| 2018-01-12 |    |
Primestock Buyers Out in Force at Skipton Auction Mart
There was a strong attendance of retail customers returning to the Skipton Auction Mart ring after the holidays for the primestock shows on Monday. (Jan 8)
Leading cattle buyer was Keelham Farm Shop with seven on the book from the 22 clean cattle put forward, with a total of 10 active retail accounts for the sale.
Robert
Critchley with the Critchleys’ champion (right) and reserve champion
pic: Moule Media, Skipton
Robert Critchley, of AA&E Critchley & Son, of Hutton, presented the overall champion, a 570kg British Blue Heifer, which sold to Hamlets Butchers, of Garstang, for 269.5p/kg or £1,536.
The Critchleys - father Richard and his three sons, Robert, John and Thomas - from Mercer Farm, won the championship four times in a row last year and got 2018 off to an impressive start.
Reserve champion also came from the Critchley stable but this time with Tom Critchley, who represents the family’s cattle. The reserve and first prize steer was a Limousin weighing 535kg, which sold to Countrystyle Meats of Lancaster for £1,436.
Second in both the steers and heifers classes was JA Drake, of Denholme, who sold a Blonde cross for £1,412 and a British Blue heifer for £1,515, both going to Keelham. Third in the steers was CD&RF Kitching, of Threshfield, with a Limousin cross that sold for £1,312 to Mick Etherington, and EW&JR Parkinson, of Dunsop Bridge, picked up third prize in the heifers, with a British Blue Cross that sold for £1,386, again to Keelham.
Cast cattle opened up a fair trade with a full attendance of buyers and useful entry of meated cattle and beef crosses. Heavy dairies carrying finish saw 105-110p and lean cattle made a strong trade at 81-95p/kg.
Brian Lund, of Walshaw, Hebden Bridge, got the top price per head and by weight, with a British Blue selling for £1,412 or 184.5p/kg.
WP Gratton, of Brimham Rocks, sold the top price per head for black and whites, selling for £936 and £849, with a section average of 98.91p/kg. The top price by weight was reached by N&SA Fort, of Silsden, with 111.5p/kg.
N&R Sutcliffe, of Todmorden, sold a Meuse Rhine Issel for 111.5p/kg, the top section price by weight, while C. Watson, of Horton-in-Craven, sold another Meuse Rhine Issel for £721.
In the native breeds G&MA Lawn, of Skipton, sold an Aberdeen Angus for £901, the top price per head, while Hurries Farm, of Otterburn, got the top price by weight, with 118.5p/kg. DM Parker & Partners, of Burnt Yates, sold a mature Limousin bull for £1,205 or 127.5p/kg.
Old Season Lamb trade sets off with
a Bang
The New Year saw prices remain in line with the previous sale held over the holiday period, with best end lambs doing a sharp trade all day.
Top price of 330p or £129 was reached by WA, VJ & JA Towler, of Grindleton, for a pen of five 39kg Beltex, purchased by Hamlets Butchers in Garstang.
In the monthly show, the champion pen of five lambs came from Frankland Farms, of Rathmell. Weighing 47kg, they sold for £120 each to show judge Mick Etherington, of Eldwick, on behalf of Kitson & Sons Butchers, which has three shops in Northallerton, Stockton-on-Tees and Hutton Rudby.
Messrs EP&JM Hutchinson, from Faceby, presented the reserve champion pen and they sold for the second highest price on the day, of £128 each, purchased by Skipton regulars Countrystyle Meats, of Lancaster.
Third in the Continental class was JS Eddleston, of Great Harwood, who sold a pen for £98 each to Vivers Scot Lamb.
In the Mule class, JH&J Ryder, of Haverah Park. was first and JK Wilson, of Blubberhouses, second, both selling to Paul Watson, of Hellifield, for £82 and £89 a head respectively. Mr Watson also picked up the first prize pen in the Horned class, from J&G Huck, of Hubberholme, for £83.50, while JK Wilson was again second, selling for £65 to Yorkshire Halal.
Commercial lambs found a ready market all day, with heavies particularly good to sell, the 46kg to 52kg weight bracket averaging 189p and the 36kg to 45kg bracket levelling at 196p.
The overall selling average for a total of 3,228 lambs was 192.8p/kg, which comprised 844 Mule, Masham and Horned lambs and 2,384 Lowland bred lambs.
Cull Ewes averaged £67.38, with JR Crabtree, of Low Snowden, reaching top price for Texels with £113.50, while cast rams averaged £61.53.
