Bouyant trade at Skipton show and sale

Clitheroe’s IanTownson reigned supreme on Craven Champions Day, CCM Skipton’s annual show andsale of commercial store cattle with future show potential.

A quality entryof 50 up-and-coming youngsters sold at an overall average of £1,240 perhead.

Mr Townson, ofHigh Brake House, lifted the champion title with his British Blue-sired bullock, an 11-month-old son of Blue Grass Cyclone -his only calf by the AI sire to date.

The victor sold for £1,400to Andrew Bailey, of Cornfield House, Eldrothin North Craven.

Mr Townson also claimed thereserve rosette with a Charolais-sired bullock, by another AI sire, LowerFfrydd Benhur and out of a pedigree Limousin cow. The eight-month-old sold for£1,200 to John Bowling, of Ashton-in Makerfield, Wigan.

In addition, MrTownson presented the second prize British Blue-sired bullock, which became a£1,300 purchase by Richard Critchley, of Claire Farm, Hutton, Preston, whoseson Robert then stepped forward to pay top price in show at £1,750 for the third prize British Blue-sired heifer from the Akrigg farming family at Manor Farm, Cray,supreme champions at last year’s fixture.

In fact, their2013 top price achiever is a full sister to the 2012 title winner, both beingby the AI sire Eternal, out of home-bred Limousin-x-British Blue cows.

The Akriggs -father Chris and his sons Tom, John and Will – were also responsible for thesecond highest price of the day at £1,600 with their second prize Limousin-sired bullock, by a bull bred in Calderdaleby David Balmforth.

The reservesupreme championship fell to one of the youngest show entries, aseven-month-old British Blue-sired heifer from reigning CCM Farmer of the YearBrian Lund, of Walshaw Farm, Walshaw, Hebden Bridge.

The home-bredclass winner and female champion is by Deanhouse Danloy, locally bred in theBradford area, out of a Limousin-x-Blue cow. She sold for £1,550 to StephenSwales, of Melbourne, a regular buyer at the annual highlight, who also paid £1,600 for the second prize winner in the younghandlers’ class, a British Blue shown by Rob Walker, of JC Walker & Son, Brennand Farm, DunsopBridge.

BrianLund was also responsible for the first prize winner in the young handlers’class with another seven-month-oldBritish Blue-sired heifer shown by his 14-year-old grandson Jack, a pupil atCalder High School.

It had similarbreeding patterns to Mr Lund’s reserve supreme champion and emulated it onprice in the sales ring when also selling for £1,550 to Pateley Bridge’s Andrew Fisher.

Thereserve female champion was the first prize any breed heifer, a British Bluefrom John and Gill Huck, of Church Farm, Hubberholme, which sold for £1,380 to Wagstaff Bros, of Sutton-on-the-Forest inHambleton.

However, it was the secondprize any breed British Blue heifer, again from the Walker family in DunsopBridge, that achieved top price in class at £1,500 when joining show judge JohnMellin, of Hellifield. The Walkers also presented the third prize any otherbreed heifer, another British Blue, knocked down for £1,320 to Thompson Bros,of Pickering.

Further Walker familysuccesses were the first prize Limousin-sired bullock, sold for £1,180 to theRead farming family in Horncastle, the third prize British Blue-sired bullock,knocked down at £1,360 to J B Eastwood, of Emley, Huddersfield, and the second prize British Blue-sired heifer,which became a further Wagstaff Bros acquisition at £1,250. The same buyersalso paid £1,060 for the second prize any other breed bullock, a British Bluefrom A B Woodhouse, of Clapham.

JonathanTownley, of Clapham, was again prominent with three red rosette winners – thefirst prize any breed bullock, a Limousin, the first prize Limousin-sired bullock, which both became further J BEastwood buys at £1,500 and £1,440 respectively, along with the first prize anyother breed heifer, a British Blonde, sold for £1,200 to John Summers, ofClayton, Bradford, who also paid £1,200 for the thirdprize winner in the young handlers’ class, a British Blue shown by JamesBaldwin, of Hebden Bridge.

David and LindaBroadbent, of Midgley, Halifax, were again among the awards when presenting thefirst prize Limousin-sired heifer, soldfor £1,180 to Matt and Ben Townsend, of Laneshawbridge, and the third prize anyother breed heifer, a British Blonde, acquired for £1,180 by J C White, ofBarnsley.

C R Fawcett, of Sandhutton, Thirsk, was a red rosettewinner with the first prize any breed British Blonde bullock, a furtherThompson Bros buy at £1,380, while the second prize any other breed heifer,another British Blonde, from Saddle End Farms, Chipping, fell for £1,150 toKirkby Malham’s Jeff Burrows.