A top call of 8500gns was recorded at CCM Skipton’s annual Craven Limousin Day pedigree highlight for a second prize intermediate bull from fixture regulars and multiple past prize winners James and Sarah Cooper, Tomschoice herd, Hill Top Farm, Dacre, the previous year’s reserve supreme champions. (Wed, May 14).
Their Tomshoice Usurper is a November, 2023, AI son of ‘Larry,’ himself by the French-bred Correze, a former French National Limousin Show champion and a sire renowned for its muscle and influence on the breed. Another Larry son sold the previous week for 10000gns.
Out of the home-bred Mereside Leo daughter, Tomschoice Polka, Usurper arrived with impressive EBVs for calving ease. Also a maternal brother to the 14000gns Tomschoice Samba, the top price performer headed to the Ribble Valley with David Towler, who farms with son William at Scriddles Farm, Grindleton. Usurper will go to work on their commercial Limousin herd.
Represented by a brace of bulls, Tomschoice also consigned the junior male champion, the 16-month-oldThomschoice Valencia, again got by AI, namely the Lodge Hamlet son, Gallaber Leo, out of another Mereside Leo daughter, Tomschoice Orange.
Valencia, a maternal brother to Tomschoice Ultraviolet, last year’s Northern Limousin Extravaganza reserve champion at Skipton, also sold well at 6200gns when catching the eye of North Craven regular Jeff Pickles, Chapel-le-Dale.
The annual breed highlight at their local mart has always proved a happy hunting ground for the Masons, Oddacres herd, Embsay, and this year was no exception when the family consigned six bulls, with one, the home-bred Oddacres Vernon, tapped out as the junior reserve male champion, heading the section prices when claiming 7500gns second top in sale.
He is a 14-month-old son of the French-bred Tabarly (by Notaire), acquired as a calf and imported in December, 2022, out of the Procters Major daughter, Oddacres Silvie, herself bred from Idee, also the dam of Oddcares Oswald, a 10000gns sale at Skipton in 2019. The Wharfedale purchasers were the Caton family, Weston, also familiar faces at the mart,
The Masons – John and Claire, son James and daughter Annabel, who continues to serve as North East Limousin Breeders Club secretary – followed up with another solid 6200gns junior bull sale in the 13-month-old Oddacres Volt, also by Tabarly and out of another Procters Major daughter, Oddacres Sweetlady. Volt’s granddam, Homebyres Elitelady, has proved one of the most consistent breeders in the Oddcares herd and he went to Cowan Bridge, Kirkby Lonsdale, with returning buyers Brian and Anita Coates.
The same home was also responsible for the third prize junior bull, Oddacres Vindicator, an April, 2024, son of the easy calving sire, Sysko, purchased in France from Cathy Patureau’s renowned herd, while the dam is the 15-year-old prolific breeder, Oddacres Fescue. The St Helens purchasers at 4900gns trade as B Hayes Land Improvement, with another junior bull commanding 4400gns, the Oddacers consignment averaging £5232.
John Clayton, Bentleybrook herd, Wyke, Bradford, claimed his first-ever supreme championship, also adding female championship for good measure on a successful day for the West Yorkshire showman.
His first prize bull, Meadowrig United, progressed to first become intermediate male champion, then male champion, before taking the overall title courtesy of show judge Kevin Bates, a stockman with the Haltcliffe pedigree Limousin herd of Craig Ridley, Wigton, and who also adjudicated at the previous day’s show-only Northern Limousin Extravaganza.
The June, 2023, United was the latter of a cow and calf outfit acquired at the same year’s dispersal sale staged on behalf of Scottish Borders breeders A Renton & HBS Redden Partners, Duns. He is by the Homebyres Iveson son, Homebyres Macadoo and the fourth calf of the home-bred Kaprico Germander daughter, Meadowrig Nina, said to be one of the herd’s best cows – she is currently in-calf again to main stock bull Carmorn Tigeroll, a five-figure purchase last year.
United was described by the adjudicator as “a big, strong powerful bull with a great top to hang meat on, ideally suited to today’s market.” The supreme sold for 5900gns to regular customers G&R Bulmer & Sons, Wakefield.
From a near 70-strong herd first established some 15 years ago, the female champion was Bentleybrook Vose, born on May 1 last year to the Foxhillfarm Jobsworth son, Tomlinson Smokyjoe, the herd’s other stock bull acquired when standing a senior champion in 2022. Out of the home-bred Procters Mutineer daughter, Bentleybrook Rose, the up-and-coming sweet young heifer, ideally suited to further showing, went under the hammer at 2400gns, heading to Kirklees and Almondbury with familiar face Janet Sheard, who also acts as CCM’s fieldsperson across West and South Yorkshire.
The Brontemoor herd of Cumbrian breeders JM&SM Priestley, Cracrop Farm, Kirkcambeck, had another successful outing at a fixture they have been supporting for many years, picking up multiple tickets along the way, also standing supreme champions at the previous afternoon’s Northern Limousin Extravaganza.
