Bakewell champion sells for 900p/kg
At Bakewell's Farmers Guardian supported Christmas show and sale the show of livestock is held on Sunday afternoon alongside other festivities and a carol service, with the sale taking place on Monday.
Claiming the prime cattle championship and selling for the top price of 900p/kg (£5,814) was a home-bred black 646kg Limousin heifer from Tom and Jack Gratton, Riber, who were presented with the Devonshire Cup by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.
The buyer of the champion was Ben Savage for his butcher's shop on Eccleshall Road, Sheffield.
The reserve champion was a 694kg black British Blue heifer from the Dickinson and Powdrill team, Mackworth, which went on to sell for 500p/kg to the co-judge, Laurie Ibbottson, Dovecote Park.
Best opposite sex to the champion was a 628kg British Blue sired bullock from Michael Wynne, Matlock, which made 430p/kg (£2,700) to Woolley Bros, Sheffield.
The High Peak Livestock Society Cup was won by local store cattle exhibitor Jonathon Hall, Longnor, with a 534kg red Limousin heifer which sold for the day's second top price of 550p/kg (£2,937) to Ian Meakin, High Street butchers, Leek.
The winner of the young handlers class was 17-year-old Ruby Astley.
There were 250 prime lambs in front of the judge, Matthew Prince, Highfield House Farm Shop, Stonedge, who awarded the championship to Jane Bonsall, Ashbourne, whose medium class winners, 46kg lambs, sold for 540p/kg (£248.40/head) to Rob Foster, farmer butcher, Retford.
The winning lightweight lambs weighing 41kg from M.F. Wayne and S. Allen, made 360p/kg to A.J. Green and Sons,
D. Fotherby and Sons, sold the winning heavyweights, 49.2kg lamb for 368p/kg to H. Meakin.
M. Najib and Sons, paid 294p/kg for the winning 39.4kg native lambs from G. Ford and 298p/kg for the winning 55.4p/kg Mule lambs from R. and L. White.
Auctioneers: Bagshaws.
Ludgate family claim champion and reserve cattle titles at Winslow
At the 154th Winslow Christmas primestock show and sale held in the town square, champion and reserve in the cattle section came from the Ludgate family, Leighton Buzzard.
Claiming the supreme title was the Young Farmers class winner, shown by Will Ludgate, a 704kg Limousin heifer which went on to sell for £5,600 (795p/kg) to the Bell Hotel, Winslow.
Brother, James, took the reserve ticket with the winning halter-led 640kg heifer, which made £4,100 to Hayden Lloyd, Wales.
Champion steer and best opposite sex to the champion went to Tarry and Todd, Lincolnshire, with a 698kg British Blue steer which sold for 360p/kg to the judge, Richard Taylor, Derbyshire.
The second prize-winning 668kg heifer from J. Claridge, Middle Claydon, made 440p/kg, a 788kg steer from Frank Page, Northamptonshire, sold for 365p/kg, and a 678kg Aberdeen-Angus heifer, from Will Ketley, Colchester, made 400p/kg.
Champion lambs
The champion lambs were a pen of four from W. Bartlett, Winslow, which sold for £290/head to Pak Mecca Meats, Birmingham, which also paid £220 for the reserve champions, four Beltex crosses from D.W. Gurney and Son, Milton Keynes.The Young Farmers champion lambs from A. Amor, Gloucester, were 47kg Texels which made £220/head to the Bell Hotel.
Averages - 20 cattle, 410p/kg (£2,696.44); 360 lambs, SQQ 348p/kg (£160.70).
Auctioneers: Melton Mowbray Market.
Limousin heifer claims York supreme
The prime cattle championship at York's Christmas show and sale went to J.R. Johnson and Son, Terrington, with a 560kg home-bred Limousin heifer which went on to sell for £6/kg (£3,357.20) to the judge, Harry Bromwich, Haxby.
