THERE was a brisk trade at Skipton Craven Cattle Mart’s fortnightly sale of store cattle, with 380 head put forward on Wednesday (June 8).

Young bulls sold well with an overall average of £1,186, and the sale was dominated by Limousin crosses averaging £1,190.

W and A Lambert and Son of Horton-in-Ribblesdale fetched the highest price of the day with their Limousin X at £1,600, and followed it up with one at £1,550.

Jeff Pickles of Chapel-le-dale saw two go for £1,470 and £1,420; G and H Sztejnke of Clapham reached £1,460 and £1,440, and E and AM Simpson of Pateley Bridge sold at £1,430 and £1,410.

Richard Elliott of Tadcaster had a good run with his Simmental Cross, hitting a breed top of £1,450 and also selling at £1,200, £1,190 and £1,160.

EB Webster of Cracoe also hit £1,400, as well as bulls to £1,370, £1,200 and £1,130. A Rowley, Rochdale, sold two good sorts at £1,290 and £1,060 against the breed average of £1,250.

JM and CM Stancliffe of Bingley received £1,240 for a fine Charollais, with JE and AC Clarke of Melling topping the Herefords at £1,290 against a breed average of £945. The Clarkes also saw a Piemontese go for £1,060.

British Blues averaged at £1,003, with L Driver of Bradford hitting £1,300 and £980, and JH and J Ryder of West House going for £970.

JB Swires of Wilsill fetched £1,010 for an Aberdeen Angus, while RS and HA Davey of Eldroth sold a pair of Bazadaise cross for £1,390 and £1,320.

Trade for feeding cows is getting even stronger, with a section average of £1,200 and plenty going above £1,400.

Top prices were DL Mudd of Buckden £1,580, a total also recorded by W and M Hebron of Clayton who also reached £1,480. Not far behind was E and E Metcalfe of Cowling at £1,570, A Priestly of Sutton-in-Craven £1,540.

Yard cattle met a full ringside of buyers competing with Best Dairy bred blue bullocks at £1,300 to £1,340.

Limousin bullocks topped at £1,540 from Fair Place Farm, Cowling, while MR and GP Beresford of Halton West sold the strongest end of his Angus feeding bullocks to £1,385.

Angus heifers sold to £1,410 from DM White, Hebden, and Bazadaise sold to £1,560 from RS and HA Davey, Clapham.

Continental suckler yard cattle sold well with A Rigby of Slaidburn selling his best two Limousin sucklers to £1,720 and £1,680, and J Pickles sold his four 15-month-old Limousin heifers from £1,360 to £1,460.

Black and whites were in high demand with a top price of £1,125.

The next fortnightly cattle sale is for feeding and breeding cattle on Wednesday, June 22.

Entries for the sale close on Wednesday, June 15. Call the mart office on 01756 792375, or visit: www.ccmauctions.com