Gisburn young handlers make healthy profit
A 10-month-old British Blue cross heifer shown by Rathamell YFC member, 17-year-old Thomas Capstick, Swinden Moor, won the championship in Gisburn's young handlers' overwintering competition.
The steel grey heifer, bred by Susan Lord, Littleborough, had been bought in Gisburn last autumn. It won the best presented heifer and best female in Thomas's age group before going on to take the top award. It sold to Martin Wilcock, Ashton-in-Makerfield, for £1,700 leaving a £300 margin after a 1.0071kg daily gain.
The judges, Michael Everett, Goole, and last year's winner Katie Aiken, Wennington, chose as reserve champion a black yearling Limousin cross heifer from 19-year-old Pendle YFC member Freddie Shorrock which had been second best female in the 16-26 year group. It sold at £1,550 to Isaac Sharpe, Paythorne, leaving a £560 margin having achieved a daily gain of 0.8857kg.
Topping the daily gain figures at 1.5206kg was a British Blue cross steer from seven-year-old Olivia Bretherton, Blackburn, which had stood third in her age group. Achieving a daily liveweight gain of 1.4964kg was a 12- month-old Blue cross steer from Ribble Valley competitor, 11-year- old Freddie Taylor, Balderstone, which sold at £1,450, leaving the second highest margin of £530.
Winner in the YFC member section was Aire Valley club's Lucie Culpan, Queensbury, with her 16-month-old Charolais cross heifer which had been the best presented heifer in her 8-12 year old group, gained 1.0649kg /day and sold for £1,100 leaving a £310 margin.
Sale leader on price at £1,800 was 16-year-old George Webster, Scarisbrick, with a 15-month-old 522kg Limousin cross steer which had a a daily gain of 1.142kg and left a margin of £230.
The Best Newcomer Award attracted 19 entrants. Junior winner was 14- year-old Thomas Thornber, West Bradford, who sold his 10-month-old Limousin cross heifer at £1,120 giving him a £190 margin, while the senior winner was 15-year-old Emma Burnop, Pendleton, who sold her British Blue cross steer at £1,200 leaving a margin of £250.
Auctioneers: Gisburn Auction Mart
Global Connections sale tops at 10,500gns
The first Akaushi Wagyu cattle to be offered in the UK sold for 10,500gns to top the Global Connections online sale hosted by Harrison and Hetherington.
The sale leader was the heifer, K Honey 300173, a Heartbrand Terminator daughter out of Rapid Bay Towa, from South West Wagyu, Bude, which sold to Messrs Lee, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire.
South West Wagyu also sold L Cheesecake 300194, an April 2023-born Heartbrand Raymond Terminator daughter out of Rapid Bay Akaibara, for 10,000gns to the same buyer.
Akaushi Wagyu are known as the Emperor's breed, renowned for their distinct marbling and did not exist outside of Japan until the 1990's.
Leading the trade for dairy heifers at 3,000gns was the All Breeds All Britain Jersey champion, Blythbridge Chocochip Reagie from Blyth Farms, West Linton.
This November 2022-born Avonlea Chocochip daughter sold to Messrs Millar, Kirkpatrick Fleming.
Selling at 2,800gns was Panda Alpha O Kiwi, an October 2023-born Blondin Alpha daughter from Panda Holsteins, Cumleigh, which sold to Messrs Tinney, Co Donegal.
Averages - 2 Akaushi Wagyu heifers, £10,250; 11 Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss and Guernsey heifers, £2,204.55; 38 Holstein embryos, £675.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Simmentals sell to 5,800gns at Dungannon
The December 2022-born Simmental bull, Breaghey Netflix 22 from Andrew Clarke, Tynan, Co Armagh, made 5,800gns to lead the breed society sale at Dungannon.
By Woodhall Ferrari 14, and out of Breaghey Vida 2, a Dermotstown Delboy daughter, it sold to commercial producer, Richard Houston, Rostrevor.
Selling at 4,600gns was the pre-sale show champion, October 2022-born Craigy Neo by Keeldrum Gamble 15, from W.J. Dodd, Ballynahinch, Co Down. The buyer was Raymond Bowden, Stewartstown.
The Dodds also sold another Gambler son, Craigy Nash 22, for 3,200gns to Eric Speers, Hamiltonsbawn, Co Armagh, and two Craigy heifers also by Gambler sold for 2,700gns, and 2,600gns respectively.
The reserve champion, Ashland Nobleman by Omorga Volvo, from P. Kelly, Ballreagh, Tempo, Co Fermanagh, was knocked down for 3,400gns to Neill Donaghy, Co Londonderry.
Also at 3,400gns was Bridgewater Farm Newry, a Auchorachan Hercules 16 son, from J.N. Glasgow, Cookstown, Co Tyrone, which sold to Kathleen Kearney, Downpatrick.
Averages – 10 bulls, £3,580.50 (+£505.50 on 2023); 2 heifers, £2782.50.
Auctioneers: Dungannon Farmers Mart.
Sheepdogs top at £19,100 online
Skipton's online sale of working sheepdogs topped at £19,100 for Mirk, a two-year-old dog from Dewi Jenkins, Ceredigion. A grandson of Mr Jenkins' dog, Jock, with which he won the international supreme championship trials in 2022, it sold to Monty Motto, Shetland Islands.
Making £5,000gns was two-year-old Fern, from S. Massey, Dumfries, which went to Ross Clark, Dumfries.
Adam Ledgar, Cheshire, sold the one-year-old bitch, Vicky, for £4,300 to H. Chapman and Son, Carnforth.
