It was a clean sweep for Pearsons, who also claimed every other prize winner in the pen-judged steer and heifer shows classes. These included the reserve champion, the first prize 545kg Limousin-x heifer from Threshfield brothers Charles and Richard Kitching, who from another strong pen also consigned the second prize heifer and both the second and third prize steers. The other rosette winner, the third prize heifer, came from Barden’s Ken Fawcett.

Weekly buyer, Skipton-based Keelham Farm Shop, took home four, among them the leading gross priced heifer, a 575kg Limousin-x from the Kitching’s Grisedale Farm pen at £1,526, or 265.5p/kg, while Robertshaw’s Farm Shop in Thornton, above Bradford, acquired one of the heavy cattle, a 640kg Limousin-x heifer from Silsden Moor farmer Simon Bennett at 235.5p/kg, or £1,507.

Other buyers of the 17 under 30-month clean cattle included the mart-based Barker’s Yorkshire Butchers. More are required, both farm assured and non-farm assured, on a weekly basis, with Skipton’s general manager and auctioneer Jeremy Eaton noting: “Indications are that with the new lockdown in place retail trade is picking up and those companies with more of a catering mix are looking to use up existing stocks and reviewing their requirements after each Thursday.”

A higher turnout of 25 cull cows saw fed meat good to sell among the Continental entries, which traded to a top of £1,084, or 173.5p/kg, for a young British Blue-x from George Fleetwood in Mirfield. The best of the dairies at the heavy end made to 116p/kg, with young dairies to feed selling to 121.5p/kg. The section achieved an overall selling average of £723.65 per head, or 106.37p/kg.

Just short of 4,000 prime sheep were sold, the 3,719 lambs among them seeing a great trade when averaging £94.50 per head, or a solid 213.7p/kg overall (SQQ 219/9p/kg)

Handyweight sheep were keenly contested, with 37-42kg Continentals in very strong demand, none more so than the monthly prize show principals, two top-notch pens of five Beltex-x lambs from regular Ribble Valley father and son vendors, Richard and Mark Ireland, of Heys Farm, Whalley. 

Their 44kg victors headed the gross prices at £145 each, or 329.5p/kg, when sold to weekly wholesale buyer Vivers Scotlamb in Annan, while the 37kg reserve champions topped the per kilo prices at 345.9p, or £128, when knocked down to the Swales family, regular buyers for their Knavesmire Butchers shop in Albermarle Road, York. 

George Sunderland, of Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge, reserve champion last month and overall champion in September, picked up another rosette with his third prize 44kg Beltex-x pen, which became a further Vivers buy at £128, as did a second pen at £130 (317p), plus another at a consignment-topping £135, or 270p//kg, to Knavesmire Butchers.

Other Vivers acquisitions included a trio of Beltex-x pens from Ellis Bros, of Addingham Moorside, at £140 (318p), £135 (300p) and £130 (317p), and another pen at £136.50 (310p) from JS Eddleston, of Great Harwood.

Frankland Farms, from Rathmell, also topped at £130 each, as did Malham Moor’s Bill Logan. Another 17 pens of lambs sold in the £120’s, with 74 pens in total making in excess of 250p/kg. The 1,276 lambs weighing 46kg and over levelled at 204p/kg, heavy lambs trading at £5 to £8 dearer on the week and generally making over £100. Hill-bred lambs also showed an increase of around 10p per kilo.

Both prime shows were judged by Eldwick’s Mick Etherington. Also among the mix were 235 cast ewes, with trade up a gear in all classes and many more could have been sold. The best end made to £127.50 for Texels from David Airey, of Sutton-in-Craven, with other big ewes still £115-plus, medium ewes doing better at £85-£100, depending on shape, white-faced ewes averaging £91 and a few crossed grazing ewes £70-£80. Cull ewes averaged £66.21 and cast rams £103.57.

The weekly Monday rearing calf sale attracted just 27 head and, with more farmers ringside seeking to replenish stock, here again there was a noticeable shortage, a point for future potential calf vendors to note.

Top of the shop on price was a £425 British Blue-x bull calf from Sutton-in-Craven’s Richard Spence, the same vendor also heading the black and white prices with a British Friesian at £180.

Blue bull calves averaged £382 and Blue heifers £241, though there was a distinct shortage. Of the native entries, Aberdeen-Angus bull calves again sold well to a section-topping £310 from Townhead Farm in Grassington, which was also responsible for both the top price Blue-x and Limousin-x heifer calves at £275 and £270 respectively.

Looking to this Saturday, annual pedigree sales will be staged for Hereford cattle and Suffolk sheep, with an online bidding facility available for both during lockdown, with the monthly livestock collective sale also on the same day’s agenda. Next Wednesday sees annual sales for both pedigree Shorthorn and Aberdeen-Angus cattle. Catalogues are at www.ccmauctions.com