The anniversary show and sale of rearing calves, at Gisburn Auction Marts, on Thursday 24 May 2007, saw all previous market record calf prices smashed, with a top price of £428 being achieved.

Beverly Calvert, PM &M Chartered Accountants marketing manager, (pre-sale show sponsor) and Jim Faud with his champion calf which sold for a market record of £428 to Ian Harrison of Cumbrian Quality Calves.

The top bid of the day was for the champion, an outstanding eight week old Belgian Blue bull calf, sired by Genus Fertility Plus, out of a Friesian cow from dairy farmer, Jim Faud, Great Harwood, Blackburn. Selling to Mr Ian Harrison of Cumbrian Quality Calves, Penrith, Cumbria.

Regular vendor, Geoff Blezard, Ribchester, Preston was in the money with his superb pen of Belgian Blue bulls sired by the Irish bull, Chesnut Umpire which sold for £308, £305, £300, £298, £255 and £232 to John and Robert Sturdy, Malton, North Yorkshire.

B & BM Bayes, Driffield, East Yorkshire, took home three superb Belgian Blue heifers, the first sired by Cowden Vesuvius, from Tom Holden, Chaigley, Clitheroe at £290. Followed by a Besthorpe Thunder Flash sired heifer from DE & PA Newbould, Clitheroe at £282, and finally AT Farms, Longridge, Preston, striking heifer at £272.

The increasing demand for calves from three and four year TB parishes saw several new buyers present with many calves heading north of the border into Scotland. Aberdeen based, Philip Foad, took home 25 top quality continental calves, while Murray Forbes, Ecclefechan, Lockerbie was the successful bidder for 21 continental calves.

Averages:

Bulls: Lim £214, BB £269, Sim £275, Here £166
Heifers: Lim £188, BB £220, Here £151

Auctioneers: Gisburn Auction Marts

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