Glorious six-timer for Threshfield Kitchings in Skipton prime cattle show
A sixth monthly title win on the trot, plus the reserve championship for good measure, fell to all-conquering Threshfield beef farming brothers Charles and Richard Kitching, of Grisedale Farm, at Skipton Auction Mart’s September prime cattle show.
The overall victor, a 590kg British Blue-x heifer, sold for 317.5p/kg top by weight, or £1,873, to Knavesmire Butchers in York, with the reserve, a 615kg Limousin-x, becoming the leading gross price heifer at £1,928, or 313.5p/kg, when joining Anthony Kitson with retail butchers’ shops in Yarm and Northallerton and Five Houses Farm Shop & Kitchen in Crathorne.
Top gross price animal overall at £1,972, or 259.5p/kg, was a 760kg Limousin-x steer from FM Shepherd & Sons, of Bewerley, Pateley Bridge, going to Ralph Pearson Wholesale Butchers in Bradford
A solid turnout of 24 under 30-month clean cattle saw smart retail weights around 300p/kg, with other buyers Robertshaws Farm Shop in Thornton, Keelham Farm Shop in Skipton and the mart-based Barkers Yorkshire Butchers.
The champion prime lambs, 44kg Beltex-x from John Brigg, of Allerton, Bradford, made £155 each when claimed by show judge Will Rathmell for his Brayton Farm Shop, near Selby, with the 45kg reserve champions from Whalley father and son, Richard and Mark Ireland, selling at £135, both bettered at £163 by the third prize 44kg pen from Ellis Bros, Addingham Moorside.
Silsden Moor’s Allan and Sue Throup stood first and second in the North of England Mule/Mashams show class, their 45kg red rosette Mules selling at £102, their second prize 46kg Mashams at £108. The 47kg third prize Mules from Kevin Wilson, of Blubberhouses, made £104.50. A third show class for Suffolk-x lambs was won by a 45kg pen from the Hartley farming partnership in Beamsley, selling at £99.
A much-increased entry of 3,396 prime lambs, around 1,000 up on the week, sold to an overall average of £104.25 per head or 238.7p/kg.