The fixture again featured the annual production sale on behalf of the local Airedale herd of South Craven father and son breeders, David and Josh Isherwood, of Lane Bridge Farm, Kildwick, and quality was once more in evidence among the 21 head on offer.

It was Airedale Kitt U552 that took the first joint lead price of 4,000gns. By Airedale Lord Perseus out of The Moss Kitt, this excellent young March, 2018, cow sold due its third calving to Airedale Rockonboy. She found a new home in Wales with DE&R Rowbotham, of Ystrad Meurig in Ceredigion.

The second at 4,000gns was a product of the highly respected Kinannie family, the 2017-born Airedale Kinannie T541, by Weeton Ephos, She was scanned carrying her second calf to Weeton Black Battleship and headed north of the border when claimed by I&A Burgess, of Dumfries.

Also within the sale was a single March, 2019-born young bull, Airedale Mr Essential V615, by Airedale Kasper and a stylish grandson of Weeton Lord Horatio, again out of a Horatio-sired dam. The solid stock bull used on 2020 autumn calvers made 3,700gns when again heading north with Annan’s Andrew Ewing.

The Isherwoods had four further 3,000gns-plus sales in their consignment. They continue to run Isherwoods Butchers in Kirkgate, Silsden, where Aberdeen-Angus meat from their Airedale herd remains in popular demand.

Leading price from the collective entry belonged to Adrian and Penny Johnson’s Yearsley herd in the village of the same name in Hambleton, who claimed 2,600gns for the 2016-born Copperbridge Lady Ruth S002, bred by Weald Moor Farms and a daughter of Rawburn Elysium, scanned in-calf to Black Hawk. The full sister to the famous Lady Ruth, a dual Royal Highland and Great Yorkshire Show winner, became a further Burgess buy.

Making 2,400gns from the same home was another 2016 Copperbridge Lady Ruth, this S061, out of Wall Lady Ruth by Cardona Potter, sold in-calf to McCormick Pathfinder. This also went home with Mr Ewing.

So, too, did another from John Walsh and family, who run the Buckhurst herd at Walmersley, near Bury. Buckhurst Elluma T211, a May, 2017, daughter of Blelack Entertainer out of a home-bred Lady Croft Bold Lad dam, sold carrying her second calf to Rolex and topped their run at 2,600gns.

Leading prices and average were: Aberdeen Angus heifers to 1,800gns (av £1,785), cows in-calf to 4,000gns (av £2,713), cow & calf to 1,300gns (£1,365),

Pedigree Blues also on parade
Again running alongside the Angus fixture, as well as the same day’s North of England Beef Shorthorn Club’s 12th annual pedigree show and sale, was a special sale of pedigree British Blue cattle, which featured the annual draft from the North Craven-based Greystone pedigree herd run by brothers Alan and Graham Coates at Rainscar Farm, Stainforth.

Joint top price of 4,000gns fell to a brace of females. The first was for Greystone Purdey, an all-black yearling heifer by Farouk de st Amand bred from one of the herd’s biggest cows in Greystone Kansas, a daughter of Almeley Ginola, which sold to J Cardwell, of Askern in South Yorkshire.

The second 4,000gns sale was for Greystone Pringle, a December, 2020, daughter of the easy calving Pendle Bruce, bred from the Ringmaster daughter, Greystone Herpine, which joined Joe Crust’s Betterbred herd in Spilsby, Lincolnshire. Other Greystone entries sold at 3,900gns, 3,200gns and 3,000gns twice, the herd average coming out at £3,692.

Ian Wainwright travelled south from Cupar in Fife with a pen of very mobile British Blue bulls, which had lived out and looked ready for work, with his best the 2019 Todhall Otter, by Sheehils Inspiration and a grandson of Bringlee Carlos, bred from Todhall Heather, a Colos Van Daisel daughter.

Otter returned to Scotland when heading to Turiff in Aberdeenshire to a long-standing customer of the company in Bill Stephens for 5,000gns. Another 2019 bull, Todhall Orion, also by Sheehills Inspiration, out of a Tamhorn Fernando dam, sold locally for 3,700gns to Gargrave’s Colin Whitelock.