Skipton mart's Saturday livestock turnout and trade solid

A trio of leading four-figure prices for single animals was recorded, all in the steers section, JE Greenwood, Denholme, top of the shop at £1,140 with a Simmental, the same vendor also selling a same-way bred heifer at £910. Next best at £1,095 was a Charolais steer from Tom Holgate, Halton West, followed by an Aberdeen-Angus at £1,065 from L Daley, Spenimoor, who also headed the Angus heifer trade at £945.

Good strong bullocks made £800-plus, Martin Hutchison, Mixenden, doing well at £940 and Simon Heather, Oldham, making £870, both with black and whites. Grazing cattle at 14-months-old regularly achieved £700-£800, yearling cattle and those younger trading at £500-£650, while 27 black and white bullocks averaged £670.

A pen of seven-month-old Friesian bullocks from David Mitchell, Wilsden, sold at £620, while good grazing bullocks aged 14-months could make £850-£950 and yearlings £700-£800. Angus bullocks at 6/7-month-old were regularly £600-£720, lean 6/7-month-old goods £500-£600, plainer sorts at 5/6-months £380-£480.

Dairy-bred British Blue bullocks from PA&PJ Ormerod, West Marton, sold at £870 for yearlings, with prices of £700-plus seen for cattle ready for turnout, the younger end of bullocks away between £650-£700 and £450-£580 for heifers.

Continental bullocks sold well, with plenty of trade for all classes, a pen of six Limousin at seven-months-old again from David Mitchell, selling to £845, while slim heifers made to £885, also from Martin Hutchinson. Bulls traded to a section-top £870 for a Limousin from Terry Blackwell, Silsden, a Limousin cow and calf from TB Moorhouse, Dacre, achieving £1,200.

The mart says more cattle are required for the next monthly sale on Saturday, April 29, which will also incorporate the opening Grass Day show and sale. Catalogue entries close on Monday, April 24.