A SOLID run of 58 dairy-bred rearing calves was forward for Skipton Auction Mart’s May Spring show and sale, when Alan and Emily Middleton, Beamsley, clinched another championship with their first prize British Blue-x bull calf. (Mon, May 15)

The title winner is by their stock bull, Greystone Money, well-utilised since being acquired in 2019 from his North Craven breeders, Stainforth brothers Graham and Alan Coates. Alan Middleton described Money as “the best bull I have ever bought,” a claim cemented by the fact that he has sired getting on for 200 quality calves on the local dairy farm.

Out of a 4th calver Friesian-x cow – the Middletons currently milk some 90 head – the victor, tapped out by judge Charles Sayer, Threshfield, fell to new Red Rose purchaser, Nick Brown, Claughton, Lancaster, at £480 section top.

The Middletons also picked up second and third prize tickets with their Blue-x heifers, both away at £405 joint section top and both again to Nick Brown, with victory in this show class falling to Andrew and Louise Ayrton, Eastby, with a daughter of the Genus sire, Newpole Kojak. Also awarded the reserve championship, the calf sold for £380,

In addition, the Ayrtons stood 2nd and 3rd in the Blue bull show class, their charges making £430 and £415, as well as consigning the 1st prize native bull calf, an Aberdeen-Angus sold for £280, plus a runner-up ticket in the black and white bull class making £130.

Calton father and daughter, Robert and Ellie Crisp, also picked up multiple tickets with Blue-x entries, making a clean sweep of the prizes in the overage bulls show class and also winning the overage heifer show class. They also had the honour of claiming the day’s top call of £585 for their 1st prize bull.

Some strong 3/4-month-old Blue bulls sold at £570-plus, all from £415 and upwards, producing an overall section average of £496 per head, with Blue-x heifers averaging £306, mediums away at £300-£360, with young calves £200-£270.

G Pickersgill & Sons, Hawksworth, claimed a clean sweep of the prizes in the Limousin bull calf show class, topping at £420, the section averaging £320.

A strong entry of 25 black and white bulls sold to average £81, with a top price of £195 achieved by Sam Chapman, trading as RM Shackleton, Broughton, and Flasby Estates winning and also standing third in their show class, their charges selling at £165 and £105 respectively. Good thick black calves at 3/4 weeks-of-age made £120-£160, while more Holstein goods sold at £65-£95, bobbies either side of £20.

Native bull calves peaked at £295 for an Aberdeen-Angus from Andrew and Keith Lee, Lothersdale, while the Hayton & Stocks partnership, Bolton Abbey, presented the £285 top price Angus heifer calf.

Ian Briggs, Guiseley, had the £250 top price Hereford bull calf, also finishing runner-up in the native heifer show class with another Hereford that also topped at £260, the red rosette winner, an Angus, coming from DE&MA Booth, Lothersdale.