British Blues Dominate at Skipton
18th November 2015
British Blue Genetics dominated the Store and Suckled Calf sale at Skipton on 28th October 2015.
The Walker family, Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge, presented their January, 2015-born British Blue-cross heifer, a home-bred by their main stock bull Cromwell Fendt. The same sire was also responsible for the Walkers’ Skipton Spring store cattle champion and the reserve champion on Craven Champions Day earlier in the year.
Steven Walker is pictured with the family’s 2015 Skipton suckled calf champion, joined by show judge Mike Thuey
Out of a Limousin cow, whose own dam was one of the family’s leading pure-bred British Blue show animals, the Walkers’ latest top performer also proved the joint leading player on price when selling for £1,400 to Dylan and Nicky Townend, of Quarry Farm, Broughton, near Malton.
Steven Walker is pictured with the family’s 2015 Skipton suckled calf champion, left, and their first prize 2014-born heifer. Both sold for a joint show-topping £1,400.
The Walkers were also responsible for the first prize 2014-born heifer, by the AI sire Grommet, which also sold for joint top price of £1,400 to Skipton regular Malcolm Metcalfe, of Baldersby.
The reserve championship fell to a Limousin-cross heifer from Jonathan Townley, of Nutta Farm in Clapham. Out of a Blue-cross cow, she sold for £1,080 to Goole’s Ian Swales.
Dylan and Nicky Townend with their two first prize 2015 Skipton young bulls.
The Townends were themselves dual first prize winners in both show classes for 2015-born bulls. Their red rosette-winning Limousin was by the AI sire, Ampertaine Commander, out of a Blue-cross heifer, while the first prize Blue bull was by their own Clifftown Horatio, champion at Skipton’s annual "Blue Wednesday" showpiece last year and since sold on, out of a Limousin-cross heifer. Both fell for £1,200 and £1,080 respectively to York farmers and butchers Stephen and Anthony Swales,
The young feeding bulls forward sold to an overall Continental-cross average of £903 per head, with a native average of £630. Prices peaked at £1,520 and £1,500 for a brace of British Blue-cross bulls from Jeff Burrow in Kirkby Malham.
Breeding cattle prices peaked at £1,700 for an Aberdeen Angus-cross cow with a British Blue-cross heifer calf at foot.