The reserve champion was a 620kg Limousin steer from Wagstaff Bros, Sutton-on-the-Forest, which made £4.10/kg (£2,538.90) to A. Laverack and Son, Holme-on-Spalding-Moor.
For the second year running the champion bull was from T.H. Kilby and Son, Thorp Arch, this time with a 620kg home-bred Limousin which sold for £4/kg (£2,476.90) to the Swales family, Knavesmire Butchers, York.
Reserve champion was a 746kg British Blue bull from S. Beachell and Son, Beswick, which made £3.80/kg (£2,831.07) to Ralph Pearson, Oakenshaw.
The winning black and white bull from Alan Sykes, Whixley, weighed 592kg and sold for £3.08p/kg (£1,820.40) to Bowland Foods, Preston.
A 678kg Aberdeen-Angus bull from the Bailey family, Hemingfield, won the native class before selling for £3.01p/kg (£2,037.39) to J.A. Jewitt, Spennymoor.
Prime lambs
Prime lambs topped at £210/head (404p/kg) for the winners of the heavyweight class, a pen of three Rouge cross Beltex from K. and A. and E.E. Avis, Hensall, which sold to Knavesmire Butchers.
The second prize winners and reserve champions were a pen of three Beltex from Andrew Dobson, Holtby, which made £175/head to Harry Bromwich Family Butchers.
Auctioneers: York Auction Centre.
Record entry at Carlisle
There was a record show entry of 121 prime cattle at Carlisle's Christmas show and sale, where the championship went to a 602kg Limousin heifer from L. Hopwood, Cheshire. It went on to sell for £3,130.40 (£5.20p/kg) to the judge, James Nisbet, Nisbett Family Butchers, Ayr.
In reserve was the Young Farmers class winner, a 604kg Limousin cross heifer for Rachael Graham, Brampton, which sold for £5/kg (£3,020).
A 683kg Limousin heifer from Messrs Dent, Appleby, made £2,728.59, selling to R. and J.P. Mulholland Butchers, Great Orton.
Steers sold to £2,778.53 for a 795kg Aberdeen-Angus cross from Messrs Crichton, Egremont.
The winning native was a 592kg Galloway steer from Kilnstown Farm, Bewcastle, which sold for 333.5p/kg (£1,974.32) to Jewitt Meats, Spennymoor.
Top steer price per kilo was 365.5p for the winning British Blue cross from Messrs Park, Dalpeddar.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Sheepdogs sell to £14,800 online
Kevin Evans, Brecon, topped Skipton's online sale of working sheepdogs at £14,800 and also headed the unbroken prices at £2,300.
The sale topper was Tilly, a fully-trained 17-month-old white and tan bitch by the Swedish-bred dog, Middery Frank, which sold to Kenny Donald, Dalrymple.
Carol Mellin, Oakworth, sold her February 2021-born black and white bitch, Pentre Bet, a daughter of Tanhill Glen for £8,500 to Jock Sutherland, Durness.
Mr Evans also sold the 2022-born tri-coloured fully broken dog, Storybrooke Guy, for £7,000 to Lara Sander, Germany. His unbroken section leader was Talley Roxy, a six-month-old red and white bitch by Thornbury Max, which made £2,300 to Meryl Evans, Corwen.
Topping the part-broken prices at £4,100 was David Wood, Derwent, with his May 2023-born black and white dog, Mirk, by Kevin Evans' Kemi Bert, which went to Malcolm Wright, Buxton.
Averages - Registered broken dogs, £3,822; registered broken bitches, £5,315; part-broken registered dogs, £2,200; part-broken registered bitches, £1,438; unbroken and pups, £1,650; 80% clearance.
Auctioneers: CCM.
