Lancaster Skipton Christmas prime lamb champions sell at heady £500 each For the second consecutive year, there was a Ribble Valley supreme champion at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual Christmas prime lambs show when Ian Lancaster, of Coldcotes Farm, Wiswell, near Clitheroe, landed the prestigious title for the first time. (Sun, Nov 25) Mart regular Mr Lancaster, joined by son Richard and his wife Mary, had been reserve supreme champion in the past, this time clinching overall top spot – and the bragging rights to go with it - with the first prize and champion Continental trimmed trio of lowland lambs, home-bred 41kg Beltex-cross lambs all by a ram from Andrew John Wood, who runs the Withy Trees Beltex flock near Preston.

North family success at CCM Skipton Christmas carcase showcase Giggleswick husband and wife, John and Alison North, of Brackenber Fold, were supreme champions in the annual lamb carcase competition staged as part of Skipton Auction Mart’s 11th annual Christmas primestock shows and sales. (Sun, Nov 25) With their parents away for the weekend, the title winner was shown by the Norths’ two children, Isobel and John, aged nine and seven respectively, who were accompanied by their aunt, Jill Perrings. She runs the Pergill pedigree Texel flock in Rathmell and it was one of her rams, Pergill Yipee, that had sired the victor, bred out of a three-quarters Texel ewe.

Thackray porkers champions at CCM Skipton Christmas highlight Daniel Thackray, of Prospect House Farm, Fewston, won the prime pigs championship for the first time at Skipton Auction Mart’s 11th annual Christmas primestock shows and sales. (Sun, Nov 25) He secured the title with his first prize trio of 87.3kg home-bred Pietrain-cross gilts, the pick of a litter of ten from a Large White sow. The victors were claimed for £5 per kilo, or £436.50 head, a total outlay £1,039.50, by retail butcher Anthony Kitson. It was a new record high price for pigs at the Christmas highlight, also believed to be the most paid for prime porkers anywhere in the UK this year.

Chadwick & Leaver bull calf clinches CCM Skipton Christmas title Skipton Auction Mart’s annual Christmas rearing calf show attracted a cracking entry of 111 head and heady trade to match across all sections. (Mon, Nov 26) Show champion was Marcus Chadwick, who trades as Chadwick and Leaver at Higher Town House Farm, Southfield, near Burnley. His seven-week-old Simmental-bred bull calf caught the eye of the show judge, Will Gore-Browne, of SIlsden Moor, and he later claimed it in the sale ring for £440. Mr Chadwick is a seventh generation commercial dairy farmer and the family currently milks 170 Holstein Friesian cattle.

Gambles make it six on the trot in CCM Skipton Christmas cast ewe show Annual Christmas shows for cast ewes and cull cows again followed hot on the heels of the high profile festive primestock fixtures at Skipton Auction Mart.(Mon, Nov 26) It was normal service as usual when Easingwold husband and wife, Ken and Hazel Gamble, of Brickyard Farm, sent out the cast ewe champions for an unprecedented sixth consecutive year, again with a pen of five pure-bred Texels.

CCM Lingfields Christmas Primestock Shows – Sunday 25th November The 11th Annual Craven Lingfield Christmas Primestock Show was held on Sunday 25th November. FORWARD – 57 Prime Cattle. 234 Butchers Lambs. 24 Lamb Carcasses. 26 Prime Pigs.

Bordley’s John Stephenson crowned CCM Skipton Christmas prime cattle supreme champion at long last After standing reserve supreme champion the previous three consecutive years, local breeder John Stephenson, of Bordley Green Farm, Bordley, finally got his hands on the title he had long sought when crowned overall supreme champion for the first time at Skipton Auction Mart’s 11th annual Christmas prime cattle show and sale. (Sun, Nov 25) Accompanied by son, also John,, he secured the coveted title with his first prize British Blue-cross heifer and female champion, a 14-month-old home-bred by Tattan Harlequin, shown to good effect all summer, winning at several local shows, including the Gargrave championship, as well as standing third in class at the Great Yorkshire,

Another great result from Skipton Auction Mart festive charity showcase Champion in the annual fodder hay competition, which formed part of special events staged for charity alongside the annual 2018 Christmas primestock shows at Skipton Auction Mart, was Richard Close, of Starbotton, with his first prize bale of seed hay. (Sun, Nov 25) Darley’s Jackie Dalby, a familiar face in the front office at the mart, was a dual red rosette winner with her home-made sausage rolls and Victoria sandwich cake, with Skipton’s Milly Eaton taking another first prize with her Scotch eggs.

Fortnightly Sale of Young Feeding Bulls, Store Bullocks & Heifers, Breeding Cattle Forward: 489 head of cattle Comprising: 485 Feeding Cattle (101 Young Bulls, 35 Beef Feeding Cows, 349 Bullocks & Heifers) & 4 Breeding Cattle.

Forward: 38 Prime cattle comprising 22 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 1 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 15 Cast Cattle 3,028 Prime Sheep comprising 2796 Prime Lambs & 232 Cast Ewes & Rams 69 Rearing Calves 13 Dairy Cattle 5 Loads of produce

Craven Dairy Auction (13 head) Suzy Lawson took the honours today with a cracking Pedigree 2nd Calver. The pre-sale show kindly judged by Aubrey Greenhalgh saw some quality animals on offer however it was the Cow from Lawson’s that was the clear winner. Boasting 48 litres and calved 14 days, after giving over 10,000 litres as a heifer at Newbirks as she went on to sell for £1980 to Brian Blezard of Ribchester. Selling for the next highest price was almost the last animal in the ring. The 30kg, fortnight calved heifer from John Ireland of Thorpe Bassett near Malton ended up selling for £1980 to John Howard of Skipton.

Anticipation high for CCM Christmas primestock showcase this Sunday The much anticipated climax of Skipton Auction Mart’s primestock year, the high profile annual Christmas shows and sales, take place this Sunday. (Nov 25). Both traditional family-run retail butchers and meat wholesalers will again be at the ringside and going head-to-head in a bid to claim the cream of region’s prime cattle and lambs for their customers’ festive tables.

Near £1,500 top for prime cattle The weekly prime cattle sale of 22 under 30-month entries produced a top gross and by-weight price for the one and only entry from F&B Smith, of Westhouse, Ingleton, a 540kg British Blue-cross steer sold to regular buyer, Countrystyle Meats Farm Shop in Lancaster, for £1,498 or 277.5p/kg.

Newbirks Blueblood second calver bags Craven Dairy Auction title Father and daughter dairy farmers, David and Suzy Lawson, of the Newbirks pedigree Holstein Friesian herd at Mill Farm, Arthingon, won their fourth Craven Dairy Auction championship of the year at November’s second show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart. (Mon, Nov 19)

Fortnightly Catalogue Sale of Store Lambs & Breeding Sheep. Forward: 7087 Head (5264 Store lambs & 1823 Breeding Sheep) Store Lambs – Overall av £54.81