Calves sold to a top of £400 twice at Lancaster on Friday, setting new centre records. First to go at this money was a four week old British Blue bull calf from T M Townley, with a siz week old Blue heifer from C and N Shearing. Black and white bulls topped at £180 for a six week old bull.
Meanwhile in the store cattle ring the trade hit a peak of £1170 to level at £774, while the first ewes and lambs offered this spring sold to £155 for Masham ewes with Texel sired lambs.
The Second Hereford Christmas Calf Show held at Shrewsbury Livestock Market, saw more than 80 calves forward, despite the absence of a few exhibitors due to weather.
Judged by Richard Rettie,
Fellow North of England breeders, W and R Kemp and Sons, took the Grand Female Championship with their 15 month old heifer, Auckvale Beauty 832F by Auckvale Broadside.
However, when it came to the Reserve Supreme Championship, the Judge chose the Reserve Grand Male Champion, 15 month old Dendor 1 Firkin by Dendor 1 Wolfman bred and exhibited by D E, E D and A L Jones.
The Jones family also took the Championship for the Best Pair of Bull Calves and the Reserve Championship for the Best Group of Three Calves by the same sire.
The Reserve Grand Female Championship went to T G and E I Thorne, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, with their 8 month old Glenvale 1 Acorn 321 by Bosa 1 Arnold.
The Championship Sires Group was won by M J and H M Timmis, Shraden Herefords, Baschurch,
The Reserve Pair of Bull Calves were bred and exhibited by R A Bradstock and Partners, Tarrington, Herefordshire.
A large entry of 350 calves at Carlisle's weekly sale saw a top price of £395 for a Charolais bull calf consigned by Messrs Ball, East Newbiggin Hall Farm,
Topping the British Blue bulls was an entry from Ewan Close, selling for £380. Close behind were two heifers from School Hill Farm selling for £370 a piece.
Another entry from East Newbiggin Hall Farm then sold for the next best price of £345 for a Charolais heifer.
In the
A heifer topped the Aberdeen Angus with an entry from Blackcarts Farm selling for £255. A bull from Cockley Bank made the next best money for the breed, selling for £225.
In the
The Simmentals peaked at £190 for two bulls from Peddar Hill. And in the Shorthorns there was a top call of £182 for a bull from Healey Home Farm.
British Friesians went for £165 for a bull from Cockley Bank.
Breeding cattle were in demand again at Carlisle on Friday with the entry of heifers with calves at foot peaking at £2200 for a Limousin cross from Messrs Dickinson, High Knipe. Others from the same vendor sold at £1950, £1900 and £1880.
Meanwhile, Mark Towers run of heifers and calves averaged a respectable £1500. Cows and calves peaked at £2000 for a Limosin from Messrs Dodd, West View.
Reared calves hit a high of £418 at Bakewell this week with a Limousin bull calf from Springfield Farm, Ambergate, leading the sale. Close behind was another 2.5 month old Limousin at £400.
In the rearing calf the top call was a £322 bid for a five week old British Blue sired bull calf from B D Hudson, Ipstones. Other Blues were £300 and £298 from J Shardlow, Shirland. (Bagshaws).
There must be something in the air at Carlisle at the moment with calf buyers digging deep again this week to record a top price of £420 for a British Blue cross bull calf from Messrs Riley - the vendors of last week's top priced calf.
And the heifers weren't far behind with the top price here being a trio of £415 calls for a Limousin cross from Messrs Fisher, Silloth.
We can only hope the beef trade stays strong enough for long enough to see the buyers of these calves rewarded for their confidence in the future of the sector.
Young calves were in hot demand at Carlisle yesterday where British Blue crosses from Messrs Riley, Grasmere, led the trade at £560.
Taking this top call at just 24 days old was a British Blue sired bull calf.
While just £20 less was given for a British Blue sired heifer from the same home.
Champion was awarded to a 34 day old bull from Mason Gardner, Greenside, Tatham out of a Limousin x cow and sired by Yelland Riley who is a son of the great Greenson's Gigolo.
The calf made a show stopping £490 to Peter Fawcett of Mearbeck, Long Preston. judge, Mr Chris Broadley, Ripon, bought the second and third placed bulls, both from M W Hodgson, Cartmell Fell, realising £370 & £300 respectively. British Blue bulls topped at £370 and Black and White bulls £148.
Commercial heifers and calves sold to a top of £2700 at Carlisle on Friday when Messrs McAllister, West Thomaston, Banknock, traded a British Blue heifer and calf at that value.
The seven forward from the McAllisters levelled at £2300, including Limousin heifers and calves at £2600, £2500 and £2250 and another British Blue at £2300.
Other highlights included Bazadaise heifers and calves selling to £2100 twice for Gelt Hall Farm, while cows and calves peaked at £1950 for a Limousin from Howgill Foot.