The Priestleys saw their annual consignment again well supported, a brace of December, 2023, bulls each securing 5000gns. First up was Brontemoor Uboy, an Ampertaine Jackpot son, out of the Brutus Hashtag-bred Brontemoor Ojoy, followed by Brontemor Uptownfunk, an Intack Sumo son out of the home-bred Brontemoor Paloma. Both were snapped up by Nidderdale’s TH&K Wood, High Birstwith.
Two 2023-born intermediate bulls from the same home also picked up tickets. The family had a runner-up in Brontemoor Uneek, an AI son of Glangwden Downtown, out of the Lodge Hydro daughter, Brontemoor Obaby, who also bred another show champion, the 8000gns Brontemoor Superman. Uneek fell for 4800gns to Ashfield Farms, Lothersdale.
The third prize Brontemmor Unameit, again by Intack Sumo, out of the Volcano-bred Brontemoor Prettygirl, made 4600gns to WJ Hargreaves, Gisburn, with the Priestleys’ consignment of five bulls averaging £5092.
Garrowby Farms, Bugthorpe, York, produced Garrowby Uzi, a 19-month-old Pabo Rocknroll son from a Plumtree Fantastic cow, Gunnerfleet Nigeaster, which sold for 5800gns to G&J Hadfield & Son, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, also consigning a second bull at 4400gns.
From North Craven, Mark Nelson, Bullandcave herd, Clapham, who stood supreme champion on his first-ever appearance at last year’s Craven Limousin Day, returned with a nice prospect in Bullandcave Ultron, a December, 2023 bull by Huntershall Petronas, owned by show calf producer Gary Bell, Lockerbie, out of the Ironstone Colonel daughter, Barrons Oulip, who has also bred a five-figure bull. Petronas made 5100gns when joining G Pickersgill & Sons, Hawksworth, to run with their Friesian dairy herd.
In the senior bulls, the show class runner-up came from County Durham’s Carl Stephenson, Pikestone herd, Woodland, Bishop Auckland. His Pikestone Udevil is a May, 2023, son of Japelou, out of the home-bred Oddacres Inkeeper daughter, Pikestone Oregon, whose own dam Pikestone Heffalump, was responsible for the 5800gns top price intermediate bull at Skipton three years ago. Udevil became another 5000gns sale, topping its section when joining S Lord, Littleborough, Rochdale.
Back with the girls, Mr Stephenson also finished runner-up in the 2023 maiden heifer class with the December, 2023, Pikestone Ursula, similarly bred to his second prize senior bull, again being by Japelou, out of another Inkeeper daughter, Pikestone Mongalla. She fell to a secord Grindleton buyer, Skipton regular James Towler.
Victory in the 2023 maiden heifer class and with it the female reserve championship went to Charles Stanton, Whitewell herd, Cow Ark, Clitheroe, with Whitewell Ultravixen, an embryo calf by the Ampertaine Foreman son, Westpit Omaha, formerly at Haltcliffe and sold for 18000gns. Out of the Goldies Jurassic daughter, Procters Mfanita, acquired at the herd dispersal sale two years ago, Ultravixen earned top price tag among the females when selling locally at 3600gns to Richard and Charlotte Greenwood, Low Bradley.
Other maiden heifers were equally well sought, with the Tomschoice Coopers returning with a trio of females, selling a 17-month-old Fieldson Ramos daughter, Tomschoice Ukelele, at 2800gns, another at the same age, Tomschoice Uposhtotty, by Scorboro Nero, at 2600gns, and the March, 2024, Tomschoice Solace daughter, Tomschoice Venus, at 2500gns
Remaining in the maiden heifers, A&JA Iveson, Eastshaw herd, Gayle, Hawes, produced an eye-catching pen which caused interest among breeders, with their best price of 2700gns falling to Eastshaw Vimto, a Wilodge Tonka heifer at just 12 months selling to Richard Speakman, Bury, followed by a brace at 2500gns, the most notable Eastshaw Vanfussy, an 11-month-old by the home-bred Eastshaw Ivantastic.
Last but not least, Susan Field, Cornfield herd, Burnley, had cow and calf outfits sell at 3100gns and 3000gns, the former for the 2019-born Scottish Borders-bred Homebyres Poricity and her January-born heifer calf, Cornfield Amoricity, by Gunnerfleet Lion, the latter Dinmore Sequin, bred in Hereford, and her adopted bull calf at foot, again by Gunnerfleet Lion
A firm trade was assured by strong underlying commercial values, with a significant number of buyers making return visits for repeat orders. Of the 35-strong entry presented for sale, all but two successfully found new homes. The annual showcase was again supported by The North East Limousin Breeders Club, with Skipton NFU once more the keynote sponsor
Top prices and averages, all showing an increase on the year, were: Senior bulls to 5000gns, av £5250 (2024 £3,570), Intermediate bulls to 8500gns, av £5155 (2024 £5088). Junior bulls, particularly well supported, to 7500gns, av £5415 (2024 £3150), Maiden heifers to 3600gns, av £2706 (2024 £2403), cows Incalf/with calves at foot to 3100gns, av £3020 (2024 £2940).
ENDS
Report written by CCM Auction Marts.