Pateley Bridge cattle champion sells for 600p/kg
At Pateley Bridge's Christmas show and sale, the prime cattle were judged by Charles Ashbridge of Taste Tradition, Ripon. He awarded the championship to a British Blue heifer from Liam Rodney and Katie-Anne Challis, Masham, which weighed 565kg and was bought for 600p/kg (£3,390) by Nick Dalby on behalf of Kendall's Butchers, Pateley Bridge.
The prime lambs were judged by James Blenkhorn, on behalf of Yorkshire Halal Meat Suppliers, with the championship going to a pen of three 52kg Texels from Russell and Amy Peel, Glasshouses, which went on to sell for £300/head (576p/kg) to the judge.
Auctioneers: Barnard Castle and Teesdale Farmers Auction Mart Co.
Prime lambs to 636p/kg at Wharfedale
At Wharfedale's Christmas show and sale, the champion lambs were a pair of Beltex from Andrew Barrett, Stainburn, which went on to sell for £280/head (636p/kg) to J.B. Wilkinson and Sons, Rawdon, for their chain of Yorkshire-based shops.
Reserve champion went to Jordan Swires, Beckwithshaw, with the winning over 42kg continental lambs, which sold for £218/head (501p/kg), going to the same buyer.
In the cattle section, the champion was a home-bred 685kg steer shown by Richard Stevenson, Farnley, which sold for 500p/kg (£3,425/head) to Messrs Wilkinson.
In reserve was a 640kg heifer from David Groves, Arthington, which sold for 430p/kg (£2,752/head), again to Messrs Wilkinson.
Cull cows topped at 185.50p/kg (£1,484) for a black and white shown by Dave Ryder and family, Lindley, which went to Harry Thompson, Gargrave.
A lamb was also sold for charity, donated by John and Mary Carr, Askwith, for Leeds Hospital Charity, which raised £1,520. Robert Weatherhead donated two lambs for Crohn's and Colitis UK, which raised £1,540.
Auctioneers: Wharfedale Farmers Auction Mart.
Hexham sees strong store cattle trade
The sale of 368 store cattle at Hexham averaged £1,620 throughout, with steers levelling at £1,688 and heifers £1,466.
The sale peaked at £2,180 for a Limousin bullock from Ian Hamilton, Claywalls, with a Charolais cross from the same home making £2,160 and the run of 16 averaging £1,968/head.
The female trade topped at £2,100, paid by Messrs Lee, Agars Hill, for a British Blue cross heifer from John and Daniel Whiteford, Berwick on Tweed, whose 15 heifers averaged £1,751.
Will Davy, Warton, averaged £2,037 for seven Charolais and Angus cross steers, topping at £2,140 for a 31-month-old steer.
The 11- to 17-month-old class topped at £1,920 for a Charolais cross steer from Steven Crozier, Ecclefechan.
Beef Shorthorns sold to £1,780 for a steer from Walker Bros, Satley, with Messrs Walton, Greyside, topping at £1,750 for steers and £1,760 for heifers.
Auctioneers: Hexham and Northern Marts.
Dairies sell to £3,450 at Market Drayton
The Western Holstein Club-supported Christmas dairy show and sale at Market Drayton topped at £3,450 for the reserve champion, the pedigree heifer, Astonpool Have A Halo, from M. Weaver, Stone.
The champion was the pedigree cow, Armsdale Sound System Sunkist, from D. and J. Armstrong, Bunbury, which sold for £3,100.
Pedigree heifers from Lachstone Farms, Northwich, sold to £3,300, while R.J. Rees, Brecon, sold to £2,950 and R. and J. Merrett, Gloucester, sold to £2,900.
Pedigree second calvers sold to £3,200 for D. and A.C. Shakeshaft, Ellesmere, to £2,800 twice for L.F. Horton and Son, Northwich, and to £2,800 for Messrs Armstrong and K.J. Morris, Redditch.
Commercial heifers topped at £3,150 for Messrs Weaver, £3,000 for R.W. and E.E. Edwards and Sons, Whitchurch, and £2,850 for Messrs Morris.
