Top S ide Orion, from Brampton’s Ross and Elaine Pattinson, was the stellar performer in the sale ring with a 5,100gns (£5,355) top price tag, while the show championship fell to Ulverston’s Dean Saunders with Maidenlands Oxygen, sold for second top call of 4,700gns (£4,935).

The Pattinsons, who run the Top Side herd at Temon Farm, secured the leading price with an all-black embryo son of Springbank Blackstar, bred in Kilkeel, Co. Down, Northern Ireland, by Corrina and Ivan Gordon, and himself by the noted Baron Du Bois Bauloye. 

Bred from the Campagnard ET De St Fontaine cow, Lukeroyal Winnifred, Orion, who has already proved his worth with a successful service, joined local dairy farmer Nick Parker at Heights Farm, Silsden.

First generation tenant farmers the Pattinsons established their pedigree Blue herd some 14 years ago. They also run a Jersey/Friesian-cross dairy herd, with some 150 cows currently in milk, along with a 200-strong flock of Cheviot hoggs.

Back at the North Yorkshire venue’s traditional 2021 pedigree beef season opener, the AI sire Baron du Bois Bauloye was also responsible for the pre-sale show champion from Mr Saunders, who, while known in other livestock circles at Skipton, was making his debut with pedigree cattle when travelling down from Tarn Flatt.

His title-winning Maidenlands Oxygen is bred from one of the best female lines in the herd, being out of the home-bred Obama Des 1000 Fontaines daughter, Maidendlands Kloe, herself shown successfully and a proven breeder whose first son became a Beef Expo champion.

The young, stylish bull was tapped out for his “excellent potential as a breeder of show calves” by judge Geoff Walker, of Dunsop Bridge, himself a multiple past champion at Skipton with the family’s Blues.

Oxygen is now sampling fresh air near Cornwall’s south coast after being knocked down to husband and wife, Graham and Sarah Whiting in Horningtops, near Liskeard, who made the near 700-mile round trip up country to claim the victor for their son William’s Fursdon pedigree Blue and commercial herd, established some two years ago. The family also runs a pedigree Aberdeen-Angus herd.

The Maidenlands herd was established for Mr Saunders in his own name when he was just nine-years-old. He is now 27 and currently has eight breeding females at home and plenty of notable achievements over the years, among then the sale of a trio of Maidenlands breeding bulls – Force, Mashall and Odds-On, the latest – to Cogent.

Regular Red Rose exhibitors Mark and Elaine Hartley, who run the Pendle herd at Pendle Valley Farm, Roughlee, Nelson, claimed next best of 4,200gns (£4,410) with their fourth prize-winning Pendle Oleg, an August, 2019-born son of Jalon De Martinpre – he has bred bulls to 10,000gns – out of another home-bred dam Pendle Ella. The buyer was N Asquith, of Moor Monkton, York.

The reserve championship fell to  local Blue breeder, John Stephenson, of Bordley Green Farm, Bordley, who is no stranger to success at his local mart, having been crowned supreme champion for the past three years in succession at the high profile annual Christmas prime cattle show and sale.

He stood runner-up with May, 2018, Bordley Nitty Gritty, by the prolific stock bull, Tanat Harlequin, acquired as a calf almost a decade ago from North Wales, who has since been responsible for multiple show winners and left such a strong stamp on the herd. Out of the home-bred Bordley Izzy, the reserve champion travelled over the hill to Nidderdale when sold for 3,800gns (£3,990) to FM Shepherd & Son, of Bewerley, Pateley Bridge

The nine bulls on parade, all 2019-born, averaged £4,305. 
 

ANNUAL SHOW & SALE OF PEDIGREE BLUE CATTLE ‘BLUE WEDNESDAY’

The show was judged by Geoff Walker. 
Best Bull - 
1st D Saunders Lot 5.
2nd J Stephenson Lot 10.
3rd AM Hartley Lot 1.

 

MARKET DAY REPORT - Top call of the day at the Annual Blue Wednesday Sale of Pedigree British Blue Cattle was Topside Orion. Orion is a 2019 son of Springbank Blackstar bred from the Campagnard ET De St Fontaine cow, Lukeroyal Winnifred and was consigned by Ross & Elaine Pattinson from Brampton with a successful sale at 5100gns to li9cal dairy farmer Nick Parker. In the pre sale show judge Geoff Walker found his champion in Maidenlands Oxygen, a 2019 son of Baron du Bois Bauloye from Dean Sauders of Ulverston. Bred from one of the best female lines in the herd. Oxygen is a grand daughter of Maidenlands Holly and found a new home in Cornwall at 4700gns. 3rd top price bull of the day was from Mark and Elaine Hartley’s Pendle Herd Pendle Oleg sold for 4200gns and joined N Asquith. The 2nd prized bull was from JS Stephenson of Bordley which made 3800gns.

2019 Bulls to 5100gns av £4305.