In addition, both the overall victor and the second red rosette winner sold well at 5,000gns, as the Upsall herd’s 17 representatives – 15 females and a brace of calves, the majority roans that are traditional to the breed – rattled up an awe-inspiring overall average selling price of £3,539 per head.

The herd’s top price performer at 6,500gns was its fourth prize junior heifer, Clipper X1152 of Upsall, a March, 2016, twin by the Nonpareil X454 of Upsall son, Fortress of Upsall, out of a Broughton Park Thunder cow from the long established Clipper line.

Having already stood first in class and reserve champion at last year’s Thirsk Calf Show and now herself scanned in calf to Firefox of Upsall, the new Skipton record price achiever was claimed by Messrs Sloane and Hayton, of Biggar Village, Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness.

Taking second top call of 6,000gns was another roan Fortress of Upsall daughter, the third prize 2015-born senior heifer, Tessa X1106 of Upsall, a first prize winner at the 2015 Thirsk Calf Show and something of a celebrity with an appearance when born on the Yorkshire Vet television series about James Herriot's old practice.

Her dam is Tessa X405 of Upsall, a half sister to the highly regarded Dingo of Upsall. Sold in calf to Grenadier of Upsall and due next January, the second top price performer found a new home in Cumbria with the Barwood pedigree herd of Paul Coates, who farms with his father Peter at Barrock End Farm, Armathwaite.

They are building up their Shorthorn herd, established three years ago and now numbering around 100 cows, with 240 head, including followers, currently on the ground in total. The Coates family is also hoping to make its mark in the show arena.

The Upsall herd, which was established well over a century ago in 1909 and now stands at around 80-strong, has sent out multiple past prize winners and champions at the annual Skipton breed showcase and many of its latest frontrunners were closely related.

The herd’s latest championship title winner was the red rosette-winning and first-time shown junior heifer, the April, 2016, Victoria X1170 of Upsall, also by the prolific Fortress, used with great success on the herd for the past four years. Out of Victoria X738 of Upsall, another Broughton Park Thunder daughter, and again scanned in calf to Firefox, the champion became the first 5,000gns Upsall sale when falling to Leazes Farm in Wolsingham, Bishop Auckland.

The second 5,000gns performer was the first prize senior heifer, Jilt X1097 of Upsall, a March, 2015, daughter of Dingo of Upsall, who has performed with great credit on the herd these past five years, out of Jilt 862 of Upsall, a half sister to Dakota. She is also in calf to Grenadier.

This, too, fell to Leazes Farm, which is owned by Dutchman Gerard Telintelo, who was claiming the two top quality heifers as the foundation for his brand-new pedigree Beef Shorthorn herd, which he plans to build quickly. A vet by trade, Mr Telintelo first moved to the UK in 1999 and to Weardale in 2005.

The Upsall herd also took third prize in one of the junior heifer classes with its home-bred March, 2016, Nonpareil X1142 of Upsall, by Glengloy Frigate, out of Nonpareil X454, who is herself by Loch Awe Lysander, also the dam of the renowned Upsall sire, Fortress. She sold for 3,900gns to W&M Hebron, of Clayton, Bradford.

“”It was a good sale. We were very happy and delighted that Fortress in particular produced some worthy winners,” said Mr Turton.

The other standout performers were local breeders Stuart and Gail Currie, of the Beautry herd in Rathmell, established in 2010, currently with 30 cows that have gone to the bull and 50 head on the ground with calves at foot.

Their four heifers all finished among the prizes, with the pick of them the first prize junior heifer and overall reserve champion, Beautry Kooky Rose, a March, 2016, light roan daughter of Beautry Hagrid, who is himself by the 2016 Great Yorkshire Show male champion, Beautry Excalibur. Hagrid’s own dam, Tessa X683 of Upsall, was reserve champion at Skipton in 2011, with another maternal sister landing the championship there in 2014 when sold for 5,200gns.

This year’s reserve champion, already winner of the North of England 2016 Calf Championship, is out of Bradshaw Classic Rose 2nd, bought as a stirk from south-west Scotland. Scanned in calf to Poyntington Himself, she joined RG Thompson, of Sneaton, Whitby, for 4,500gns.

Show judge David Dickie, who runs the Knockenjig pedigree Beef Shorthorn herd in Dumfriesshire, praised the annual showcase for producing quality right down through the lines. While the reserve was not far behind, Mr Dickie said his chosen champion caught his eye because of her upstanding style and length.

