CHAMPION beast at Skipton Auction Mart’s September prime cattle show came from North Craven father and son, Francis and Andrew Smith, of Lodge Farm, Masongill. The title winner, a 527kg Limousin-x steer bred in the South Lakes, made top per kilo price of 327.5p, or £1,726, when sold to Knavesmire Butchers in York, the same buyer accounting for the Smiths’ second entry, a 512kg Limousin-x, at 323.5p/kg, again top by weight, or £1,656.

A strong Limousin-x consignment of both steers and heifers from the Hutton-based Critchleys included several prize winners, among them the first prize heifer and reserve champion, their entries trading to highs of £1,788 and 309.5p/kg.

The leading gross prices were headed by Hargreaves Farms, from Walton-le-Dale, with an impressive pen of steers averaging 701kg and a top of £2,052 for a 745kg Limousin-x, with the best heifer gross of £1,841 falling to the third prize winner, a 623kg Limousin-x from the Threshfield Kitchings, going to Ralph Pearson Wholesale Butchers in Bradford.

In the monthly prime lambs show, George Sunderland of Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge, stood champion with a pen of five 48kg Beltex making £178 per head or 387p/kg, the 43kg Beltex runners-up from Taylor Bros, of Rathmell, selling for £162, or 376p/kg, the third prize 43kg pen from Mike Allen, of Staithes, Whitby, £150, or 348p/kg.

The Hartley farming partnership in Beamsley won the Suffolk-x show class with 43kg lambs making £113.50, while the Wilson and Ryder families, neighbouring farmers in Blubberhouses, stood first and second in the North of England Mules show class with 47kg pens both making £104.

It’s currently the peak sheep show and sale season at CCM Skipton and while some reports may take a while to appear in print they will, as usual, be posted on the Herald website as soon as possible after each sale.