Blue Genes sale tops at 4,100gns
Topping the Blue Genes sale of British Blues at Shrewsbury at 4,100gns was Delhorn Truly Scrumptious, a dark blue roan heifer from John and Yvonne Hopkins, Brent Knoll, Somerset.
After standing reserve female champion in the pre-sale show, the heifer which was from the Solway View Nancy/Tweeddale Ironman flush, found a new home with C. T. Akrigg, Skipton.
The same buyer also bought Delhorn Twilight Zone from Messrs Hopkins at 3,400gns. This one was from the Bedgebury Flat Out/Delhorn Light My Fire flush.
Topping the bulls at 3,600gns, was Trencrom Swinton again from Gail Ellis, St Ives. This son of Chatham Magnus out of Trencrom Nisteria, a Tamhorn Sumo daughter, sold to W. Griffiths and Son, Abergele.
The reserve male champion, Rhymil Superdry, a son of Cromwell Fendt, from Rhys Millichap, Mid Glamorgan, sold for 3,500gns to C. and F.M. Percival, Bakewell.
Two heifers sold for 3,000gns, both from the Mrs Ellis. Firstly, Trencrom Sandy, a Ministre Du Bouchelet daughter and secondly Sea Holly, a daughter of Ballydangan Hectare, with both going to G. L. Potter, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Auctioneers: Halls
Store cattle to £3,400 at Kirkby Stephen
The show and sale of 370 store cattle at Kirkby Stephen topped at £3,400 for a 13-month-old Limousin heifer from Messrs Marston, Easegill Head, which went on to sell to Messrs Walker, Dunsop Bridge.
The pre-sale show was judged by Andrew Dyson, Ripon, who awarded the overall championship to a 10-month-old British Blue-cross steer also from Messrs Marston, which sold for £1,820 to Messrs Amos, Leicestershire.
The same vendors also sold an 11-month-old British Blue-cross heifer at £1,950 and a 13-month-old Limousin-cross heifer at £1,900 with their consignment of 10 averaging £1,922.50.
Making £2,100 was an 11-month-old British Blue-cross heifer from Messrs Anderson, Leyburn, which sold to Messrs Dent, Lartington.
Averages - steers, £1,429.62 (+ £184.24 on 2023); heifers, £1,347.82 (+£149.53).
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Breeding cattle peak at £4,200
The sale of breeding cattle on the same day peaked at £4,200 for a second calved cow with a bull calf at foot from Messrs Porter, Richmond, which sold to Messrs Burbridge, Leicestershire.
Messrs Porter also sold a third Limousin calver cow with a bull calf at foot for £4,000 to Messrs Fielder, Howden.
Heifers from this home sold to £3,300 for a Limousin with a Limousin heifer calf, which went to Messrs Huck, Skipton.
The first part of the dispersal from Messrs Porter averaged £3,800 for the 14 cows and heifers with calves at foot.
Messrs Cowan, Roadhead, sold a Limousin heifer with heifer calf at foot for £3,550 to Messrs Benson, Ulverston.
Messrs Bradley, Penny Grange, sold British Blue in-calf heifers to £3,400 to Messrs Dent, Barnard Castle. Others sold to £3,300 to Messrs White, Barnard Castle, and an in-calf Limousin made £3,050 to Messrs Swales, Goole.
Messrs Porter, Richmond, sold a British Blue breeding bull for £6,400 to Messrs Rigby, Slaidburn.
Averages
Cows and calves, £3,538.46; heifers and calves, £2,902.35; in-calf heifers, £3,042.86; bulling heifers, £1,340.56.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Peak price of £2,620 for Bentham dairies
At Bentham's dairy show and sale, judge Robin Boothman, Fence, chose as champion the winning heifer, Hallcroft Striker Liberty, from the Booth family, Wigglesworth. It went on to sell, giving 33kg, to Phillip and Simon Wood, Scotforth, for £2,620.
Best of four heifers from John and Nicola Young, Kendal, was Youngbro Darwin Charlotte, which stood second in the heifer class and took reserve champion. It sold for £2,400 to the judge.
The first prize cow, a second calver from Jim Gorst, Tatham, made £1,800.
Andrew Dawson, Quernmore, sold heifers to £2,300 and Richard Robinson, Nether Kellet, at £2,280 and £2,180, with the 25 heifers averaging £2,012.
Mike Livesey, Lowick, sold a Friesian third calver at £2,320 and a Friesian fourth calver at £2,100. The second prize cow, from Tom Stable, Ulverston, made £2,050.
A run of pedigree bulling heifers from the Youngs, Jenkin Cragg, peaked at £880, to average £818. A Friesian stock bull from Clive Stackhouse, Newton, sold for £1,500.
