Simpson Blue bull charges to 4,900gns top price at Skipton Seven pedigree and pure-bred bulls featured among the turnout at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest fortnightly Wednesday cattle sale. It was a five-year-old British Blue from Bernard Simpson, of Pateley Bridge, that proved the real eye-catcher when selling locally for 4,900gns to Frankland Farms in Rathmell.

Forward: 57 Prime cattle comprising 22 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 5 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 30 Cast Cattle 1541 Prime Sheep comprising 267 Prime Lambs, 1021 Prime Hoggs & 253 Cast Ewes & Rams 46 Rearing Calves 704 Breeding Sheep comp 287 Sheep with 417 lambs at foot 3 Loads of produce

Northern Ireland schoolgirl Shannon Conn, 16, top dog at Skipton with 6,800gns Rosie Tony Birkett claims new centre record price of 6,700gns for dog under 12 months O Level exams prevented a 16-year-old schoolgirl from Northern Ireland attending the annual Spring sale of working sheep dogs at Skipton Auction Mart – and seeing her charge become top dog on price at 6,800gns (£7,140). (Fri, May 18)

Forward: 63 Prime cattle comprising 19 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 2 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 42 Cast Cattle 2,526 Prime Sheep comprising 292 Prime Lambs, 1724 Prime Hoggs & 510 Cast Ewes & Rams 87 Rearing Calves 27 Dairy Cattle 3 Loads of produce

Craven Dairy Auction (27 head) A cracking bull trade in the dairy ring today with David, Claire and Suzy Lawson presenting two tremendous bulls, both bred from the famous Newbirks Jazz family and boasting tremendous back pedigrees sold to a ready ringside of buyers. The first prize bull Newbirks Reebok, a tremendous dark bull found a new home with Gary Swires of K Swires & Co, Beckwithshaw with the other cracking bull from Newbirks selling for £1900 to Tony Swires of Stainburn.

Forward: 1,188 head of cattle Comprising: 239 Young Feeding Bulls, 44 Beef Feeding Cows, 713 Bullocks & Heifers, 23 Breeding Cattle & 89 Pedigree Cattle. A cracking show of young feeding bulls forward for sale and a strong line up of buyers ringside too. The best yearling bulls were keenly contested regularly selling for £1150 to a top of £1340 for a 12 month Limousin from A Lodge, Malham Moor. Andrew Bradley representing TH&K Wood, Birstwith sold yearlings at £1250 for a pen of 3, £1240 £1220 and 3 at £1190. Robert Davey from Eldroth, Mick Carr from Horton in Ribblesdale and John Greenhalgh of Bashall Eaves all had bulls at £1200 or more. There were 128 bulls aged 11-12 month old and they averaged £1039.84.

The Craven Limousin Day produced one of the best sales to date with a100% clearance of Intermediate Bulls ranging in price from 2700gns to 5000gns. Senior bulls reflected the same demand from buyers for strong bulls ready for work with just one failing to find a new home and a price range of 2300gns to 5000gns. With 4 Junior bull classes in the show and a large entry of 26 cattle buyers enjoyed choice and the section returned an 85% clearance rate with prices from 1500gns to 8500gns.

Gunnerfleet herd grasps centre record 8,500gns top price glory at CCM Skipton pedigree Limousin annual highlight Supreme championship falls to South Lakeland Arradfoot herd The celebrated North Craven Gunnerfleet pedigree Limousin herd of father and son, Jim and Ian Handley, widely recognised as one of the leading herds for the breed in the country, was responsible for the top price 8,500gns (£8,925) performer at Skipton Auction Mart’s premier breed highlight of the year, the annual Spring show and sale of pedigree bulls and females

NORTHERN LIMOUSIN EXTRAVAGANZA - Judge – Mr Andrew Ewing. OVERALL SUPREME CHAMPION – Garrowby Estate Lot 10. OVERALL RESERVE CHAMPION – GA Sedgwick Lot 54

Garrowby siblings shine at Northern Limousin Extravaganza Sedgewick commercial champion overall reserve A brother and sister from Garrowby Farms, which forms part of the Garrowby Estate at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds east of York, secured a pedigree championship double for breeder Clive Rowland at the 2018 Northern Limousin Extravaganza (NLE), the opening day of Skipton Auction Mart’s annual two-day breed showcase.

2,899 Breeding Sheep comp 1059 Geld Gimmer Hoggs and 747 Outfits Breeding Sheep with 1093 lambs at foot A very busy day today for our Annual May Day Prize Sale of Breeding Sheep with nearly 3,000 head penned for sale. The Geld Gimmer Hoggs sold first and this years entry was very mixed for quality, and trade was reasonably for the best end, but just steady for the next grade, with fat price looking a back up option for anything that was not at the top of its game.

Forward: 22 Prime cattle comprising 14 Clean Cattle (under 30 mos), 4 Clean Cattle (over 30 mos) & 4 Cast Cattle 1,761 Prime Sheep comprising 123 Spring Lambs, 1,275 Old Season Lambs & 363 Cast Ewes & Rams 2,899 Breeding Sheep comp 1059 Geld Gimmer Hoggs and 747 Outfits Breeding Sheep with 1093 lambs at foot 44 Rearing Calves

Rearing Calves to £470 (45) B&W av £98.33 Cont av £354.15 Skipton Calf show was on today with certainly not the biggest turnout of calves but what a cracking trade for the calves that arrived. Pre Sale show was kindly judged by Mark Burton and chose the cracking calf of Sowray Bros as his champion and a belter of a limousin from David and Richard Pickersgill of Hawksworth as Reserve Champion.

May Day bank holiday show feast at CCM Skipton A May Day bank holiday bonanza at Skipton Auction Mart featured multiple shows for breeding sheep, calves and primestock. (Monday, May 7) On a traditionally busy day, almost 3,000 head of breeding sheep were penned for sale, comprising 747 outfits of hoggs with 1,093 lambs at foot and 1,059 geld gimmer hoggs.

NFU President highlights need for positive trading environment post-Brexit - President of the NFU, Minette Batters, has underlined the importance of an ambitious trade deal with the EU for UK agriculture. During a visit to England’s largest sheep producing area Mrs Batters also highlighted the significance of the sheep sector to the UK economy.