It proved a daring raid south, but one that paid huge dividends for Highland-based cattle breeders George Macarthur and his son, David.
Their first visit to the premier calf show and sale at Caledonian Marts in Stirling saw them win the supreme championship, create a new centre record and gross just over £13,000 for their four entries.
It also proved a sale to remember as there were 26 four-figure prices in total and a gigantic leap in the averages.
The Macarthurs have traditionally sold at Aberdeen and Northern Marts' Spectacular, but this year decided to sell the calves from their operation at Mid Fleenas, Nairn, near Inverness through Stirling.
Yielding the biggest dividend for them was the aptly named Poacher, who stood spring-born champion and then overall before selling for £7000 - £500 more than the previous Caley record. Poacher, a 265kg March-born Limousin cross, was by the Macarthur's stock bull, Dyke Triumph, and out of a British Blue cross cow. She had over the summer stood reserve female in the hotly contest commercial classes at Nairn Show and taken a second prize ticket at Grantown-on-Spey.
She was bought by Somerset-based show cattle exhibitor and butcher Michael Alford, who went to £2200 to get another from the Macarthurs - The Real McCoy, a 300kg March-born heifer by Normande Alpha and out of British Blue cross. Judge Robin Roberts, of Mathafarn Bach, Anglesey, said his leader was correct. "She had a hell of a nice style when she came out in her first class. Style was all the way through her from the head through the shoulders and along the top."
The father and son team, who have 100 suckler cows on their 230 acre farming operation, also sold at £2400 A Touch of Class, a 300kg April-born heifer again by Triumph and out of a British Blue cross. Buyer of this one, which stood reserve commercial champion at Nairn and Grantown-on-Spey, was fish merchant and crofter Donald Morrison, of Kinlochbervie in north-west Sutherland.
Averages were up, but fewer exhibition cattle were sold at the annual Spectacular held by Aberdeen and Northern Marts at Inverurie in Aberdeenshire.
The event, which attracted show champions from across northern Scotland, eventually saw 45 of the 55 cattle traded.
Top price at £2600 was the Charolais champion, Hazey Jane, from regular winner and noted calf producer Michael Durno, Glenlivet, Banffshire.
This 396kg nine month old heifer, by the Auchorachan stock bull Glenlivet Singlemalt and out of a Limousin cross, was bought by veteran showman Bertie Paton, Glenprosen, Kirriemuir.
Hazey Jane had over the summer stood commercial champion at two shows in Aberdeenshire - Turriff and Tarland. She is likely to re-emerge for Mr Paton at the Royal Highland Winter Fair at Ingliston, Edinburgh, in November.
The supreme championship for the second successive year was won by Balfour Baillie, Tankerness, Orkney. His leader was Natasha, a six-month-old 348kg Limousin cross heifer by Loosebeare Amazon and out of the same Limousin cross cow that bred his champion at last year's Spectacular.
Natasha clearly impressed judges Alistair Cormack, Leven, Fife and Robin Roberts, Llangefni, Anglesey.
Mr Roberts backed up his decision by paying £2200 to purchase her. He said: "She has got a nice style starting from the head carrying through the back. There is width in the hind quarter and through the plates. There is also good depth in the hind quarters. Added to that is that she is very stylish in the ring."
Mr Baillie, who has just 22 suckler cows, had earlier declared himself "over the moon" after Natasha - a first prizewinner at the East Mainland and County Show on Orkney - won the event's main award.
A packed ringside gathered at Hexham at the weekend with buyers forward from as far a field as Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Norfolk taking advantage of suckled calves.
Sale topper was a smart black Limousin cross heifer bred by John Smith Jackson, High Town, Melkridge. She was bought by by Alan Hall, Preston Tilery, for £2100.
The Smith Jackson's also had the second top price at £2000 with a British Blue cross heifer bred by the Browell's at Quarry House this was purchased by Mr Dickinson, Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
Prior to the sale judge Chris Bustance, Weston, Spalding, Lincs, placed a strong selection of show cattle in both the haltered and unhaltered classes.
The overall champion was awarded to a British Blue cross heifer from Alan Hall, Darlington which went on to make £1780 and was purchased by the judge.
The reserve went to Roy Coe, Tyne Green with a very well presented three quarter Limousin steer bred at Harwood Shield which realised £1180 and was purchased by Messrs R B Ingamells and Son, Grantham, Lincs.
Records were smashed last Wednesday at Harrison & Hetherington's weekly sale of calves, with all calves meeting a firm trade, a Borderway Mart record was broken for a month old tremendous ¾ bred British Blue bull. The calf was bred by A & J M Riley, Underhelm, Grasmere, and sold for £700.
Tuesday saw the best calf trade at Shrewsbury Auction Centre for four years, Auctioneers told.
