 555kgs, and weightier types for 218.85p/kg. Heifers sold at an average of 242.44p/kg for over 485kg, and 231.82p/kg for lighter ones.

In a standalone show for cull cows, JD Crabtree & Son, of Burnt Yates, lifted the dairy class red rosette with a black and white that headed the selling prices at £787, or 108.5p/kg. Second were RL Wright & Son, of Airton, who sold at £773, or 98.5p/kg, and third was Bishop Thornton’s Peter Baul, selling at £715, or 107.5p/kg.

A small turnout of ten cast cattle sold to an overall average of £676 per head, or 100.38p/kg.