A SPECIAL show and sale of weaned beef-bred bulls and heifers staged within CCM Skipton Auction Mart’s latest fortnightly midweek cattle sale attracted a nice turnout of 12 show pens and strong trade. (Wed, Nov 22)

Bulls, weaned a minimum four weeks, were judged in pairs. From Calderdale, C Lumb & Son, Barkisland, stood 1st in the Autumn, 2022, class with a pair of 11-month-old pure Limousin away at £1,490 each, the runners-up, also Limousin, from Craig Schofield, Cheadle, making £1,280.

Two show classes for Spring 2023 youngsters saw one won by Sandra and Thomas Blades, Carnforth, with a home-bred Limousin-x brace making £1,240 each, the other by M Taylor & Son, Rathmell, with two Limousin-x-British Blues by a Richard Harker Grayrigg bull, selling for £1,420 per head.

The Taylors also stood 1st and 2nd in a standalone show for single Continental heifers 12 months or younger, their same way-bred entries making £1,460 and £1,120 respectively, the 3rd prize Limousin-x from AC Gilpin, Roundhay, £1,000 each.

Back with the boys, from their Continental-x consignment, the Handley family, Westhouse, stood runners-up in both the 2023-born classes, their pairs making £1,380 and £1,350 respectively. The 3rd prize winner among the older 2022 bulls went to a Limousin-x from Paul Summers, Hainworth, sold for £1,430, with the 3rd prize younger 2022 bull, a Blue-x from Fred Stephenson, New Farnley, claiming £1,490.

Show classes - bulls were judged by Edward Reed, York, and heifers by Harry Lord, Littleborough, were co-sponsored by Craven Farm Vets and Denton Cars/Ineos Grenadier.

The day’s turnout of over 400 head included 91 young bulls, 277 store bullocks, 40 beef feeding cows and a single stock bull, this a 30-month-old pedigree Limousin by Lodge Hamlet from Simon Bennett, Silsden Moor, which led the day’s trade at £2,200. An under 30-month prime heifer from the Townleys, Clapham, made £1,894, 344.5p/kg.

While strong bulls over 15 months sold well, suckler-bred Autumn and Spring calves created great interest, £1,550 top price going to a seven-month-old British Blue from Mark and Fee Ewbank, Middlesmoor, closely followed at £1,520 by a ten-month-old Blue from EBA&SW Mills, Wyming Brook, Sheffield.

Several exceptional runs of Spring ’23 bulls saw considerable demand for weaned, forward cattle which, if under 10 months old, and shapey, hit £1,300-£1,500. Those aged 10-12 months were similarly well bid for, with top end Continentals £1,300-£1,650 and a section average of £1,326.

Store cattle again met a flying trade, with all goods well catered for and short-keep heifers peaking at £1,900 for a Limousin-x from JW Stockdale & Sons, Burnsall, the Mills family again catching the eye with a £1,780 Blue-x heifer. Similarly, short-keep bullocks were in ready demand, topping at £1,740 for a Limousin from brothers Peter and Edward Fox, Clitheroe.

Among the feeding cows, with no pedigrees and a very seasonal offering of fresh weaned and medium to leaner/smaller sorts on offer, leading prices fell to fleshed first-cross cows or larger framed native types, the Blubberhouses Wilsons leading the way among the former with a brace of Blue cows at £1,390 and £1,290.