A PEDIGREE cattle Autumn triple header, native shows and sales for the Beef Shorthorn and Aberdeen-Angus Societies, plus a standalone British Blue sale, attracted an 83-strong bovine bounty at CCM Skipton Auction Mart.

The 14th annual Beef Shorthorn fixture produced the largest turnout of 51 head and an exceptional show of females, with the youngest entry and final lot of the day securing the supreme championship and 6,500gns top call for Millie Birch, Highsky, Staffordshire.

Her 14-month-old maiden, HighSky Erin’s Elizabeth, became the first home-bred heifer to be sold from the small West Midlands herd, established just three years ago and making its debut at the North Yorkshire venue.

A full sister to the 2022 Royal Welsh Show breed champion and interbreed reserve, Erin’s Enchantment, the very stylish roan is an AI daughter of Carrarock Chalkie, out of the Caramba Heck-bred cow, Caramba Erin’s Kiss, HighSky’s first-ever cow acquired from Southern Ireland’s Tommy Staunton.

First winning her show class for 2022 heifers born May onwards, Erin’s Elizabeth was then tapped out as female and overall champion by Castle Douglas show judge James Rea, stockman at Chapelton Beef Shorthorns, who described his victor as “very feminine, oozing style and with great potential.” The title winner sold to Mary Cormack, of Rougemont Pedigree Livestock, Stoke Prior, Hereford.

Second top call of 6,000gns fell to a cow and calf outfit from Chris Bellerby, Dale herd, Weeton, Harrogate. The dam, Dale Petula, a first calved March, 2020, red heifer by Derwentwood Jagger, is bred from the Hallsford Spartan Warrior-sired Dale Rhona, a family bought locally from the Paisley family in nearby Middleton, with the grandam a former Skipton champion. Petula, sold with her Given Panther March-born red calf and also carrying a positive PD to the same sire, went to Langham, Rutland, with A&C Farms.

Mr Bellerby was selling Beef Shorthorns for the first time in the pedigree breeding ring, presenting a run of very saleable, correct natural cattle which found considerable support, with two further cow and calf outfits making 2,800gns and 2,500gns.

The 2021 Skipton supreme champions, Tom and David Bradley Farmer, Meonside herd, Parkgate, Dumfries, saw their solid consignment top at 4,600gns for the third prize April, 2022, heifer, Meonside Catriona Rosebud Sky, one of the first AI daughters of Crooked Post Tobias.The high quality dark roan heifer was also claimed by Rougemount.

The same home also presented the runner-up to the supreme champion, awarded reserve female champion. The May, 2022, Meonside Desiree Shuri is a light roan daughter and one of the first to be sold by Podehole Piper, a £10,000 private purchase two years ago from Charles and Sally Horrell, Thorney, Peterborough. Out of Coldrochie Desiree, who also bred the 2021 Skipton supreme champion, Shuri joined the Holgate family, Rathmell, one of several purchases.

Beef Shorthorn trade was described as solid, interspersed with occasional highlights and plenty of interest from ringside, online and phone bidders. Maiden heifers sold to 6,500gns (av £2,647), in-calf heifers to 3,400gns (av £2,420) and cow and calf outfits to 6,000gns (av £3,955). Show classes were again co-sponsored by Morrisons and I’Ansons Feeds.

While the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society’s sixth annual show and sale attracted a smaller entry of 20 females and saw mixed trade, it was the two show animals that went away with the highest prices of 3,300gns and 2,200gns, both consigned by venue breed debutants, Robert Mawer and partner Emma Benge’s Embrooke herd and justifying their decision to travel north from Horsington in the heart of Lincolnshire.

Both principals were AI daughters of Rawburn Jumbo Eric, bred by John Elliott, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, with the sale leader on price the younger of the pair, the April, 2022, maiden, Embrooke Eyrie Y133, fifth calf of the prolific Weeton Eyrie S495, acquired at a dispersal sale and still in use. Her own grandam, the famous Blelack Eyrie, set a then new world record breed price of 32,000gns a decade or so ago.

The purchasers, following up on their multiple Beef Shorthorn buys, were the Holgate family, Rathmell, who also went to 2,200gns to acquire the other prize winner and show champion, the January, 2021, Embrooke Electra X105.

DB Wellock and WP Hoare, Herries herd, Otterburn, successfully sold several served heifers, all sired by the Airedale Lord Perseus son, Airedale Euston, and served by Airedale Mr Editor, all bred by the Isherwood family, Kildwick. Their 1,400gns top price performer sold to B Howarth, Bolton, Heifers averaged £1,715.