As the previous month, the cattle champion, from Middop Farm mother and son, Lynne and Paul Baines, was a British Blue-x heifer weighing in at 525kg and claimed for top price per kilo of 349.5p, or £1,835, by retail butcher Anthony Swales for Knavesmire Butchers in York.

Out shopping early for the Christmas trade, Knavesmire bagged a trio, following up with the leading price by weight steer at 337.5p/kg, or £1,907, also the day’s highest gross price, this for a 565kg Limousin-x from North Craven father and son, Francis and Andrew Smith, of Masongill. The third purchase at £1,897, or 308.5p/kg, was a 615kg Charolais-x steer from Hargreaves Farms in Preston.

Mr Swales then judged the prime lambs show, awarding the championship to the first prize Continental pen, five 41kg Beltex-x from Ribble Valley father and son, Richard and Mark Ireland, who run the Shamrock flock at Heys Farm. They were by the same sire as their October frontrunners, a Skipton-bought tup, Penyghent Dunhill, bred by John and Jean Bradley in Giggleswick. Their latest victors made top price per head of £172, or 419p/kg.

Both principals say they will be returning with further quality livestock and high hopes for Skipton’s high profile annual Christmas primestock shows and sales, on Sunday, November 28.

Back with the beef cattle, the reserve champion was the first prize bullock, another Blue-x from Jim and Christine Scrivin, who farm locally with their son, Chris, in Elslack. By the well-utilised stock bull, Croftends Gaffer, acquired from the Bellas family in Appleby and still going strong aged ten, the 550kg reserve made £1,779, or 323.5p/kg, when joining Phil Gregory for his D&A Gregory & Sons Butchers in Bacup, who also secured the highest gross lightweight steer, a 550kg Blue-x from the Cowperthwaite family near Settle for £1,624, or 315.5p/kg.

Ten cattle from eight different vendors among the 27 under 30-month retail quality entries made £3 per kilo or over, with steers, including a trio of Blue Grey outside-fed entries, averaging 287p/kg and heifers 293p/kg.

Returning to the lambs, it was the second prize and reserve champion 38kg Beltex-x pen from Adrian Leach, of Hebden Bridge, that topped the trade per kilo at 426p, or £162 per head.

The total entry of 2,885 prime lambs levelled at 255p/kg, or £114.92 per head right through for all weights, grades and breeds. For local comparison the SQQ was 257.2p/kg.