British Blue x Calves Dominate CCM New Year Calf Show

Monday 13th January 2025

The opening New Year calf show at CCM Skipton began on a high note with a robust turnout of 115 head, a couple more than last November’s Christmas show, which represented the largest entry of the whole year, with very pleasing trade to match across all classes.

Shaun Sowray, right, with his CCM New Year rearing calf champion, joined by judge John Hardcastle.

The impact of the 2025 opener was further illustrated when an eight-week-old British Blue-x bull at the older end of the entry, a first prize Continental calf from David Calvert, West Marton, headed the sale at £670, which was £30 more than the 2024 high of £640, also recorded at the festive fixture. The buyer of the New Year sale topper was Calderdale mart regular Brian Lund, Walshaw.

The dairy-farming Sowray brothers, Bowes Green Farm, Bishop Thornton, secured another in an ever-growing list of championship wins with their first prize British Blue-x heifer calf, a 25/11/2024-born AI daughter of ‘Hebony,’ well-utilised by the Sowrays, who bought multiple lots of semen from the late Genus sire.

She was first tapped out by show judge John Hardcastle, Thornthwaite, Harrogate, becoming the highest priced heifer when purchased by him among several acquisitions for second top £640, matching last year’s annual high, which also fell to the Sowrays with the reserve champion Blue-x bull at the Christmas highlight.

Rob and Sarah Marshall with their CCM New Year rearing calf reserve champion.

Also picking up several tickets were Nidderdale’s Rob and Sarah Marshall, Monk Ing Farm, Dacre, notably with the first prize and overall reserve champion Blue-x bull calf, a seven-and-a-half-week-old by the Cogent sire, ‘Odds On,” which topped its section at £605, again joining the judge.

A total of 31 Blue bulls sold to average £507.58, the stronger end regularly £600-plus, smart rearing bulls at 6-8-weeks-old often away at £520-plus, the younger end £420-£480, just a few smaller bulls £310-£400.

Blue heifers, 41 in total and generally a younger turnout compared to the bulls, averaged £350. Plenty of Blue and Continental heifers sold at £460-£545 for the smartest and strong end, with nice rearing heifers £350-£420, the younger end £260-£320.

Alan and Emily Middleton, Beamsley, won an older heifer calf class with another Blue-x making a solid £530, also standing runners-up in the two classes for younger Blues, their heifer doing better at £540.

Images: Moule Media, Skipton