A STANDALONE  pedigree British Blue fixture at CCM Skipton again included the much anticipated annual production sale from the North Craven-based Greystone pedigree herd run by brothers Alan and Graham Coates, Rainscar Farm, Stainforth.

Their consignment of heifers topped at 5,200gns for Greystones Scirocca, a Newroddige Highflyer April, 2022-born heifer, out of the Almeley Ginola daughter, Greystone Mistral, who remains in the herd – the grand dam also bred Genus’s ‘Glacier.’ Sold in-calf to the 16,000gns Auchenlay Ranger, the top price heifer went to Dumfries & Galloway with A Watret, Annan.

Close behind at 5,200gns was Greystone Satin, an Almelay Ginola daughter again in-calf to Auchenlay Ranger, out of the Newton Blues Chico-sired Greystone Focus, who has calved 12 times to date and also remains in the herd. A full sister to the 7000gns Greytone Kilo, other full sisters have also sold for 5000gns, Satin sold to Henley Livestock, Tadcaster.

A pair of 2022-born Pendle Bruce-sired maiden heifers, Greystone Saver and Greystone Sapphire, made 4200gns and 4000gns respectively, both going to J Cardwell, Doncaster, while another 2022 heifer, Greystone Smiley, a Bandit Van Het Lindeveld daughter, made 4200gns, with other entries from the same home away at 4000gns and 3000gns.

The solitary cow and calf entry, the 2015 all-white Greystone Arctic daughter, Greystone Korky, who had previously bred daughters to 5000gns, out of the Tamhorn Ringmaster-sired Greystone Herpine, was sold with her Auchenlay Ranger bull calf at foot, the March-born Greystone Ulay. The outfit made 5500gns when selling locally to John Wood, Trawden.

In addition, a guest consignment of two Spring 2023-born maiden heifers from Mark and Elaine Hartley’s Pendle herd, Roughlee, both claimed top price honours in sale when Pendle Talulah raced away to 6000gns. This naturally born heifer sired by Greystones Noveltee, out of the Blue Stone Union Jack-sired Pendle O Witchy, was also purchased locally by Amy Mountain, New York Farms, Silsden.

The Hartleys also offered Pendle Tickety-Boo, this time by Henlli Wishmaster, out of the Drybarrows Cawdale daughter, Pendle Orchid. She sold for 5,500gns to Lincolnshire’s Joe Crust, Spilsby, The 12-strong entry produced solid averages, in-calf heifers levelling at £4340 and maiden heifers £4083.

Also on the same day’s agenda was the fortnightly sale of young feeding bulls, store bullocks and heifers and breeding cattle, which attracted a solid entry. Of the 42 beef feeding cows and stock bulls, a couple of the latter saw a Limousin at four-and-half- years-old sell at £4400 from the Mason family, Oddcares, Embsay, with an eight-year-old Blonde Aquitaine from Keith and Jeanette Marshall, Skipton, making £1700.

A good show of 40 cows saw some excellent pure-bred and well-fleshed cross-breds in the entry, with three at £2000-plus and 14 at £1700-plus, producing an overall selling average of £1441 per head.

Six prime cattle forward sold to a top of 374.5p/kg for 552kg heifer from the Baines family, Gisburn, while among the stores short-keep cattle met a flying trade.