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.
With a live weight of 44kg, dead weight 23.5kg, killing out percentage of 53.4% and AHDB grading of E2, the title winner was snapped up by £420 top price by Andrew Warren, of Cleckheaton, a private buyer purchasing the carcase as a “special Christmas treat” for family and friends.
Standing reserve champion was the first prize 35-40kg Continental carcase from Anthony and Emma Thompson, of Foulridge, By a home-bred stock tup, the lamb, a third prize winner at the recent Agri-Expo in Carlisle, had a live weight of 39kg, 20.7kg deadweight, killing out percentage of 53% and E2 grading.
It sold for £160 to Cropper Family Butchers, run by father and daughter, George Snr and Clare Cropper, for their long established shop in Accrington Market, with the same buyers also paying second top call of £340 for the third prize Beltex-cross 21.9kg deadweight, E3L carcase from last year’s reserve champion, Hannah Brown, of Leyburn, which also received a special prize from the Northern Beltex Club. Both carcases will be prepared for the forthcoming Christmas trade.
The under-35kg Continental show class fell to another Beltex from Tosside brothers, Trevor and Clive Robinson. With a live weight of 32kg, 17.7kg deadweight, killing out percentage of 53.3% and E2 grade, it was claimed for £115 by Anthony Swales for his Knavesmire Butchers in York.
Runners-up in the same show class were Whalley father and son, Richard and Mark Ireland, with a17.5kg deadweight, E2 graded Beltex carcase, which returned to its place of origin when claimed for £200 by SR Hallworth Butchers in Accrington Road, Whalley. Owner Steven Hallworth is, like his customers, a great fan of Ireland prime lambs and he also went to £200 each to successfully claim another two carcases from the same home.
The third prize under-35kg Continental, a 17.5kg deadweight, U3L grade carcase from Ian Bell, of Carleton, made £110 when joining regular buyer Stephen Hodgson, who runs the Falcon Inn in Arncliffe and also went to £120 to secure another Ian Bell third prize winner, a 23.5kg deadweight, U3L carcase. Both will again appear on the pub’s Christmas menu.
Another £160 sale fell to a second prize-winning 24.1kg, E3H, Continental carcase from Scott and Laura Robinson, of Barnoldswick, claimed by Featherstone Butchers in Howden, Goole, closely followed at £150 by another second prize 24.9kg deadweight, E3LContinental carcase from the Heseltine family in Bolton Abbey, bought by George Cropper Jnr for his Sandersons Butchers in Baxenden.
In the hill lamb show class, the red rosette winning Mule carcase from the Stockdale family in Burnsall had a live weight of 42kg, deadweight 19.7kg, killing out 46.9% and 04H grading. It sold for £70 to Skipton-based Stanforths Butchers.
The Dalesbred show class again fell to David Wilson, of JM Wilson & Sons in Beckwithsaw. With a live weight of 42kg, dead weight 19.7kg, killing out 56.4% and 05 grading, the carcase sold at £100 to Swaledale Foods in Skipton, who also paid £88 for a second prize hill-bred carcase from the Wilson family.
The 24 lamb carcases on show sold to an overall average of £162.60. As in past years, all had first been delivered to the mart and weighed live, before slaughter at John Penny and Sons in Rawdon, returning to the CCM Quality Foods meat processing plant, run by Stanforths Butchers, who also sponsored the five show classes, which were judged by Howden butcher Philip Parkin.
The fixture again presented an ideal opportunity for regional butchers, hotels, restaurants and pubs to purchase award-winning carcases for display and sale in the run up to Christmas