First up at this price was the reserve champion from regular Red Rose exhibitors Mark and Elaine Hartley, who run the Pendle herd at Pendle Valley Farm, Roughlee, Their Pendle Pedro is a May, 2020-born son of the home-bred Pendle Nickel, since sold for 6,000gns, whose own dam, Pendle Knock Em Out, is a multiple show winner, standing reserve champion at the Great Yorkshire Show and inter-breed champion at last year’s Westmorland Show. Her sons have sold to 16,000gns

Bred from the Blue Stone Union Jack cow, Pendle Northern Star, and backed by four generations of easy calving lines, Pedro will strut his stuff in County Durham with B&JD Beadle, who farm at Staindrop, near Barnard Castle

Also hitting 4,000gns was a non-shown bull from Easingwold husband and wife, Ken and Hazel Gamble, who run the Linthorpe pedigree herd, first established in the late 1990s, at Brickyard Farm Easingwold. Their all-black Linthorpe Paddy, a January, 2020, son of Homilton Jupiter, bred from the herd’s easy calving Lukeroyal lines, sold locally to Richard and Val Brown in Kirkby Malham, returning after purchasing another Gamble bull at last year’s Blue Wednesday showcase.

The Gambles arrived with three ready to work 2020 bulls, all by the Drift Domino son, Homilton Jupiter, acquired six years ago from Northumberland breeders Roly and Mel Carr, and still going strong at the age of eight.

All the trio found new homes, the next best at 3,000gns Linthorpe Percy, out of the Empire D’ochain daughter, Littlebank Katrina, travelling just down the road with Cononley’s Robert Wade, while claiming 2,600gns was Linthorpe Panda, out of a home-bred Tweeddale Impreza-sired cow. The buyer was JB Heath & Co in Staxton, Scarborough.

The third joint top price performer was consigned by Garry and Heather Whalley, of the Jaygar pedigree herd at Brunsgill Moor Farm, Newton-in-Bowland, Clitheroe. Their Jaygar Phoenix, an easy calving son of the Coates family-bred Greystone Kilo, the 2020 British Blue Society 1st place stock bull, out of the home-bred Almeley Gilchrist daughter, Jaygar Melinoe, sold to D Leeson, of York.

The Greystone herd of North Craven brothers Graham and Alan Coates, based at Rainscar Farm, Stainforth – it was established in 1982 and currently has some 30 pedigree breeding cows on the ground - stood champion with a three-year-old Belgian-bred bull, Bandit Van Het Lindeveld, acquired from Tim Bottu on a personal visit to his farm near Flanders.

He is by Bandiet Van Het Lindeveld, a sire well-known in Belgium, whose own sire, Jalon De Martinpre, is better known on home terra firma. Born in February, 2019, and with calves already on the ground, Bandit, tapped out by show judge Stewart Gill, of Hallfield Blues in Dacre, found a new home in Lincolnshire when claimed for 3,000gns by C Goulsbra, of Authorpe. The 13 pedigree bulls forward averaged £3,605.

The 3,000gns selling price was equalled by the top price female from Calderdale father and daughter, Johnny and Shannon Crowther, who run the Making Place herd at Soylands, near Halifax. 

Making Place Patricia, a March 2020, daughter of Luke Royal Mid-Night, bred from the Phenomene De Martinpre cow, Tanat Kira, the last-ever show champion at the former Chelford pure breed fixture, was the first female to be sold from the herd, established five years ago and now comprising 12 breeding females. Clear of the bull, she returned to Calderdale with S Greenwood, of Hebden Bridge.

Blue Wednesday formed part of the mart’s fortnightly midweek cattle sale, which attracted a total turnout of 495 head, among them 127 young feeding bulls, which met an exceptional trade at a full ringside of both buyers and feeders bidding strongly to keep pens full, with a good finished bull trade set for the medium term.

Bulls under 13 months averaged £1,242, with entries weighing 350kg exceptional and smart Continentals at this weight making £1,200-£1,300. Heavier bulls were £1,400-£1,580, those at 13-17 months selling to £1,520.

Trade was also hot for 31 beef feeding cows, which achieved an overall average up £53 on the fortnight to stand at £1,348 per head, with nothing sold under £950. Among the 306 store cattle, bullocks a year old or younger were a sharper trade, looking dearer on the fortnight to level at £1,065 to 12 months of age, while 13 to 17-month-old bullocks of all breeds were markedly dearer, with an average of £1,170 (+£111). The section highlight was a whopping £1,920 for a two-year-old Limousin-cross bullock from JG Hall & Son in Gargrave.

Young heifers under a year old also found a good enquiry, plenty of better sorts for later retail use selling from £1,100 to £1,320 top for a Limousin-cross from the Lodge family on Malham Moor. Strong heifers at 18 months-plus got up to £1,550 for Limousin-crosses from M Ryder & Son, of Haverah Park, Harrogate, the Mason family at Oddacres. Embsay, also catching the eye with a £1,540 Limousin.

Last, but not least, 18 breeding cattle sold to £2,250 for a Limousin-cross cow and her Simmental bull calf forming part of an ongoing dispersal sale from Michael Mallinson, of Mount Tabor, Halifax.