Enhanced Skipton native store cattle fixture a resounding success
A much enhanced annual autumn fixture for native store cattle at Skipton Auction Mart was well supported by both buyers and vendors alike, attracting a strong and significantly increased turnout of over 100 head and support from both Morrisons Supermarkets through its pioneering Beef Shorthorn Scheme and the Beef Shorthorn Society. (Wed, Sept 12)
Taking both first and second prizes in the Beef Shorthorn show class were local breeders, the Daggett family, who run the 20-strong Hartlington Beef Shorthorn herd at Wharfe House Farm in the Yorkshire Dales village of the same name.
The two prize-winning home-bred 17-month-old bullocks were both by the same Podehole sire, a high performance bull well utilised by the herd. All the native cattle were shown and sold in pairs and for the Daggett consignment to a top of £1,040
Jeremy Daggett echoed the thoughts of many when commenting that the improved fixture was good for native cattle breeders and could only help attract more buyers to the mart. As a bonus, he received a bottle of whisky from Jim Holden, who buys cattle for Morrison’ own meat processing company.
Through the Morrisons-backed scheme, Beef Shorthorn cattle and their crosses receive a special premium of 25ppkg over the base price. At least two Beef Shorthorn products are now available at every Morrisons store nationwide.
Sam Trick, Morrisons’ livestock and farming development manager said: “After many years of work, we have built a solid and dependable supply chain that now allows us to sell Shorthorn branded beef products into all our supermarkets. The beef delivers unequalled eating quality and is managed carefully though our own meat processing company, Woodhead Bros.”
There was a clean sweep of the prizes in the Belted Galloway show class for Chris and Christine Ryder, of Scaife Hall Farm, Blubberhouses, with the prize-winning trio among an eight-strong consignment of home-bred 28 and 29-month-old bullocks by the former Ryder stock bull, Butterlands Blue Jay, bred locally by Neil Heseltine in Malham.
Mr Ryder started his pedigree Belted Galloway herd ten years ago and now has around 100 head on the ground. His first prize pair went on to sell for £1,000 each.
A third native show class was won by 2017-born Aberdeen-Angus-cross bullocks from Robert Gemmell, of Bradshaw, Halifax, which sold at £1,110.
The show classes, judged by Tom Bland, of Braida Garth, Ingleton, formed part of Skipton’s fortnightly Wednesday store cattle sale, which attracted another solid turnout of 677 head.
There were 16 buyers for the 110 young feeding bulls on offer, with the best bulls in each age section keenly sought, as vendors filled up pens in response to a firming prime cattle price. Under 12 month bulls peaked at £1,240 for a December-born Limousin-cross from Turner Farms in Holmfirth, a price shared by Stephen Horsfield, of Mytholmroyd, for a November-born Blonde-cross.
James Towler, of Grindleton, presented a pen of eight matching red Limousin bulls aged 11 to 13 months, with the former selling to £1,195 and the latter to £1,200. While a few stale late Spring cattle and dairy-crosses affected overall selling averages - £954 per head for Continental-cross and £727.70 for natives - bulls were a very good trade in general.
A total of 536 bullocks and heifers were penned for sale, with older, stronger cattle again selling to a solid trade and notably sharp bidding for big, strong runs. John Hopkinson, of Cowling, topped the day’s trade with a Limousin-cross bullock at £1,375.
Black and white bullocks also met a very competitive ringside, with John Rennard, of Beamsley, topping at £1,120, while a run of 40 Continental-cross bullocks and heifers from the Lord family in Littleborough also caught the eye when averaging a solid £940.
Store bullocks averaged £971 for Continental-cross and £804 for natives, with respective averages of £876 and £625 for heifers.
A good entry of 30 beef feeding cows at all levels saw a brace of 2009 and 2015-born Limousin-cross from Jonathan Townley, of Clapham, sell well at £1,270 and £1,220 respectively. RS&HA Davey, of Eldroth also did well with a 2016 Bazadais-cross at £1,260, with a 2015 red Limousin cow from Paul Fletcher, of Birch, Heywood, also catching the eye at £1,250. The section produced an overall selling average of £872.