British Blue Bulls sell to 6,900gns at Skipton

6th May 2014

Skipton Auction Mart’s 2014 pedigree beef season got off to a flying start when the traditional pipeopener - ‘Blue Wednesday,’ the annual British Blue showpiece – proved a runaway success, with a top price of 6,900 guineas and 95% clearance of the increased 18-strong turnout on Wednesday 30th April 2014.

Bulls created keen interest at the ringside from premium suckled calf breeders, with trade underpinned by robust demand for bulls ready to work from local dairy producers.

Oak Tree Humpty – 6,900gns

Father and son breeders John and Richard Pedley, who run their Oak Tree pedigree herd at the farm of the same name in Barbon, Carnforth, topped the sale at 6,900gns with their 27-month-old black and white bull Oak Tree Humpty, which won the intermediate bull class for animals born before May 31, 2012. An embryo son of the Norbreck sire, Empire D’Ochain, out of a home-bred cow by Harley Du Chateau Lebrun joins Lincolnshire buyer John (Roland) Appleby and will be put to work on his commercial beef herd.

Tim and Lisa Metcalfe achieved the day’s second highest price of 4,100gns with their near-black May, 2012, bull Towngate Herbie, by Brennand Emperor and out of a Dafydd D’Ochain daughter, sold to G&R Booth, of New Mill, Huddersfield.

The Walker family sold their November, 2012-born bull, Brennand Hawk, by Dragon Blues Champ, out of Brennand Cindy to D&R Sandham, of Calton, Yeadon, for 3,700gns.

Show judge Stephen Potter found his champion in the Tamhorn Formidable-sired Clifftown Horatio, shown by Dylan Townend, who runs the Clifftown pedigree herd at Quarry Farm, Broughton, near Malton.

Supreme Champion Clifftown Horatio - 3,300gns

His title winner, out of the Ballygrange Alex daughter Tamhorn Duchess, acquired in-calf at the Tamhorn dispersal sale found a new home in Pendle when sold outside the ring to Mac Townsend, of Laneshawbridge, for 3,300gns.

Richard Maudsley, of the Littlebank herd in Rathmell, made 3,700gns with his June, 2012-born bull, Littlebank Harry, another son of Empire D’Ochain, out of the home-bred Littlebank Diva. The buyers were D&S Hollings of Pecket Well, Hebden Bridge.

Martin Sharp, who only established his Taitlands British Blue herd in Stainforth four years ago, also did well when selling his first-ever bull, Taitlands Hercules, by the AI sire Boothlow Dynamo, for 3,500gns to P&RM Sutcliffe in Queensbury. He also sold his same way bred October, 2012-born, bull Taitlands Henry for 3,200gns to Silsden Moor’s Nick Parker.

The third prize winner in the younger bulls show class, the two-year-old Greystone Navigator son, Owlden Harlequin, from the pedigree herd of James and Deborah Ogden, of Owlett Hall Farm, sold for 2,380gns to C Whittaker, of Glossop.

Junior bulls sold to a healthy overall average of £3,395 per head, while Intermediate bulls averaged £3,095. The show was sponsored by Carnforth-based agricultural machinery firm Bryan Hoggarth Ltd, represented by sales executive Ed Tinker.