Jonathan Townley secures first Skipton prime lamb title North Craven’s Jonathan Townley, of E&M Townley & Son at Nutta Farm in Clapham, landed his first-ever prime lamb championship at Skipton Auction Mart’s August show. (Mon, Aug 3) Mr Townley, a regular prize winner in Skipton’s cattle show arena, stepped up on his second prize success at the July prime lamb show with his title-winning pen of five 39kg home-bred Beltex-cross-Texel entries, the majority of which were by a Beltex ram acquired by his son Adam at the mart’s breed highlight last September. The Townleys have produced some 400 predominantly Texel-cross ewes this year.

Baines family prime cattle champions again at Skipton The Baines family, from Trawden in Pendle, Lancashire, sent out another in a long line of prime cattle champions at Skipton Auction Mart’s August show. (Mon, Aug 3) Jim Baines and his son Paul were responsible for the latest victor, the first prize 560kg Blonde d'Aquitaine-cross heifer, bought at an earlier Skipton store cattle sale. It fell for a price-topping £1,789, or 319.5p/kg, to Kitsons Butchers in Northallerton, who returned to the ringside after purchasing three prime cattle at the July show, including the reserve champion, also from the Baines family.

Forward: 68 Prime cattle comprising 8 Clean Cattle and Young Bulls (under 30 mos), 2 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 58 Cast Cattle. 3726 Prime Sheep comprising 3171 Spring Lambs, 555 Cast Ewes & Rams. 59 Rearing Calves. 51 Dairy Cattle. 3 Loads of produce.

Rosie, three, shines at Skipton young farmers’ highlight A three-year-old who is still at nursery school became one of the youngest ever supreme champions when making her debut in the show ring at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual young handlers’ prime lamb show and sale. (Mon, July 27) Rosie Garth and her 35kg Beltex-cross wether lamb were awarded the title at the fixture, which gives farming’s future generations an early opportunity to both experience and shine in the exhibition arena.

MARKET REPORT – MONDAY 20th July 2015. Forward: 63 Prime cattle comprising 6 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 3 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 54 Cast Cattle incl 1 Mature Bull. 3,113 Prime Sheep comprising 2795 Spring Lambs, 318 Cast Ewes & Rams. 66 Rearing Calves. 3 Loads of produce.

MARKET REPORT – MONDAY 13th JULY 2015 Forward: 50 Prime cattle comprising 3 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos) & 47 Cast Cattle including 2 Mature Bulls. 3,923 Prime Sheep comprising 3205 Spring Lambs, 718 Cast Ewes & Rams. 65 Rearing Calves. A handful of clean cattle on a non- show week met a very good trade with Keelham Farm Shop keen to put the best regional beef on the counter in their farm shops by purchasing the highest priced beast a 540kg Limousin cross steer from Malcolm Metcalfe of Baldersby at 247.5pkg or £1337. Commercial cattle with finish were equally well bid with Stanforths Butchers of Skipton buying a 510kg Limousin Heifer from H Downs & Son of Bingley for 219.5p/kg or £1119. We require clean cattle every Monday, please contact the auctioneers for details.

Keelham secures another Skipton prime cattle champion Malham Moor’s Bill Cowperthwaite again lifted the prime cattle championship at Skipton Auction Mart’s July show. (Mon, July 6) Mr Cowperthwaite, of Tennant Gill Farm, who also landed the title in May as a first-time exhibitor, repeated the achievement at the latest renewal with his first prize 580kg British Blue-cross heifer, which sold for £1,552, or 267.5p/kg, to Keelham Farm Shop.

Ellis Bros land first-ever Skipton prime lamb title Ellis Bros, of Addingham Moorside, secured a first-ever prime lamb championship at Skipton Auction Mart’s July show with a pen of five home-bred lambs by both Beltex and Dutch Texel stock rams. (Mon, July 6) They were shown by Richard Ellis and his daughter Becky, with Simon, Robert and Dan Ellis also an integral part of the family farming business. The 42kg victors sold for the day’s top call of £101 per head to Andrew Atkinson, of Felliscliffe, Harrogate, who secured the champions in behalf of Hartshead Meats in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Forward: 90 Prime cattle comprising 22 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 3 Prime Bulls, 5 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 60 Cast Cattle 2,959 Prime Sheep comprising 2,470 Prime & Lightweight Lambs, 489 Cast Ewes & Rams 67 Rearing Calves 50 Dairy Cattle 4 Loads of produce

Forward: 38 Prime cattle comprising 5 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos) & 33 Cast Cattle; 2,191 Prime Sheep comprising 2,015 Spring Lambs, 176 Cast Sheep; 68 Rearing Calves; 4 Loads of produce;

Forward: 50 Prime cattle comprising 1 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 48 Cast Cattle & 1 Feeding Bull. 1,838 Prime Sheep comprising 1,667 Spring Lambs, 171 Cast Ewes & Rams. 57 Rearing Calves. 32 Dairy Cattle. 2 Loads of produce.

Forward: 44 Prime cattle comprising 1 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 43 Cast Cattle. 2,626 Prime Sheep comprising 1894 Spring Lambs, 116 Cast Hoggs, 605 Cast Ewes & 11 Rams. 43 Rearing Calves. 2 Loads of produce.

Forward: 43 Prime cattle comprising 1 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos)& 42 Cast Cattle including 2 Mature Bulls 1,749 Prime Sheep comprising 1,127 Spring Lambs, 231 Hoggs, 391 Cast Ewes & Rams, 203 Breeding Sheep, 77 Rearing Calves, 7 Dairy Cattle, 1 Load of produce.

Keelham back in for primestock champions Keelham Farm Shop, of Thornton, Bradford, virtually completed a clean sweep of the prize winners at the June show of prime cattle at Skipton Auction Mart, including the champion and reserve champion, as well as buying the day’s top prime lambs. (Mon, June 1) Keelham’s James Robertshaw started off by purchasing the prime cattle champion, a 525kg 16-month-old British Blue-cross heifer for 280.5p/kg, or £1,473. It was shown by regular red rosette winner Jim Baines, of Trawden.

Forward: 81 Prime cattle comprising Clean Cattle 8 (under 30 mos), 4 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos), 3 Mature Bulls & 66 Cast Cattle 2,040 TOTAL HEAD OF SHEEP comp: 1,943 Prime Sheep comprising 1098 Spring Lambs, 230 Prime & Lightweight Hoggs, 586 Cast Ewes & 29 Cast Rams. 97 Breeding Sheep. 41 Rearing Calves. 3 Loads of produce.