BRIAN Lund, of Walshaw Farm, Walshaw, Hebden Bridge, claimed another red rosette and £1,200 top price when sending out the 10-12 months victor at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual Spring show and sale of young feeding bulls on Wednesday last week.

The mart regular won with a home-bred British Blue-cross bull by Rhymill Intoxicate, acquired from Welsh breeder Rhys Millichap, which has also produced past prize winners at Skipton for the Calderdale breeder. Out of a three-quarters Blue cow, Mr Lund’s latest frontrunner fell to multiple annual buyer York farmer and butcher Anthony Swales.

As in past years, British Blue entries won both show classes, with James Huck, who farms with his parents, John and Gill, at Church Farm, Hubberholme, repeating the family’s success of the previous year when again landing the under 10-months show class.

Their home-bred bull is by another Welsh-bred stock bull, Tanat Herbie, who has done well for the family over the past five years, with his progeny picking up other tickets at Skipton, where the Hucks sell all their young bulls.

The first prize winner sold at £1,120, with the Hucks also sending out the same way bred under 10 months runner-up. Both were out of Limousin-cross-Blue cows and both again fell to Mr Swales, who made six purchases in total, all Blue-cross. As in previous years, they will be finished on the family’s Haverland Farm in Melbourne, before returning to the food chain for the forthcoming Easter trade at their Knavesmire Butchers in Albermarle Road, York. Stephen Fawcett, who farms with wife Tracey and daughter Samantha at Fold House, Drebley, was again among the prizes, finishing runner-up in the 10-12 months and third in the under 10-months show classes with Blue-cross bulls, selling three in total at £1,160, £1,090 and £1,080.

Brothers David and Stephen Hollings, of Spinks Hill Farm, Pecket Well, Hebden Bridge, had the third prize 10-12 months young bull, selling this and another at £1,060 and £1,055 to Durham buyers, AS and SM Kemp and Son.

In the mix, Procters Farm in Slaidburn also caught the eye with a brace of Limousin-cross bulls at £1,170 each, while TH and K Wood, of High Birstwith, had the two top price pens of three Limousin-cross bulls, which sold at £1,105 and £1,100 per head respectively. A total of 255 young bulls were penned for sale, the first third of which saw strong bulls weighing 400kg- plus good to sell at around £1,000-£1,150, though at a slightly reduced price because of a falling finished price.