Pedigree cattle set to beef up 2017 seasonal showcase at CCM Skipton
Skipton Auction Mart is gearing up for its 2017 pedigree beef show and sale season, a series of high profile Wednesday fixtures.
It opens on April 26 with the annual show and sale of British Blue breeding bulls, cows and heifers, complemented by a prize sale for British Blue-sired store cattle. The fixture is again expected to create significant interest among potential buyers of sires suitable for breeding on both pedigree and commercial beef and dairy herds.
The following Wednesday, May 3, features the second annual show and sale for native breed cattle, both pedigree and stores, when Craven Cattle Marts is confident of building on the success of last year’s inaugural fixture.
It again takes places ahead of the Ling Fields Beef Cattle Fair later the same month, providing an additional opportunity for vendors to sell native breed bulls and generate more interest from potential buyers at a time of peak demand. The store cattle section will also appeal to finishers looking to buy cattle for turnout to grass.
Pedigree Limousin cattle again get a chance to shine at their annual two-day early season breed showcase on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 9 and 10, with the opening day set aside as usual for the annual show-only Northern Limousin Extravaganza for the ‘babies’ of the breed - 2016-born halter-led pedigree and cross-bred youngsters.
The afternoon will also allow pre-sale viewing of entries for Wednesday’s Craven Limousin Day highlight, the annual Spring show and sale of pedigree Limousin bulls and females. Supported by the North East Limousin Breeders Club, this fixture continues to grow in both stature and popularity year on year.
Last year’s sale attracted an increased entry of 88 head, achieving a clearance rate of 86% for bulls and 93% for females, with a top price of 4,900gns for an intermediate bull from North Craven-based Jim and Ian Handley’s Gunnerfleet herd, one of the oldest foundation herds in the country.
Many local and northern premium suckled calf producers are again expected at the ringside, along with dairy producers looking to add value to calf sales.
Skipton’s pedigree beef season concludes on Wednesday, May 24, with the Lingfields Beef Cattle Fair, the annual multi-breed show and sale of pedigree beef breeding cattle, coupled with the late Spring sale of breeding bulls, with additional classes for feeding bulls, beef feeding cows and store and breeding cattle. Only halter-led cattle will qualify for the show classes.