MARK and Elaine Hartley’s Pendle Lightning not only secured the reserve championship but also the lead price of 4600gns at a show and sale of pedigree British Blue bulls at Skipton.
The bull, from Pendle Valley Farm, Roughlee, stood second in his class to the champion and is by the Bijoutier Et De Roupage son, Jalon De Martinpre, which is known for his light birth weight calf traits.
The second calf bred from the Newton Blues Chico-sired show cow, Pendle Heather – a former breed champion at Kilnsey Show – Lightning found a new home with Don and Jan Leeming, and son Matthew, of West House Farm, Ramsgill, where he will be put to work as a replacement Blue bull on their commercial Limousin herd.
North Craven pedigree breeders, Alan and Graham Coates, of the Greystone herd from Rainscar, Stainforth, sold the second top priced bull at 3800gns to the Ryder family, Haverah Park, Harrogate. This was the unshown Greystone Lion, an August, 2016-born son of Greystone Carbon.
The champion, Littlebank Leo, a 2016-born bull from husband and wife team, Richard and Wendy Maudsley, Rathmell, made 3100gns when sold to RA Busby and Son, Marrick, Richmondshire. 
Their show stopper is an ET bred from the Ballygrange Alex daughter, Solway View Jelly Baby, which was acquired as a heifer, and sired by Empire d’Ochain – a sire that has produced calves to 9300gns for the Maudsleys’ pedigree herd.