Auctioneers: Richard Turner and Son.
Whitebred Shorthorns top at 6,800gns
The sale of Whitebred Shorthorns and Galloways at Carlisle peaked at 6,800gns for the pre-sale show champion, Blackburn GeeWhizz, an April 2022-born Whitebred Shorthorn bull by Glentyne Grafter Boy out of Milnholm Iona from G. Jackson, Newcastleton, which sold to Messrs Pattinson, Hexham.
Next, at 2,400gns, was the reserve male and reserve overall champion, Parton Hooligan, a March 2022-born son of Longley Duke consigned by J.A. Hewson, Carlisle. It was knocked down to Messrs Dickinson, Kendal.
Female Whitebred Shorthorns sold to 1,650gns for Glentyne Twinkle 2, a January 2022-born heifer by Glentyne Grafter and in-calf to Burnedge James from M.G. and J. Taylor, Castle Douglas. The buyer was Messrs Sadler, Knaresborough.
Pedigree Galloways topped at 3,000gns for the winning bulling heifer, female and overall champion, Barlaes Black Ice 10, a March 2022-born daughter of Troloss Magnum out of Barlaes Katie 80 consigned by R.J. McTurk, Dalry. It sold to Messrs Worrell, Dumfries and Galloway.
Next, at 2,000gns, was the second prize bull and reserve male champion, April 2022-born Cardona Fergus by Kirkstead Commodore out of Blackcraig Blonchen Z798 from J.R. Galloway, Doune. It went home with Messrs Everitt and Son, Wolsingham.
Lizzie 924 of Whitehall, a heifer by Avicil of Kilnstown, in-calf to Fury of Whitehall from W.J. Henderson, Lockerbie, then sold for 1,800gns to Messrs Elliot, Langholm.
Non-pedigrees sold to £1,320 for a four-year-old Blue Grey cow, in-calf to a Whitebred Shorthorn bull from H. Chard, Newton Stewart, which went to Messrs Evans, Llambrynmair.
Averages - Whitebred Shorthorns - 4 bulls, £3,307.50; 2 in-calf heifers, £1,706.25; 1 maiden heifer, £840; Galloways - 6 bulls, £1,417.50; 14 heifers in-milk/in-calf, £1,248.75; 13 bulling heifers, £1,441.73; 3 cows in-milk/in-calf, £875; 3 non-pedigree bulling heifers, £866.66; 1 Blue Grey cow, £1,320.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Strong demand for store cattle at Hexham
The show and sale of 658 store cattle and suckled calves at Hexham included 37 overwintered Young Farmers calves.
The sale topped at £2,700 for a black Limousin-cross heifer from G.W. and C. Athey and Son, Alston, which sold to Messrs Davies, West Wales.
A black Limousin-cross heifer from J. Lee and Sons, Agars Hill, made £2,220.
The pre-sale show champion from Messrs Rochester and Murray, Butsfield, sold to W.F. Cruikshank, Grantown on Spey, for £2,200.
Leading the steers in this section at £2,200 was the reserve steer champion from T.A. and L.C. Lyon, Bourne.
The older stores topped at £2,280 twice for black three-quarter-bred Limousin heifers from a run of nine from Frank and Reg Simpson, Co Durham, which averaged £2,200.
Forward steers sold to £2,100 for a Limousin-cross from P. and P.M. Walker, Tow Law.
John Coxon Junior, Morpeth, donated a Charolais-cross heifer in memory of his father John Coxon Snr who recently passed away, with proceeds going to the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation. The bidding finished at £1,500, selling to Chris Siswick, Barrasford.
Young Farmers
The championship in the young farmers overwintered cattle competition went to a Charolais-cross steer from Charlotte Longlands, a Bellingham Young Farmer, which had been bought from Messrs Walton, Flotterton.
Reserve champion was the first prize Limousin-cross heifer from Orlena Henderson, a Butsfield YFC member who had bought the calf from Messrs Walton, Penpeugh.
The trophy for the best turned out calf went to Emily Robson, Shaftoe YFC, with a British Blue-cross heifer.
The best native-bred calf went to an Aberdeen-Angus heifer from Alice Walton, Bellingham YFC.
The trophy for the most profit went to Harry Willey, Whitley Chapel YFC, with a British Blue-cross heifer bought from Messrs Lee, Hackford, for £930 which went on to sell for £1,680 giving a profit of £750.
Whitley Chapel club also won the prize for the highest average margin which was £4,63.33.
Averages - Steers, £1,465.71; heifers, £1,382.52; weanling cattle, £1,362.75.
Auctioneers: Hexham and Northern Marts.
