A NEW show and sale for 2021 and 2022-born weaned beef-bred Continental bulls at Skipton Auction Mart provided breeders with the opportunity to sell cattle early and buyers the chance to buy high quality bulls to grow on. (Wed, Nov 23)

Emerging as inaugural champions from the four show classes for pairs of autumn and spring-born bulls were the youngest duo on parade, eight-month-old British Blue-x/Limousin-x from E Crosby, of Morley, Leeds. Tapped out by Little Ouseburn show judge Lee Swann, they sold at £1,410 each.

A brace of pure-bred Limousin from LJ Penter, of Litton, won the class for younger Autumn 2021-born bulls, selling at £1,350, the older class winners from E&M Fairhurst, of Austwick, away at £1,340, the same home also responsible for the £1,460 top price bull over 12 months. The first prize older Spring, 2022, bulls pairing from the Handleys in Carnforth made £1,310 each.

Trade was excellent, several new buyers from Eastern feeding areas at the ringside returning home with some outstanding prospects .Spring-born bulls under 10 months traded to an overall average of £1,087, topping at £1,450 for a Simmental from RD Elliott, of Tadcaster, who also headed the 10-12 months selling prices at the same figure, again with a Simmental. The 90 young feeding bulls produced a Continental-x average of £1,115.

Show sponsors were the mart-based Craven Farm Vets and trading partner, animal health group Boehringer Ingelheim/Bovalto, the new fixture forming part of Skipton’s fortnightly midweek sale of 442 head of cattle.

The 52 beef feeding cows and stock bulls produced some solid prices for the former, a pure Limousin from the Varley family in Queensbury leading the way at £2,000, followed at £1,800 for a Limousin/Blue-x from John and Sarah Tennant in Bordley. Grazing cows levelled at £1,112 per head, with more required to satisfy a full ringside requiring all types.

Ready across-the-board demand was also seen for the near 300 store bullocks and heifers, which achieved respective Continental-x selling averages of £1,264 and £1,094. Some tidy breeding cattle outfits traded to a top of £1,820 for a Bazadaise-x cow and Limousin calf, again from the Bordley Tennants.