In-calf heifers sold to £1,750 and yearling heifers to £900. A 35-month-old Limousin breeding bull sold for £3,800.
Averages: 70 fresh heifers (all in), £2,251; 17 fresh cows, £2,451.
Auctioneers: Gwilym Richards with Market Drayton Market.
Gisburn Christmas primestock tops at £4,552
A 542kg British Blue cross heifer from R.T. and J. Critchley and Sons, Preston, won the championship in Gisburn's Christmas primestock show before topping the sale at 840p/kg (£4,552.80) when selling to retail butchers S.R. Hallworth, Whalley, Clitheroe.
For the reserve champion, judge Jimmy Wood, Bowland Foods, Preston, tapped out a British Blue cross heifer from D.M. and R.E. Capstick, Swinden Moor. The 636kg heifer also won the best exhibitor-bred class and made 500p/kg (£3,180) to on-site butchers Countrystyle Meats, Lancaster.
The Critchley family also sold a 526kg Blue cross heifer to Chorley butchers K. and J. Green, at 620p/kg (£3,261), and a 628kg Limousin cross which made 490p/kg (£3,077). They also took first and second in the Young Farmer class when Emily Critchley's winning 488kg Blue cross heifer made 450p/kg and Thomas Critchley's blue rosette heifer sold at 496p/kg (£2,529).
The steer class winner, a 726g Limousin cross from E.J. Ward and Sons, Nether Kellet, made the section's top price per head of £2,686, while the Capsticks' 640kg Limousin cross achieved the highest price per kilo at 375p selling to Countrystyle Meats.
Bulls peaked at £2,742 for a 788kg Blue cross for J. and G. Huck, Skipton.
D.A. Wilcock, Ashton-in-Makerfield, won the trophy for the highest annual prime ring throughput, and on the day, sold six steers and heifers to average 402p/kg.
Averages - 65 heifers, 346.77p/kg; 37 steers, 324.91p/kg; 32 young bulls, 331.73p/kg.
Auctioneers: Gisburn Auction Marts.
Flying trade for cull ewes at Bentham
Trade for cull ewes reached unprecedented levels at Bentham, with several pens £300/head plus and topping at £400 plus twice.
Firstly, for Beltex from Ben Thompson, Sedbergh, and then for Texels from J. Garth and Son, Clapham, with a pen of five from E. Astley, Morpeth, at £395/head.
The pre-sale show champions, a pen of five Texels from Lucas and Nairey, Blackburn, made £380/head.
Heavy ewes saw a sharp increase generally selling around £200. Suffolks topped at £238 for I.D. Rawlinson, Ulverston.
The strongest pens of Mule ewes £140-£170. Best of the horned ewes also reached heights not seen for a while, with the best £100 plus topping at £130 for Dalesbreds from G.C. and P.M. Haygarth, Wigglesworth.
Auctioneers: Richard Turner and Son.
Store cattle in demand at Leyburn
Brian Phillips, Northallerton, judged the show and sale of store cattle at Leyburn where, for the second year running, the championship went to Guy and Oliver Hird, Whashton, with a home-bred Limousin heifer which sold to the judge for £1,940.
Reserve champion went to the Bainbridge Brothers, Marrick, with a British Blue heifer which sold for the joint top price of £2,250 along with the first prize bull, a pedigree registered Limousin, from David Amsden, Hawes.
Brian and Robert Fawcett, Bishopdale, sold a Limousin heifer at £2,000, with their 16 heifers averaging £1,871 and their 16 steers averaging £1,844. Phil Simpson, Richmond, sold 17 steers to average £1,758 and 12 heifers to average £1,592.
The first and second prize Limousin steers made £2,000 and £1,960 for Luke and Beth Wilkinson, Leyburn, and Georgina Laws, Hauxwell, sold her third prize Limousin steer for £2,050.
Auctioneers: Leyburn Auction Mart.
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