Nidderdale success at Skipton prime cattle show
A home-bred British Blue-cross heifer from Nidderdale’s Bernard Simpson, of Spring House, Heathfield, Pateley Bridge, was champion at the February prime cattle show at Skipton Auction Mart.
Mr Simpson stepped
up on his reserve championship success at the opening New Year show with his
home-bred daughter of a Tamhorn sire purchased at Skipton several years earlier
and which has been responsible for the majority of his prizewinners at the North
Yorkshire venue of late.
Out of a Limousin
cow, the victor headed the day’s prices at £1,575, or 262.5p/kg, when becoming yet another championship-winning
acquisition by Keelham Farm Shop in Thornton, Bradford, which also paid £1,354
for a second British Blue-cross heifer from Mr Simpson.
Keelham, which is
due to open its second farm shop in Gargrave Road, Skipton, later this year,
acquired five beef cattle in total, including, at £1,374 and second top price
in show, the reserve champion, a home-bred Limousin-cross heifer by his
well-proven Gunnerfleet stock bull from Simon Bennett, of Delph Farm, Silsden,
who was making a welcome return to the prime cattle show arena at Skipton.
Their other
acquisitions were the first prize Limousin-cross bullock from Skipton regular
Jimmy Baines, of Trawden at £1,264, or 235.5p/kg, and a further heifer from
David Bamforth, of Wainstalls, Halifax, at £1,176, or 228.5p/kg.
The monthly cast
cattle show saw John and Gill Huck, of Hubberholme, land a championship and reserve
championship double with their first and second prize beef-bred entries, both
Limousins, knocked down at £934, or 134.5p/kg, and £915, or 131.5p/kg,
respectively. The top price beef animal at £989, or 134.5p/kg, was a
Blonde-cross from local breeders Keith and Jeanette Marshall, of Niffany.
The first prize
dairy-bred entry from G Abbott & Son in Dacre, Harrogate, sold for £889, or
112.5p/kg, with black and white prices headed at £927, or 114.5p/kg, with a cow
from Norman Bell, of Cowling.
Cull cows, which
comprised 55 of the 69-strong prime cattle entry, sold to an overall average of
£696.83 per head, or 104.90p/kg.