Mr Fletcher claimed top call with his Siddall Mick, a well-bred son of the French bull Hinz – he imported the semen from France and the bull has since joined the Grahams herd in Sterling - out of the home-bred Siddall Georgina, who was ranked among the breed’s top ten in the country as a heifer.

The top price performer found a new home in the Yorkshire Dales with Ian Parkinson, of Barden, and will go to work on his dairy herd with a view to producing some quality beef-bred rearing calves

Ken and Hazel Gamble, who run the Linthorpe herd at Brickyard Farm, Easingwold, emulated their 2015 reserve championship win with a ready to work 2016 British Blue bull, Linthorpe Lendal, out of Croftends Indee, who was bought in-calf to Tweeddale Gee Whiz from the Bellas family in Appleby. The overall runner-up made to 2,100gns when crossing the border into Lancashire with Bacup’s J Laycock.

Greenhow’s Caroline Prince, whose Toftgate herd was responsible for the 2016 multi-breeds champion, returned to judge this year and awarded the title to a 2016 Blonde bull from the Stubbswalden herd of South Yorkshire’s Ken and Anita Jackson, who farm near Doncaster. The couple’s Stubbswalden Marksman, a home-bred son of Stubbs Walden Intrepid, failed to hit his target price in the sales ring and returned home.

Trevor Stoney, of JA Stoney & Son in Bewerley, presented his faithful seven-year-old French- bred Limousin stock bull, which has been used by the family to produce show calves. He will carry on his good work back in Nidderdale after selling for 1,900gns to A Newbould & Son, of Dallowgill

Moorside Leonardo, a March, 2016, Saler bull consigned by MW Fisher, of the Moorside herd in Cleckheaton, painted an impressive picture in the sales ring, sparking keen interest before falling for 1,600gns to John Lund, of Driffield. The bull’s sire was Beeston Hall Egor.

With choice amongst the Aberdeen-Angus entries, a brace of bulls from John and Alison Spensley, of Thorlby, and AG Whittle, of Bury, both sold above expectations at 1,350gns.

In the suckled calf show arena, first and second prize honours in the young bull class fell to home-bred all-black Limousin-cross entries from Kirklees showman Andrew Turner, of Turner Farms, based at Oldfield Road Farm in Holmfirth. Both were among the first crop of calves by a bull known as Nitro, acquired by Mr Turner in 2015 from Stephen Nixon in Wigton, Cumbria. The red rosette winner sold for £1,160, bettered by the runner-up at £1,180.

There was a another first and second prize win in the heifer show class for mother and daughter, Sandra and Lucy Blades, who trade as T&S Blades at Hill Top Farm, Carnforth, with a sweet pair of home-bred seven-and-a-half-month-old all-black Limousin-cross heifers, out of British Blue-cross Friesian cows. By Jaguar, a stock bull acquired two years ago from Dave Kelly at Nether Hall, near Kirkby Lonsdale, the frontrunners – the first prize winner was also overall section champion - sold at £900 and £800 respectively.

Also chipping in with a one-two in the 2017-born steer show class were George and Pauline Fleetwood, of Mirfield with Limousin-cross entries sold at £910 and £750 respectively.

David Newhouse, who farms in the Yorkshire Dales at Ghyllstones Farm, Malham, won the show class for the best 2016-born steer with a 17-month-old home-bred Blue-cross-Blonde by Browns Buzzard, a bull he uses courtesy of his near neighbour Richard Brown, of Accraplatts. The red rosette winner sold well at £1,190.

The fortnightly Wednesday sale attracted another strong turnout of 618 head. While the 80 young feeding bulls on parade recorded a lower average on the fortnight of £911 per head, this was the first time that a plentiful supply of 2016-born suckled calves had hit the stage at Skipton.

Store cattle, 530 in number, included a few younger animals and given the trade for stronger sorts, the suckled calves found a ready market and sold at a straight price. Some good runs of strong, forward sorts attracted extra buyers and typical prices for the best end were £1,250 to £1,380, this for an Aberdeen-Angus bullock from Selby’s Willlie Timms

A good continental 15-18 months-plus still sold well, while 2nd grade commercial sorts were actually dearer than the previous sale. Store bullocks sold to an overall Continental-cross average of £930 and store heifers £883, with respective averages of £890 and £805 for natives.

Eighteen beef feeding cows were also penned for sale, selling to highs of £1,190 for a British Blue and £1,000 for a Limousin.