Gunnerfleet Limousin herd shines at Skipton beef breeding cattle showcase Local showmen claimed the principal honours at a special show and sale of pedigree beef breeding cattle at Skipton Auction Mart, staged alongside the annual Craven Champions store cattle with show potential double-header. (Wed, Feb 14)

Walker family dominates Craven Champions showcase Supreme champion falls to show judge for new record price of £3,600 The Walker farming family, from Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge, dominated the Craven Champions double-header, the annual opening show and sale of 2017-born store cattle with show potential at Skipton Auction Mart. (Tues & Wed, Feb 13 & 14)

Craven Dairy Auction (14 head) A good trade was had in the dairy ring this morning with the pre-sale show being judged kindly by Brian Blezard of Ribchester. The 1st Prize Heifer and Champion consigned by J Caygill & Partners of Rylstone, went on to take the championship with a 28 litre pedigree heifer that had been calved 9 days. A lovely wearing heifer with a cracking udder was hard bid for and was eventually knocked down to AG Parker of Emley for £2050. The second prize heifer from R&E Butterfield of Bentham, giving 26kg had a strong following also which quickly reached £1820 and went home with Mark Goodall of Tong.

Forward: 47 Prime cattle comprising 17 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), & 30 Cast Cattle. 3280 Prime Sheep comprising 3050 Old Season Lambs & 230 Cast Ewes & Rams. 60 Rearing Calves. 14 Dairy Cattle. 11 Loads of produce.

Caygill champion number two at Craven Dairy Auction Jonathan Caygill, who runs the Rylstone pedigree Holstein Friesian herd at Manor Farm, picked up his second Craven Dairy Auction championship of the year at Skipton Auction Mart’s opening February show and sale. (Monday, Feb 12) Mr Caygill repeated his title-winning success at the mart’s first dairy show of 2018 last month with his first prize home-bred newly calven heifer, Jeeves Lynn, by the Genus sire, Ked Outside Jeeves.

CCM Auctions Conducted their Monthly Sale of Stirks, Weaned Calves and Young Store Cattle. Forward – 99 head cattle & 36 head sheep/goats. NEXT SALE - Saturday 10th March 2018

Forward: 658 Head, Store Lamb av £52.85; Inlamb Ewes av £105.45 A seasonal entry of store sheep met with a very strong trade on the day, best smart continentals to £91, and stronger sorts mid 60’s to mid 70’s. Several lots of nice Lonk Wethers resulted in a breed average of £55 and similar for Mules. Inlamb Sheep sold well this fortnight with a nice dispersal of Correct Texel Ewes 2shear upwards seeing the best end trade at £110 to £120, and smaller types £100-£105.

Another title and top price double for Smearsett BFL flock at CCM Skipton The Booth family’s Smearsett Blue Faced Leicester flock, based at Old Hall Cottage, Feizor, north of Settle, emulated its success of the previous year when again sending out the champion and top price performer at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual winter fixture for breed females. (Wednesday, February 7).

Forward: 57 Prime cattle comprising 18 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 4 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 35 Cast Cattle 2,949 Prime Sheep comprising 2815 Old Season Lambs & 134 Cast Ewes & Rams 91 Rearing Calves 5 Loads of produce

Rearing Calves to £430 x2 (91) Good number of calves on offer today with 91 through the ring and a healthy trade too. Chadwick and Leaver of Southfield, Burnley topped the prices twice, with two tremendous british blue bulls at £430 each at only 1 month and 12 days of age. Small heifers seemed to be the trade of the day with Aberdeen Angus heifers averaging £231.25. and Lim heifers averaging £303.33. Black and whites easier on the week but trade was good for the quality on offer with plenty of fleshy types past the £100 barrier.

Another Critchley coup in Skipton prime cattle show arena Keelham claim lion’s share of quality entry R&H Critchley, from Mercer Farm, Hutton, near Preston, once again dominated the prime cattle arena at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest monthly showcase, on Monday, February 5, repeating their title-winning success at January’s opening show. This came on the back of six titles wins, plus a trio of reserve championships in 2017.

Towler Continentals win CCM Skipton prime lambs title James Towler, of Steelands Farm Grindleton, was champion at Skipton Auction Mart’s monthly prime lamb show on Monday, February 5, with a pen of five home-bred 41kg Beltex-cross. All in the title-winning pen were by a pure-bred ram acquired at last September’s main pedigree Beltex highlight at Skipton from Durham breeder Henry Jewitt. They sold for £114 each to regular Red Rose butcher buyer Hamlets, of Garstang.

NEMSA looks to the future with confidence NEMSA, the North of England Mule Sheep Association, remains in fine heart, with a growing membership fast approaching four figures and a solid financial footing, members heard at a well-attended 34th annual general meeting in Settle.

Free demo set to unlock potential for making smaller woodlands more productive Estate managers, agents, forestry contractors and farmers are being invited to a free demonstration in North Yorkshire which will provide valuable information for the timber management of small woods. The small-scale harvesting and extraction demonstration will run from 10.00am to 4.00pm at Bolton Abbey, near Skipton, on Friday, March 23.

Fortnightly Sale of Young Feeding Bulls, Store Bullocks & Heifers, Breeding Cattle. Forward: 908 head of cattle. Comprising: 293 Young Feeding Bulls, 27 Beef Feeding Cows, 580 Bullocks & Heifers, & 8 Breeding Cattle.