Easter trade hits the demand at Skipton

Their 570kg British Blue cross heifer – originally acquired from Tom Robinson, Slaidburn – was knocked down for the day’s top price of 293.5p or £1673 to James Robertshaw, in Thornton.

North Craven father and son team, Francis and Andrew Smith, Lodge Farm, stood as reserve champion with a 560kg Limousin cross bullock, which attained 278.5p or £1560 when selling back to the judge.

Top price amongst the heavy cattle was 264.5p or £1627 for a 615kg Limousin cross heifer also from the Kitching brothers, whilst trade for cull cows topped at £1364 or 152.5p for an Aberdeen Angus from the Skipton-based Lawn family.

The weekly rearing calf sale witnessed a top of £410 for British Blue cross bull calves from Andrew Ayrton, Eastby.

Amongst the prime lambs, judge Mick Etherington, from Eldwick selected North Craven’s Robert Towers as the champion for a third year with a pair of home-bred 41kg Charollais cross lambs that went on to sell for £178 or 434p to Rowland Agar, Wholesale Butchers in Ilkley.

The title-winning duo were among the first crop of lambs by a bought-in tup which is also responsible for the first prize single 46kg Continental cross lamb, which attained the day's top price of £188.

Father and son team, Charles and Stephen Marwoods claimed the reserve honours with the second prized Continental pair of pure-bred 39kg lambs. The duo were knocked down at £168 per head and were also purchased by Rowland Agar, Wholesale Meats.

Outwith the show, some 107 new season lambs were on offer with the sale averaging 370p, while 2500 hoggs levelled at 300p and topped at 431p or £164 for 38kg entries from Hill and Wright in Doncaster.

The 350 cast ewes sold similarly on the week, commanding up to £162 and averaging £106.16, while 336 breeding sheep witnessed Linton’s Thomas Boothman hitting the top price mark on two occasions with Texel crosses at £280.