New auction record in fantastic rearing calf show at Skipton
In a fantastic show of rearing calves, Phillip Summers set a new auction record price when selling his champion for £710 at Skipton Auction Mart this week. (MON, MARCH 16)
Mr Summers, of Clayton, Bradford, had never won the calf championship at Skipton before.
His six-week-old British Blue bull, a suckler-bred calf out of a pedigree Limousin cow and by a Genus bull, emerged as champion at the Spring Calf show, before selling for the new top price record to regular buyers Vickers & Richardson, of Scarborough.
Mr Summers came out above the Sowray family, of Bowes Green Farm, Bishop Thornton, who won a number of calf championships at Skipton in 2014 and also set the previous top price record of £700.
However, brothers Shaun and Peter Sowray still had a good day with a Limousin bull calf, first in its class and reserve champion, selling for another high price of £630 to Northallerton’s Richard Turnbull.
The Sowrays also took first and second prizes in the British Blue heifer calf category and second prize with a British Blue bull calf.
Third prize for British Blue heifer calves was taken by JP & KE Hartley, of Beamsley, Bolton Abbey, while second prize Limousin bull calf was claimed by RD Metcalfe, of Grange Farm, Brearton, north of Harrogate, who also sold a Limousin cross heifer for £305, top price in class.
Other vendors such as Fred Houseman, of Burton Leonard, and John Marshall, of Monk Ing, had some strong runs, with an average of £434 per head for British Blue bull calves. Strong prices were also received for Aberdeen Angus calves, with bulls averaging £251 each and heifers £268.
The show was judged by Samantha Asquith, of Otley, and sponsored by Forfarmers, the regular sponsors for Skipton’s calf shows.