97% clearance achieved at Skipton Limousin highlight
Several £3,000-plus prices and virtually total clearance – of the 92 cattle forward, 89 were sold – were the highlights of the annual show and sale of pedigree Limousin breeding bulls and females at Skipton Auction Mart. (Wed, May 12)
Top joint call at 3,600gns went to the reserve supreme champion bull from Cumbrian showman John Richardson, of W Richardson & Sons, Laverock Bridge, Kendal.
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| John Richardson with his Skipton pedigree Limousin breeding bull champion and joint top priced entry, joined by, from left, judge Gary Swindlehurst, and sponsors Phillip Rowson, of PV Dobson & Sons, Skipton, and Lucie Carter, assistant editor of Farmers Mart. |
His January, 2008-born Laverock Domino is a son of the prolific Rocky, who has sired bulls to 22,000gns, out of Laverock Pearl, a high-class dam who also produced Laverock Nimrod, the 2000 Royal Show champion.
Domino had earlier won the younger of the intermediate bull classes. He joined first-time Skipton Alan Clark and Sarah Johson (correct), of Far Orrest Farm, Windermere, and will be used as a stock bull on their Limousin commercial herd.
Reflecting Skipton’s growing status as a pedigree Limousin venue, the fixture incorporated stock reduction consignments from two of the region’s leading breeders, the Oddacres herd of John and Claire Mason in Embsay, and Steven and Ruth Priestley’s Brontemoor herd at Denholme, Bradford.
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| John Richardson with his Skipton pedigree Limousin breeding bull champion and joint top priced entry |
The Masons’ November, 2008-born Oddacres Dingdong, a son of Ange, out of the home-bred Oddacres Adelphi, was the older intermediate bull class victor, equalling his younger class-winning counterpart with another 3,600gns price tag when joining Michael Harker, of Dean House Farm, Wycoller, Colne.
In the same class, the Masons’ third prize winner, the Victor-Ben son Oddacres Diablo, made 2,700gns when joining local buyer John Lancaster, Bordley.
Best of their breeding females was the Scottish-bred Grahams Ritzy, a daughter of Illegal, and her Ange-sired four-month-old heifer calf Oddacres Fortune. Since calving, Grahams Ritzy has been running with Victor-Ben and she and her youngster sold for 2,900gns to D Swindlehurst, Skipton.
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| Ashley McKinnis with Elaine Priestley’s Skipton pedigree Limousin female champion, joined by judge Gary Swindlehurst. |
The Oddacres 18-strong show entry was largely based on imported French cattle sourced from many of the best herds in the original home of the Limousin. Their bulls averaged £2,669, cows and calves £2,555, and maiden heifers £1,214.
The Priestleys’ consignment consisted of 31 cattle, predominantly home-bred females from renowned bloodlines. However, the top performer was their first prize 2009-born junior bull, Brontemoor Drdoolittle, by Doonbeg Andrew, another Rocky son.
He headed the class prices at 3,500gns when knocked down to Northumberland buyer Aydon Carse, of E Carse & Son, South Ord Farm, Berwick Upon Tweed, who was also making his first purchase at Skipton.
Aydon is well acquainted with the Priestleys, whose son Richard spent a summer at the farm gaining work experience while studying at Bishop Burton Agricultural College and last year returned to help with the harvest.
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| Ashley McKinnis with Elaine Priestley’s Skipton pedigree Limousin female champion |
Steven and Ruth Priestley also presented the second prize winner in the class for younger intermediate bulls, Brontemoor Dundee, by Sultan, who joined JN Swinbank, Darlington, for 3,100gns.
With their ‘ladies,’ the Priestleys had the maiden heifer class runner-up and reserve female champion with the Seaview Upstart daughter, Brontemoor Dipsy, sold for 1,300gns to DP Moore, Sowerby Bridge.
It was their third prize maiden heifer Brontemoor Edith, another product of Doonbeg Andrew, that headed the class prices at 1,320gns when acquired by Philip Summers, Clayton, Bradford. Brontemoor bulls averaged £2,730, cows and calves £1,365, and maiden heifers £1,272.
Judge Gary Swindlehurst, of the Procters herd at Slaidburn, plumped for maturity in his choice of supreme champion with the five-year-old senior bull class winner from the Yorkshire Dales-based Hartlingtontop herd of Cliff and Mark Walker, Appletreewick.
Norman Arnie, sired by Heathmount Trojan, a son of the 10,800gns Jockey, Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) Winter Fair champion in 2003, was acquired from the Cumbrian-based E & E Norman Limousin herd – also home of his dam Stacey Rebecca.
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| John and Claire Mason’s joint top price Oddacres Dingdong |
Arnie was also responsible for the Walkers’ top-priced 3,500gns Limousin bull at last year’s annual multi-breeds pedigree beef breeding cattle event at Skipton. He joined SD Robinson. Litton, for 2,000gns, the same price achieved by John Richardson’s second prize senior bull, the Navarin son Laverock Condor, who joined G Drake, Ossett.
Back in the junior bull class, the second prize winner, an Oxygene son from the Oswaldtwistle Bold Venture herd of W & A Holden, sold for 3,100gns to JJ Dalby & Sons, Wetherby.
Quality in this class was clearly shown when the third prize winner, a Fieldson Alfy-sired bull from the Angiean herd of IK & AM Grisedale, Milton, Crooklands, was bought by championship winners Cliff and Mark Walker for 2,700gns. Patrick Walker, also of Appletreewick, paid 2,000gns for the third prize younger intermediate bull from the Overthwaite herd of RS Harker, Holme, Carnforth.
The Sharpaw herd of JJ Beckwith & Son, of Gargrave, was responsible for a second prize intermediate bull class winner, a Brontemoor UK-son that joined JA Stoney & Son, Pateley Bridge, for 1,700gns.
Elaine Priestley, of Lane House Farm, Mewith, Bentham, had the maiden heifer class winner and female champion with Damson, a January, 2008-born daughter of Gunnerfleet Unbeatable, Elaine’s former stock bull. She was bought for 960gns by SA Fairburn, Harrogate.
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| John and Claire Mason’s joint top price Oddacres Dingdong |
First prize in the cow with calf class went to IK & AM Grisedale with a daughter of Ugo and her bull calf. The mother-and-son pairing sold for 2,000gns to DJ & GM Dixon, Ulverston.
Show sponsors were PV Dobson & Sons, Skipton, Farmers Mart magazine and Huddersfield-based agricultural agent Janet Sheard. It formed part of the Craven Limousin Day pedigree beef season double-header, which also featured the2010 Northern Limousin Extravaganza.
