Robert Towers again dominates Skipton Easter Spring lamb showcase Red Rose sheep farmer Robert Towers rattled up another championship and reserve championship double at the annual Easter prime lamb show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart. (Mon, March 21) Mr Towers, of Camp House Farm, Farleton, Lancaster, was repeating his coup of the previous year at the North Yorkshire venue, while also picking up his fourth successive supreme champion’s rosette at the annual highlight with his first prize single lamb, a home-bred 45kg Beltex-cross-Charollais.

Fortnightly Sale of Young Feeding Bulls, Store Bullocks & Heifers, Breeding Cattle Forward: 654 head of cattle Comprising: 258 Young Feeding Bulls, 385 Bullocks & Heifers, 2 Feeding Cows & 9 Breeding Cattle. In the young Bull section, A pre lambing time sale caused a reduction in size and quality as housing is cleared. However trade for assured 9 to 11 month old continental bulls aimed to carry the appropriate amount of cover when finished continue to sell well. There was a more mixed show of stores but they were a decent trade with strong cattle maintaining prices from previous sales. Younger cattle made up a larger proportion of the sale and seasonal grazing buyers are beginning to come out looking for cattle before turnout, with young bullocks looking especially good to sell at stages in the sale.

440 Breeding Sheep An increased entry of 440 head for this week’s sale as numbers begin to grow quickly. The entry was slightly more varied and trade also as well. Anything with strong lambs was good to sell as buyers definitely look towards quality and these would generally upkeep last week’s trade. However anything with young lambs at foot were cheaper on the week. Another good entry promised for next week, and there is a show and sale in two week’s time on Easter Monday.

Craven Dairy Auction (27 head) All the signs this morning were for a dire trade with no one in the shippon until 5 minutes prior to the sale and miraculously turned into a better trade than the last two sales. Pre Sale show Champion from Peter Baul of Bishop Thornton calved 21 days and giving 32kgs went on to top the sale at £1780 with Robin Jennings taking the Reserve Champion Rosette with a heifer bred by the Late John Whittaker of Laneshawbridge and giving 33kgs at 18 days calved and sold for £1700. Incalf heifers were also a good trade with the 4 on offer averaging £1058 and selling to £1120 for a big strong heifer from David and Jill Pennock.

Repeat successes at Skipton Spring young bull showcase Sires with previous winning form at Skipton were again on the mark when responsible for both red rosette performers at the mart’s annual Spring show and sale of young feeding bulls, where all prize winners were by British Blue bulls – and all but one of them fell to York farmer and butcher Anthony Swales. (Wed, March 16)

MARKET REPORT – MONDAY 14th MARCH 2016 Forward: 63 Prime cattle comprising 13 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 3 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 47 Cast Cattle incl. 2 Mature Bulls. 3,033 Prime Sheep comprising 22 Spring Lambs 2,693 Old Season Lambs, 318 Cast Ewes & Rams. 440 Breeding Sheep. 64 Rearing Calves B&W av £69 Cont av £318.42 Native av £223.4 to £435. 27 Dairy Cattle: Newly Calven Heifers (18): av £1188 to £1780 M Baul & Partners. 13 Loads of produce.

MARKET REPORT - There was a nice entry of 130 head of stirks and a straight trade seen for those on offer. The next sale will be held on Saturday 23rd April.

MARKET REPORT – SATURDAY 12th MARCH 2016 - CCM Auctions conducted their Agri-Trader Auctions in conjunction with the Monthly Sale of Stirks and Weaned Calves. There was a nice entry of 130 head of stirks and a straight trade seen for those on offer. Out in the yard there were 5 Tractors and vehicles, 406 lots of Machinery and Implements, 360 lots of Salvage and Reclaim items, 131 lots of Furniture & collectables and finally 167 lots of Poultry and Waterfowl for The Craven Feather Auction.

Bristow Black Orpingtons secure debut success at Skipton poultry show White Wyandotte reserve champions sell for sale-topping £200 A trio of 2015-bred Black Orpingtons, a cockerel and two pullets, clinched a debut championship success for first-time vendor Robert Bristow, of Murton York, at the Craven Feather Auction Spring show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart. (Sat, March 12) While just 23, Robert has been successfully breeding poultry for 15 years, rearing Rosecombs, Old English Game Birds and a few Orpingtons. Previous successes in the poultry show arena include a best in show at Driffield and reserve at Gargrave Show.

The weekly sale of Sheep with lambs @ foot got into full swing today and attracted a larger entry of 319 head and on a nice sunny morning buyers were out in force. Frankland Farms from Rathmell led the sale at £205 per outfit with Texel cross ewes with twins, other pens at £200 at £195. Others at £200 included Richard Umpleby selling Suffolk x Ewes b/m with nice Texel lambs, whilst James and Deborah Ogden from Austwick sold 4 crop correct Mules with Strong Charollais lambs at £200 and £190.

Forward: 74 Prime cattle comprising 21 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 3 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 50 Cast Cattle 3,275 Prime Sheep comprising 3,002 Old Season Lambs, 273 Cast Ewes & Rams 319 Breeding Sheep comprising 306 Ewes & Lambs & 13 Geld Hoggs 61 Rearing Calves 11 Loads of produce

Capstick family first-time championship at Skipton prime lamb show Father-and-son sheep farmers Nicky and Robert Capstick, of Yew Tree Farm, Bolton-by-Bowland, won the prime lamb championship for the first time ever at Skipton Auction Mart’s March show. (Mon, March 7) The Capsticks were not only clinching their first title, but also their first-ever prize at Skipton with the red rosette-winning pen of five Continental home-bred Texel-cross-Beltex 48kg prime lambs from their 200-strong flock. They sold for £119 per head to regular buyers Vivers Scotlamb in Annan

Malcolm Metcalfe champion again at Skipton prime cattle show Baldersby Park beef cattle farmer Malcolm Metcalfe notched up a second successive championship at Skipton Auction Mart’s March prime cattle show. (Mon, March 7) Mr Metcalfe clinched his latest title with his red rosette-winning all-black Limousin-cross bullock, bred in Cumbria and acquired from Clapham’s Jonathan Townley at last December’s annual Christmas store cattle show and sale at Skipton, when it was the first prize steer.

Fortnightly Sale of Young Feeding Bulls, Store Bullocks & Heifers, Breeding Cattle Forward: 461 head of cattle Comprising: 141 Young Feeding Bulls, 304 Bullocks & Heifers, 9 Feeding Cows & 7 Breeding Cattle.

MONDAY 29th FEBRUARY Sales of Breeding Sheep, including Ewes with lambs at foot, in lamb ewes and store hoggs have now reverted to the traditional season sales of weekly Mondays at Skipton, and will be sold at 12noon in the sheep ring. The normal online catalogue service will run and this will be posted every Friday afternoon so please log entries where possible with the Mart Office by 12noon on the Friday prior to sale.