NORTH Craven father and son, Francis and Andrew Smith, Lodge Farm, Masongill, continued their remarkable run in the monthly prime cattle exhibition arena at Skipton Auction Mart on Wednesday (June 7) when again consigning the overall champion at the June show, making it a perfect six out of six title wins in 2023.

Their latest victor, a 541kg Limousin-cross steer, also progressed to make top per kilo price at 344.5p, or £1,864, when selling to Robert Pearson, again buying on behalf of Ralph Pearson Wholesale Butchers, Bradford.

Reserve champion was the first prize heifer from the Critchley beef farming family in Hutton, Preston, another Limousin-x weighing 539kg which sold at 343.5p/kg, or £2,003, when again joining Pearsons, whose haul comprised all but one of the 30 under 30-month clean cattle.

The Criitchleys also consigned the second prize heifer, another 601kg Limousin-x making £1,944, 323.5p/kg, the third prize winner, a 600kg Limousin from John and Alison Spensley, Thorlby, netting £1,863, 310.5p/kg.

Per head prices were again dominated by an exceptional pen of nine Limousin steers from Hargreaves Farms, Walton-le-Dale, who finished second and third in the steers show class, their best, a 787kg entry grossing £2,609, 331.5p/kg. Their best per kilo price was 337.5p/kg for a 739kg steer which grossed £2,494, all making well over £2,000 to average an exceptional £2,435.

The show class for bulls was won by the Baines family, Gisburn, with a 608kg British Blue-x grossing £2,016, 331.5p/kg, a 587kg Limousin-x from the same home heading the section by-weight prices at 334.5p/kg.

Ben Townsend, Laneshawbridge, finished runner-up with a 656kg Blue-x bull making £2,155, 328.5p/kg, another 703kg Blue-x from E&M Townley & Son, Clapham, taking third prize and selling at £2,330, 331.5p/kg. Section per head prices peaked at £2,541 for a 788kg Blonde-x bull from Mike Thuey, Easingwold.

The prime cattle fixture was again staged as part of the fortnightly Wednesday sale of just short of 400 head of young feeding bulls, beef feeding cows, store bullocks and heifers and breeding cattle.

Trade was strong for 165 stores, with some high prices seen for both feeding cattle and yearlings, peaking at £2,180 for a Limousin heifer from Fair Place Farm, Cowling, another from MJ&A Carr, Horton-In- Ribblesdale, achieving £2,020.

While young bulls are now becoming thinner on the ground in number the 95 head forward saw trade remain solid for sound, well-presented batches of 450kg Continentals, strong bulls hitting £1,800, those at 10-12 months generally away at £1,350-£1,750.

The 39 feeding cows were again a good trade, with top prices of £2,080 for a Charollais from K Burton, Skipton, Limousin cows selling to £1,900 from John Mellin, Long Preston. The section averaged £1,271.

Plenty of £2,000-plus prices were seen among the 67 beef breeding cattle, peaking at £2,500 for a Limousin-x cow with same way bred heifer calf from the Lund family, Litton.