Jowetts claim first Skipton prime cattle championship
There was a first-ever championship success at Skipton Auction Mart’s October prime cattle show for Stephen and Nichola Jowett, of Lower West Scholes Farm, Queensbury. (Mon, Oct 7)
The couple secured the title with their first prize heifer, a black Limousin-cross-British Blue which had been shown on the regional show circuit all summer by their 19-year-old granddaughter, Fiona, picking up multiple rosettes, among them the Keighley Show championship.
Weighing in at 600kg, the victor went on to sell for the day’s leading gross price of £1,587, or 264.5p/kg, to D Gregory & Sons Butchers in St James Street, Bacup.
The business, which last year celebrated its milestone 50th anniversary, took home three prime cattle in total, also claiming the reserve champion, the second prize 575kg British Blue-cross heifer from the Critchley family in Hutton, Preston, paying a by-weight high of 270.5p/kg, or £1,555.
The first prize bullock, a black Limousin-cross from the Kitching brothers in Threshfield, bred by the Stoney family in Pateley Bridge, made £1,395, or 236.5p/kg, when becoming one of four acquisitions by Skipton-based Keelham Farm Shop
Once again, plenty of retail customers at the ringside ensured a flying trade for the 15 under 30-month prime cattle on parade. Increased weight in the steers saw the four on offer average £1,182 per head across the 613kg weight average, with 11 heifers with an average weight of 547kg selling at an overall average of £1,378.
Other retail buyers were Countrystyle Meats Farm Shop and Restaurant in Lancaster, with two, another two for Eliisons Butchers in Cullingworth, and one for Stanforths Butchers in Skipton.
Show judge was William Rathmell, manager of Brayton Farm Shop in Selby.
Sunderland back-to-back prime lambs championship coup
Calderdale sheep farmer, George Sunderland, of Sykes Gate Farm, Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge, again stood champion at Skipton Auction Mart’s October prime lambs show, following up on his title-winning success the previous month. (Mon, Oct 7)
He secured back-to-back titles with another pen of five Beltex-cross lambs, which weighed in at 45kg and, like last month, sold to Vivers Scotlamb in Annan for £106 per head.
Show judge Paul Watson, from Hellifield, awarded the reserve championship to the second prize Continental pen, 50kg Beltex-cross from D&A Livestock in Haverah Park, Harrogate, which fell to Kitson & Sons Butchers for its four north-east shops, including its latest Five Houses Farm Shop and Kitchen in Crathorne.
The first prize 53kg Suffolk-cross pen from John and Claire Wright, of Airton, sold to Felliscliffe’s Andrew Atkinson at £88 per head, who also went to £73 to claim the red rosette-winning 49kg Mules from the Booth family in Feizor, north of Settle.
Prime lamb trade was much sharper on the week, the 3,201 turnout selling to an overall average of £75.90 per head, or 170.2p/kg