The Beautry holding, which produced the best group of heifers in this year’s Northern Area Club herd competition, was also responsible for both runners-up in the two junior heifer show classes. These, too, have been scanned in calf to Poyntington Himself, the easy calving 2016 Stirling bull sale champion when claimed by the Curries for 8,000gns

The first of them was the first-time shown March, 2016, Beautry Tessa Karma, by another well-bred son of Excalibur, Beautry Hermes, the first prize bull calf in the 2014 Northern herd competition and male champion at last year’s Great Yorkshire Show. Out of Croxtonpark Tessa, a former Royal Norfolk Show champion, Karma, a red heifer, made 2,150gns when finding a new home in Wales with G Williams & Son, of Mold, Flintshire.

The other second prize winner for the North Craven herd was another show debutant, the April, 2016, Beautry Shuna Kyrie, a red heifer also by Hagrid, out of Beautry Shona Florence. She sold locally for 2,250gns to New York Farms on Silsden Moor

The Curries completed a good day when also claiming third prize with a similarly bred junior heifer, Beautry Shuna Katerina, again by Hagrid, out of Beautry Helena, and also in calf to Poyntington Himself. She sold for 2,200gns to Falkingham & Hill in Goole.

Also among the prizes were local breeders, the Daggett family, who run the 20-strong Hartlington Beef Shorthorn herd, established a decade ago, at Wharfe House Farm in the village of the same name. Their April, 2015, dark roan Hartlington Jolie, by Croxtonpark Orville, is out of the Podehole Annie Aster daughter, Lucombe Annie.

Having already won prizes on the local show circuit and due to calve to Barnaigh Highwayman next April, Jolie sold for 2,200gns to WE Evans, of Llanrwst in North Wales’s Conwy Valley.

Outside the show classes, Charles and Sally Horrell’s Podehole herd in Thorney, Peterborough, produced a very good pen of heifers, with the three frontrunners on price all joining A&C Farms in Langham, Rutland, regular buyers at the fixture.

The pick of the pen was Podehole Phantasy Jessamine, a light roan October 2015-born daughter of the Chapeltown Clansman son, Podehole Fandango, out of the Trojan of Craigeassie granddaughter, Podehole Phantasy Euphoria, which made 4,100gns.

Next best at 3,500gns was Podehole Gypsy Kiva, a February, 2016, daughter of Millerston Fine Ideal, out of Podehole Gypsy Diamond, followed at 3,000gns by another Fine Ideal daughter, Podehole Rita Jaimee, a red and little white 2015 heifer out of the Chapelton Clansman-bred Podehole Rita Ginty.

A&C Farms is owned by husband and wife, Andre and Caroline Vrona, who started their now 65-strong Beef Shorthorn herd four years ago. They claimed four heifers in total at Skipton, which will be put to their three stock bulls, Jehu of Upsall, the 7,500gns Glenisla Hallmark and the home-bred Langham Junior Walker. The Vronas are also well-known as South Devon pedigree cattle breeders, with 100 head at present.

The Beef Shorthorn highlight attracted a turnout of 81 head, including calves. Top prices and averages were: 2016 Maiden Heifers to 3,900gns, av £2,243, 2017 Maiden Heifers to 850gns, av £814, Heifers incalf to 6,500gns, av £2,883, Cows incalf to 2,200gns, av £2,205, Cows with bull calves to 2,200gns, Cows with heifer calves to 1,800gns, av £1,838,Grade Maiden Heifers to 1,150gns, Grade Heifers incalf to 1,050gns, av.£1,063.

Show sponsors were I’Ansons Quality Feeds and supermarket group Morrisons. Detailed results and chief prices are at www.ccmauctions.com

Mrs Horrell, who is also president of the Beef Shorthorn Society, said the Skipton fixture was growing in both stature and popularity year on year and the turnout of females was one of the highest this year and the biggest of the autumn.

“The society is going from strength to strength. We have a lot of new members and registrations are rising. There is increasing evidence that breeders are looking more to Shorthorns as good commercial cows,” she said.

South Devons sell to 1,200gns twice
The Beef Shorthorn Society highlight was as usual staged alongside the annual sale of 12 pedigree cattle on behalf of the South Devon Herd Book Society, when long-established husband and wife breeders, Paul and Pam Harrison, who run the Brafferton herd in Tollerton, York, claimed top price of 1,200gns with a brace of home-bred maiden heifers by their own Brafferton Warrior 5. Both joined the same buyers, J Richardson & Son, of Peterborough.

From the same neck of the woods, Ms Alex Welch, who runs the Galtres herd at Huby Grange, also caught the eye with a 1,100gns sale of a served heifer daughter of Welland Valley Warrior, which remained in the area when joining Trevor Booker on Silsden Moor.

Arncliffe Farms, of Ingleby Cross, Northallerton, also sold a brace of home-bred maiden heifers at 1,000gns each – one again to J Richardson & Son, the other locally to John Mellin, of Black Lane Ends, above Carleton. South Devon heifers averaged £1,128 per head.