Frankland Farms in Prime Form at Skipton
2011-05-04

Two pens of five Texel-x-Beltex prime lambs from Frankland Farms at Rathmell, Settle, secured a championship and reserve championship double in the show classes at Skipton Auction Mart’s May fixture, the monthly prime time highlight for the region’s butchers. (Mon, May 2)

The 36kg title winners sold at £135 per head to Lancashire butcher George Cropper for his stall in Accrington Market, though it was the 35kg reserve champions – both pens were exhibited by Richard Frankland - that achieved top price in show at £138 each when joining judge Richard Binns for his butcher’s shop in Saltaire.

Anthony Thompson, Foulridge, presented the third prize pen of 43kg Beltex-x-Charollais lambs sold at £132 a head to Kendalls Farm Butchers, who also paid £137 each, top price in class, for the first prize pen of 44kg Suffolk cross lambs from Mark Evans, Steeton. The lambs are on sale at Kendalls’ two shops in Pateley Bridge and Harrogate.

With over 2,000 prime sheep passing through the Skipton ring, Spring lambs sold to an overall average of just over £112 per head, or 272.9p/kg.

“Prime sheep numbers continue to hold up well, with strong demand for well-fed hoggs, though good lightweights are now getting few and far between,” reported Skipton Auction Mart’s livestock sales manager and auctioneer Ted Ogden.

Jimmy Baines, left, with his Skipton May prime cattle champion, joined by judge James Dewhirst.

In the show for prime cattle, Jimmy Baines, who has farms in both Trawden and Clitheroe, was on song yet again when sending out his third consecutive monthly champion. The 450kg British Blue-cross heifer victor made £952 or211.5p/kg, while Mr Baines also sold his third prize 415kg British Blue-cross heifer for £882, top price by weight at 212.5p/kg. Both became further Richard Binns’ acquisitions.

The second prize and reserve champion 615kg Parthanaise-x-cross British Blue heifer from Brian Lund, of Walshaw, Hebden Bridge, sold for £1,221, or 198.5p/kg, to judge James Dewhirst, who buys on behalf of Stanforths Butchers, Skipton.

There was a clean sweep of prizes in the show class for bullocks for three British Blue-x entries from local vendors John and Alison Spensley, of Thorlby. Stanforths Butchers snapped up the first and second prize winners at £1,147.38 (167.5p/kg) and £1,074 (166.5p/kg) respectively.

Prime heifers up to 484kg averaged 210.3p/kg and heavier prime steers 160.0p/kg. Show sponsors were Philip Bolland Trailer Training and Guy Machinery, both based in Skipton.

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