A first-ever visit to Skipton Auction Mart by Nottinghamshire-based Limousin cattle breeders Barry and Jill Heald and their son Matthew paid rich dividends when the family landed championship spoils at Skipton's annual "Red Pedigree Event."
The Healds, from Home Farm, Grove, Retford, saw their 20-month-old home-bred bull Coachhouse Agreeable awarded the title by show judge Stephen Wilde, of Bradfield, Sheffield, who runs the Ewden Vale herd of pedigree Limousins.
Agreeable is by Fedneyhouse Nelson, out of Coachhouse Sillhouette, herself a product of Haltcliffe Picasso, the Heald's main stock bull, who won the East Midlands Limousin Breeders Best Stock Bull and Progeny 2006. Agreeable went on to sell for 2400gns to a North Yorkshire purchaser.
For the second year running, the reserve champion was shown by husband-and-wife team, John and Claire Mason, of Oddacres Farm, Embsay.
Their 15-month-old home-bred bull, Oddacres Basil has the same parents as the Masons' 2006 runner-up, being by the French stock bull Titan out of their own Oddacres Truffle.
Titan, standing with the Patereau herd in the Limoges region of France, is out of the renowned cow Moumoute, full sister of the famous Jacot, with the same bloodlines as many top crossing bulls, including Rossignol, Requin, Saphir and Paul.
With such impressive breeding credentials and described as a young bull with excellent future potential by the judge, it was little surprise when the reserve champion sold for the day's top price of 3000gns to Messrs Woof, of Leyburn.
The spring show and sale of pedigree Limousins, part of Skipton's current pedigree beef show season, attracted a robust 30-strong entry, including 20 bulls and 10 females, which saw a near 100% clearance rate
It was followed the same afternoon by the Northern Limousin Extravaganza, the inaugural show for juvenile Limousin cattle. Both shows took place on a very busy day at Skipton, with over 1500 cattle in the mart.