Fierce bidding coupled with high quality calves resulted in an overall market average of £161 a head, including Friesian bulls, said auctioneer Tom Jones.
"Tuesday's overall trade is certainly the best since I started selling calves four years ago and more calves are needed to satisfy the demand, with buyers travelling to
"The improving beef market has resulted in a strong demand for Friesian bull calves, which are selling at up to £106."
Trade for strong young beef cross calves continues at a high with Leyburn Auction Mart seeing prices well in to the £300 bracket.
Topping day's trade were G P and R Simpson, whose British Blue cross bull calf sold for £325 and whose batch averaged £271. Blue cross heifers also topped at £315 for one from A S and J K Leggott, their batch averaged £266.
Next to top were Limousin's when a heifer from J Pearson and Sons sold for £295 and a bull calf from J Dinsdale sold for £280.
J A Dent and Sons' Simmental crosses topped at £242 for bull calves and £205 for heifers.
On the same day 110 sheep were forward with in-lamb Mules hitting £50 a head and Mule gimmer hoggs selling to £59 a piece.
Renowned for selling show potential calves past the £5000 mark, this year’s spring two day event at Carlisle didn’t disappoint with a little more than 2700 calves on offer and a top call of £5200.
And this year’s sale leader came from the 1349 heifers on offer. The Limousin cross heifer from Messrs J R Graham and Partners, Biggar caught the eye of many showmen and finally knocked down to Ewan MacPherson, Oban.
Taking the heifer championship under judge Alistair Vance, Whithorn, was a stylish Limousin cross heifer from Messrs Trafford, Keswick. By Waindale Potential and out of a three quarter bred British Blue cow, she later sold for £2800 to Mr Vance.
The reserve champion rosette went to Helen Claxton, Stocksfield for her British Blue cross. This roan heifer sold for £1900 to Alan Hall, Darlington.
More than 70 animals attracted strong interest at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ annual Young Farmers Overwintered cattle competition at Inverurie’s Thainstone Centre last week.
Sale leader for the second consecutive year was Ewan Dow, Elgin. The Lower Speyside YFC member’s 422kg yearling Limousin cross heifer sold to A J Forsyth, Newton Stewart for £2000.
The second highest call came for the homebred champion from Balfour Baillie, Orkney. His June 2007-born Charolais cross steer weighed 448kg and sold to James Forsyth, Newton Stewart for £1500.
The overall heifer champion from Darren Irvine of Keith YFC was next to go at £1050. His April 2007-born Charolais, bred by Neil Barclay, Crathes, sold to G Simpson, Huntly.
And having caught the eye of judge Scott Walston, Carnoustie was Darren’s brother and fellow Keith young farmer Martin Irvine’s March 2007 Charolais cross bred by G Cameron, Argyll. He tipped the scales at 414kg and sold at £1000 to S and M Brown, Little Brechin, Brechin.
Just as we thought commercial show goers were spending wisely this spring, the championship steer at Penrith has sold for £6500.
Honky Tonky, a steer from Messrs Richardson, Ghyll House, Dufton, now joins Mr G Rice.
Hexham and Northern Marts had forward an entry of 1197 store cattle and suckled calves at their special March prize show and sale.
A fantastic show of cattle met a tremendous trade from start to finish and with a ring of buyers forward from as far a field as Laurencekirk in the North and Sussex in the South many would leave empty handed.
Prior to the sale the Judge and Angus and Limousin breeder Colin Hutchings, Kings Brompton Regis, Dulverston, Somerset awarded the Overall Champion to Messrs W & J A Longlands, Rusheylaw with their homebred Charolais steer which went on to make £940 and was bought by the Colin.
The reserve champion was awarded to Messrs R M & H J Lewis, Ryal Westside with an exceptional Black Limousin Steer which made £920 and was purchased by Cannon Hall Farm Ltd, Cawthorn, Barnsley
I've just been scanning the catalogue for the Leyburn Spring Spectacular sale of show potential cattle and it looks like the judges should have some good entries in front of them.
Taking on that challenge will be Louise Todd from Market Rasen, she'll be judging the steer classes and in the heifer section Elizabeth Vance will be in control.
As usual the Limousin breed is dominating proceedings with entries from John Smith-Jackson, Blue Taylor, Dent's, Keeble's, Hird's and Dinsdale's to name but a few. Suprisingly though there are fewer Limousin heifers than I thought there would be.
I'm sure trade will be good, if my memory serves me correctly they topped at £3500 last year and being the 15th March (day before bluetongue movement D-Day) - I'm sure buyers will be in strong spirits.
Judging is due to start at 9am followed by a young handlers class to be judged by reigning Smithfield Champion exhibitor Mark Hallam.
Farmers Weekly have booked a photographer so keep an eye for a picture gallery to appear after the sale.
For more information on the day's proceedings go to Leyburn's website or call 01969 623 167.