Part-broken dogs topped at £6,500 for Hilltop Stan, from David Wood, Derbyshire, which sold to Karen Karkow, USA, who also paid £1,100 for an unbroken pup from Carol Mellin, Oakworth.
Aran Jet, a nine-month-old part-broken bitch, a granddaughter of Mr Jenkins' Jock, from John Bell, Howden, made £4,200 to Elaine Hill, Holmrook.
Averages – fully broken bitches, £3,202.50; fully broken dogs, £4,546.50; 5 part broken registered bitches, £1,701; 2 unregistered part broken bitches, £1,155; 10 part broken registered dogs, £1,706.25; pups – 2 registered bitches, £1,680; 1 unregistered bitch, £525; 2 registered dogs, £708.75; 1 unregistered dog, £525.
Auctioneers: CCM.
Gisburn dairy sale tops at £3,450
Two fresh pedigree heifers from the Aireburn herd of G.B. Moorhouse, Skipton, topped Gisburn's dairy sale at £3,450 and £3,400 respectively.
Sale leader was a Cherry-Lily Zip Lister daughter from the Rilla family and the heifer at £3,400 was a Redcarpet sired Miss America. Both sold to the same Lancashire buyer.
H. and V.E. Jolly, Great Eccleston, took a £2,600 bid from a Cheshire buyer for Fieldside Enid 12, a Nortonhill R2D2 daughter giving 37kg.
At £2,550, they also sold their 36kg Fieldside Diana 7 by Denmire Minefield to the same buyer who also took a third Fieldside heifer by Peak Altamaui at £2,450.
Also making £2,450 and to the same buyer, was Airebank Renegade Gem from D.C. Hall, Coniston Cold.
Pedigree cows peaked at £2,320 for a 45kg third calver by Seagull-Bay Silver, from B. and J.M. Crowe's Yewbarrow herd, Grange-over-Sands.
Leading the 26 non-pedigree heifers at £2,420 was an entry from N. and K. Forshaw, Preston.
Averages - Pedigree newly calved heifers, £2,320; pedigree newly calved cows, £1,962; non-registered newly calved heifers, £1,755; in-calf heifers £1,810.
Auctioneers: Gisburn Auction Marts.
Spring lambs in demand at Market Drayton
There was a good entry of spring lambs at the Farmers Guardian supported Easter show and sale at Market Drayton which averaged 532/kg
The overall championship went to the winning single lamb, a 41kg Beltex from Liam Swinnerton, Cheswardine, which went on to sell for 840p/kg (£344.40) to the judge, Jeff Plant of Plant and Wilton Butchers, Newcastle under Lyme.
The second prize winning single lamb, a 42kg Beltex from Madders and Johnson, Hopton, made 660p/kg (£277.20) to W. and G. Yates, Yarnfields.
The winning pair of lambs, weighing 38.3kg each from J.R. Pimlott, Hookgate, sold for 720p/kg (£275.15) to Mr Plant.
The second prize pair, 37kg lambs, from P. and C. Swinnerton, Adbaston, made 595p/kg (£220.15) to Vivers Scot Lamb, Annan.
Commercial lambs sold well topping at 630p/kg (£266.80) for 36kg lambs from Claire Tomlinson, Agden.
The 2917 prime hoggs on offer averaged 390p/kg with lightweight topping at 386p/kg (£122.75) for 31.8kg hoggs consigned by A. Jackson, Gawsworth. Standard weights sold to 453p/kg (175.31) for 38.7kg hoggs from P.R. Jones, Ranton.
Medium weights topped at 509p/kg (£214.29) for 42.1kg hoggs from D. and J.M. Williams, Basford, with heavies to 450p/kg (£212.85) for 47.3kg hoggs from Madders and Johnson.
Top price per head was £277.50 for a 75kg hogg from T.M. Evason, Sharpley Heath.
Cull ewes peaked at £200 for a Beltex cross consigned by Madders and Johnson. Rams sold to £180 for a Texel from Eamonn Vaughan, Springwood.
Auctioneers: Barbers.
Bentham champion lamb sells for £255
At Bentham's East lamb show and sale, championship honours went to Rosie Wilson, Grafton, with her 48kg Beltex cross lamb, which sold for £255 to Liam Broster, on behalf of Worsley Wholesale Meats, Liversidge.
Dan Stainthorpe, Saltburn, took second prize with a 44kg Beltex cross, which made £224.
Robert Towers, Ingleton, showed the best of the Charollais lambs with 46kg lambs at £240, just ahead of Charles and Valerie Marwood, York, with their best a 54kg lamb at £232. Overall spring lambs averaged 413p/kg.
The 6,526 hoggs averaged 380.6p/kg, with 1,147 hoggs selling for more than £200, topping at £265 for A.L. Thompson, Foulridge, with the supreme hogg.
Auctioneers: Richard Turner and Son.
Ewes and lambs at Lancaster
At Lancaster's sale of ewes with lambs at foot, aged Texel ewes with Beltex cross twin lambs from T.R. Gorst, Bay House, sold to £310, with other twins from the same home to £295.
A Texel ewe with a single Beltex lamb from the same home sold for £290, with their other singles to £270 twice.
H. Swales, St Michaels, saw his best aged Texel ewes with singles sell to £260. A run of broken mouthed Mule ewes with young Texel twins from Myerscough College sold to £235.
At the Easter show and sale of spring lambs, the first prize and champion rosette went to a Charollais cross Beltex from R.J. and J. Towers, Ingleton, which sold for £215 (500p/kg).
Topping the spring lamb sale at £220 was a Charollais cross also from Messrs Towers.
Suffolks sold to £170 from S. Wilson and Son, Scotforth, with Dorsets from the same home to £166.
Auctioneers: North West Auctions.
