Strong Demand at Skipton Prime Shows
04/03/09

A 16-month-old 425-kilo British Blue heifer landed the cattle championship at the March prime stock shows at Skipton Auction Mart. (Mon, March 2)

Paul and Hayley Baines are pictured with the March prime cattle champion at Skipton.

Exhibited by Jimmy Baines, Trawden, the youngster sold for the show-topping price of £967 (228p per kilo) to Saltaire butcher Richard Binns.

Anthony Thompson, of LR Thompson & Son, Higher Broach Farm, Foulridge, was awarded the prime lambs title for a pen of Beltex-cross lambs, which weighed in at 41kg and headed the prices at £102 each when acquired by Keelham Hall Farm Shop, Thornton, Bradford.

Butcher buyers or their ringside representatives were again well represented at the popular monthly fixture, as they sought to source top quality prime stock for their customers’ tables.

Back in the prime cattle classes, particularly strong this month, the reserve championship fell to the second prize 485kg British Blue heifer from Keith Downs, Milner Field, Bingley. It sold for £844 (174p/kg) to Calderdale buyer C Clough, Northowram.

Jimmy Baines landed the prime lambs reserve championship with a pen of 37kg Beltex-cross lambs, sold for £85 per head to Woodends Butchers, Adel, Leeds.

Newark exhibitor Steve Dorey saw his long trip north from Lincolnshire pay dividends when he achieved a prime lambs first prize double in the Suffolk and Mule classes.

His class-winning 42kg Suffolks sold at £79 each to Lancashire buyer J Holt, Helmshore, while the first prize 48kg Mules realised £69.50 per head when knocked down to Paul Watson, Hellifield.

Mr Watson also paid £72 apiece for the first prize 48kg Swaledales from Roy Nelson, C Nelson & Sons, Bordley, who also exhibited the second prize pen.

Judge for both shows was Skipton-based Stanforths Butchers’ buyer James Dewhurst.

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