Sheepdogs to 5,000gns at Skipton
Aled Owen, Corwen, topped the sale of working sheepdogs at Skipton at 5,000gns with Don, a son of his home-bred Llangwm Bud out of Denwyn Jen, which sold to Pim Visscher, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Michael McAlister, Glanariffe, Northen Ireland, sold three January 2023-born litter sisters by Braehead Land. The top price bitch and young dog at 4,400gns was Tess, already placed in six nurseries, which sold to Dick Roper, Gloucestershire. The other two sisters, Jess and Jan, sold for 3,600gns and 3,200gns.
A 4,000gns sale was achieved by Loughlin Conn, Limvardy, Northern Ireland, with his March 2021-born black, white and mottled dog, Tom, by R. Price's Doc, which went to an undisclosed buyer.
Shaun and Sue Richards, Eldroth, sold a trio at 3,600gns, 3,000gns and 2,350gns.
Best on price was a March 2022-born tri-coloured bitch, Dot, by JP McDaid's Ben, followed by Pip, a March 2021-born black and white bitch by Ross Games' top trials dog, Roy.
Top call of 900gns in the unbroken pen fell to Willie Torrens, Co Tyrone, with his home-bred rising three-month-old bitch, Bell Blue, which sold to Howard Metcalfe, Silsden.
Averages: Registered broken dogs, £2,594; registered broken bitches, £3,089; registered part-broken dogs, £315; registered part-broken bitches, £1,053.
Auctioneers: CCM.
Dairy cattle in demand at Market Drayton
The champion heifer at the Western Holstein Club supported show and sale at Market Drayton sold for the top price of £2,600 to the judge, Sam Bailey, Stafford.
This was Lachstone Oracles Vision, one of a consignment of five heifers from Jeremy Platt, Lach Dennis, which averaged £2,234, with two others at £2,300 and one at £2,220.
The second prize pedigree heifer, Diglane Recoil Lily, from R.G. Woolley and Son, Acton, sold for £2,450.
D. and E. Monk, Lancashire, sold heifers to £2,400; W. Herdman and Sons, Cambridgeshire, sold to £2,380; L.F. Horton and Sons, Northwich, to £2,350; and R.A. and J.E. Williams and Son, Hay-on-Wye, to £2,280.
Cows sold to £2,320 for a second calver from Graham and Rachel Brindley, Adderley, and £2,000 for J. Lomax and Son, Baldwins Gate.
Auctioneers: Gwilym Richards with Barbers.
Store cattle at Broughton
At the show and sale of store cattle and feeding bulls at Broughton, the judge, James Crichton, Egremont, awarded the championship to a Limousin steer from P.E. and M. Capstick, Millom, which he went on to buy for £1,625.
The top price steer, at £1,655, was an Aberdeen-Angus consigned by Messrs Pitts, Millom.
Reserve champion was the first prize heifer; a British Blue from S.G. Benson, Pennington, Ulverston, which made £1,395 to F. Newbold, Derbyshire.
The top price heifer, at £1,485, was a Limousin from P.L. Fitzwilliam, Seathwaite.
Feeding bulls were judged by Tom Mitchinson, Carlisle, who awarded first prize to a Limousin from J.D. and M. Capstick, Bootle, which sold for the day's top price of £1,825 to David Barker, Scarborough.
Auctioneers: Barnard Castle and Teesdale Farmers Auction Mart Co.
Calves in demand at Gisburn
Calves sold to £560 at Gisburn, where trade was described as ‘fast and furious' for both continentals and named-sire natives.
More than half the 189-head were British Blue-sired and it was a pair of two-month-old Blue bulls from A. Bretherton, Whitechapel, which topped the trade, with others from the same home from to £530. M. and W.M. Berry, Horton-in-Craven, sold a 33-day-old calf at £545.
Blue heifers peaked at £445 for four strong entries from A. Bowker, Cowling. Younger Blue heifers sold to £390 from Messrs Bretherton and also from W.H. and J.W. Hartley, Barnoldswick.
Auctioneer Rachel Capstick said month-old calves were really the trade of the day, with J. Shuttleworth and Son, Rylstone, selling at £385 and J. and S. Lancaster, Horton-in-Craven, with seven heifers from £310 to £365. Other continentals included a month-old Charolais bull at £358 and Charolais heifers to £355. A strong Simmental bull made £525 and all bar one Limousin bulls were above £350.
Aberdeen-Angus sold to £432 for a Nuera T14-sired 56-day-old bull calf from J. and R. Lancashire, Saddleworth, to average £290. Angus heifers reached £308 for E. Roper and Sons, Thornley.
Auctioneers: Gisburn Auction Marts.