The overall victor for the Smiths, of Lodge Farm, Masongill, was a 555kg red bullock, the reserve a 550kg black heifer. Both figured among a total of ten purchases by Ralph Pearson Wholesale Butchers, at, respectively, 262.5p/kg, or £1,457, this the top price steer, and 263.5p/kg, or £1,449. 

Bradford-based Pearsons also accounted for both the highest priced animals. Top price per kilo at 266.5p/kg, or £1,506, was a 565kg British Blue-cross heifer from Threshfield brothers Charles and Richard Kitching, with the leading gross price of £1,516, or 244.5p/kg, going to a 620kg Limousin-cross heifer from the Jowett family in Queensbury at £1,516, or 244.5p/kg. 

The turnout of 20 under 30-month clean cattle included a number of 600kg entries, along with a nice entry of 530kg commercial heifers carrying finish which found a ready demand.

Weekly buyer James Robertshaw claimed an eight-strong haul of high quality retail cattle – six for his own Robertshaw’s Farm Shop in Thornton, the other two for Skipton-based Keelham Farm Shop. Show judge Simon Barker himself claimed three for his mart-based Barkers Yorkshire Butchers,

Also penned for sale were 23 cull cows and trade was similar on the week when producing an overall selling average of £729.96 per head, or 112.87p/kg, with a four-figure top of £1,040, or 140.5p/kg, for a black and white from M Ryder & Son, of Haverah Park, Harrogate.

Eldwick’s Mick Etherington judged the monthly prime lambs show and both his principals came from the Continental-cross hoggs class, presented in pens of five. The first prize and champion pen of 42kg Beltex lambs by home-bred Dutch Texels rams from Hayley Baines, of Horton Green Farm, Gisburn, sold for £140 per head to buyers Vivers Scotlamb in Annan.

The second prize and reserve champion 48kg Beltex pen from Taylor Bros in Rathmell did better at £158 each, the day’s joint top call, when joining Robertshaw’s Farm Shop in Thornton, supplementing their same day’s retail cattle purchases.

D&A Livestock, of Haverah Park, consigned the first prize pen of 41kg Suffolk-cross hoggs, knocked down for £119 to Halifax wholesalers, the Medcalfs, with the second prize 56kg pen from the Hutchinson family in Faceby selling for £127.50 to ringside regular Andrew Atkinson, of Felliscliffe.

The Hutchinsons also stepped up with the first prize pen of ten 60kg North of England Mule hoggs, sold for £124 to Scotbeef, with regular Lincolnshire vendor Steve Dorey responsible for the second prize 45kg pen, which made £119 when joining Dan Towers in Hornby.

A standalone show class for pens of ten horned hoggs was won by 40kg Swaledales from John and Claire Wright in Airton, sold at £102.50, the 43kg runners-up from Matt Mason of Appletreewick, making £107.50. Both fell to Andrew Atkinson. 

Another solid trade was seen for the 2,938 prime and lightweight hoggs penned and sold, producing overall selling averages of £118.88 per head, or 273.5p/kg.

A larger entry of 672 feeding ewes and rams sold to a full ringside of buyers actively competing for all classes. A good run of 233 white-faced ewes averaged £100 per head, top price of £162.50 falling to Texels from the Kiernans again followed by some fed ewes from the Faceby Hutchinsons at £151.50. Heavy pure ewes made £130-£150, the section producing averages of £85.28 for cull ewes and £88.55 for cast rams.

An online produce sale saw straw hestons sell to £37 per bale, round haylage to £24 per bale and small bale hay to £2.20 per bale.

The mart reports that because of current ongoing restrictions it has decided to put back for a month the annual Craven Champions two-day fixture. Originally scheduled for a pre-sale show on Tuesday evening, February 16, followed by the sale the following day, the annual highlight for store cattle with show potential, featuring annual consignments of high-quality crossbred cattle, many suitable for the 2021 commercial beef show circuit, will now take place on March 16 & 17. Entries close the previous Wednesday, March 10.