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YF cattle reach £7,000 at Thainstone

A STRONG show of calves was on display at the Young Farmers over-wintering competition at Thainstone, where a top price of £7,000 was achieved.

That was for a 470kg Limousin cross heifer from Abbie Brown, Maud, which sold to Mark Robertson, Tomintoul.

Making £6,000 was a 432kg British Blue cross heifer named Chappell Roan, from Melissa Buchan, Clinterty, which stood champion home-bred animal and sold to L. Armstrong, Clydesdale East.

The champion, as judged by Jimmy Fawcett, of Kitson Butchers, Yarm, was a 545kg Limousin cross heifer from Sara Cheyne, Newtonmore, which Mr Fawcett secured for £5,500.

Matching that £5,500 was the reserve champion, a 553kg Limousin cross heifer from Finn Christie, Pircaple, which sold to Blair Duffton, Huntly.

Messrs Christie also landed the bullock championship, with a 612kg Limousin cross which again sold to Mr Duffton, this time for £3,000.

The Calladrum Cup, which combines highest feeder margin, highest average daily liveweight gain, best presented and paraded, and best-quality animal, was awarded to joint-winners Amara Nairn and Abbie Brown.

AveragesÌý– 41 heifers, £2,893.17; 19 bullocks, £2,393.16.

Auctioneer: Aberdeen and Northern Marts.

Sue sells for £10,100 at Skipton

A FIRST time vendor headed up Skipton's March online sale of sheepdogs for John Ollershaw, Bolsterstone, with 13-month-old Sue which sold for £10,100.

The black and white bitch is sired by Dai Howells' Cai and out of Mr Ollershaw'sÌý own work bitch, Jess. After a flurry of late bids, Sue sold to Irish trialer, Con McGarry, Ballyglass, who has represented the Irish National team at least 25 times.

Next best at £9,000 was the two-year-old bitch, Preseli Lass, from Llion Harries, Crymych, which is out of his own Preseli Nan. Sired by Michael Longton's Rooten Brook Max, Lass has many Welsh National representatives in its pedigree and sold to fellow Welshman, Eilir Jones, Newcastle Emlyn.

An undisclosed buyer paid £8,200 for Valley Izzy, a rising three-year-old bitch from Rob Hutchinson, Barnard Castle, which is out of Mr Hutchinson's own Meg and by his Hendre Taff which has bred multiple high-priced dogs.

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Kirkbymoor Lass, a part-broken 13-month-old bitch from double English nursery final champion, David Wood, Derwent, attracted a bid of £7,300. Sired by Homeland Tutan and out of Kirkbymoor Kate, Lass sold to the Bristow family, Murton.

Nonagenarian, John Bell, Howden, welcomed £6,000 for 15-month-old bitch, Kim, which is by Ross Games' 2025 Welsh National champion, Neifinn Boy, and out of Smithymoor Tan. Kim sold to Elaine Hill, Holmrook, for work and trial.

Eydfinn Guttessen, Faroe Islands, paid £5,200 for Jacobsdale Gin from Aled Owen, Penyfed, while Valerie Gornall, Sedbergh, paid £5,000 for Bodtegir Lil from George Simpson, Huntly.

A brace of pups from Welsh breeder and trialist, Dewi Jenkines, Tynygraig, sold for £4,500 and £4,400 for two daughters of his 2025 International champion, Clwyd Bob. Dearest was Bet which stays in Wales when sold to Gary Howells, Pentrecwrt, while Holly sold north to Callander with Kyle Fraser.

Two-month-old Wholestone Copper from Jack Haigh, Kirklees, sold to Glynne Jones, Bangor, for £1,700.

AveragesÌý– Fully broken dogs, £2,686; fully broken bitches, £5,275; part-broken dogs, £1,738; part-broken bitches, £4,629; part-broken unregistered bitch, £1,700; dog pups, £1,025; bitch pups, £2,350; unregistered dog pup, £800.

Auctioneer: Craven Cattle Marts.

Blue heifer is best at Darlington

IT was the champion that topped the Easter show and sale of prime cattle at Darlington when the 626kg British Blue heifer from Alan Barnett, Shap, went on to sell for 525p/kg (£3,286/head).

Reserve was a Limousin heifer weighing 573kg from W.O. Grix and Partners, Whalton, which realised 510p/kg or £2,922/head.

Entries from Jim Crichton, Egremont, topped the steers at 452p/kg for a 695kg British Blue which stood first and £3,556 for another weighing 792kg which stood third.

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Prime bulls reached 445p/kg for a 770kg Limousin from T.W. Clark and Son, Durham, as well as £3,637/head for a British Blonde from the the late J.J. Horn, Richmond.

A Limousin prime bull donated by Alan Bothroyd, Loftus, raised £2,732 for the Great North Air Ambulance.

Claiming the championship at the east show of new season lambs was a 45kg Charollais trio from Deborah Whitcher, Skewsby, which went on to top the entry at 515p/kg or £232/head when sold to Roots 51AVÊÓƵShop, East Rounton.

Prime hoggs sold to 466p/kg for two pens of 45kg Beltex from R. Atkinson, Scorton, as well as £230 for a 86kg Texel from P.R. Weaver, Nottinghamshire.

Auctioneer: Darlington Farmers Auction Mart.

Strong trade at dairy cattle

FRESH milkers met a consistent trade at Market Drayton, where half of the entry sold for more than £2,500.

Topping at £3,150 was Pemford Rubicon Fleck, a pedigree Rubicon heifer, bred from an Applejax dam from P.B., B.J. and T.G. Pemberton, Darliston.

The sale included the March monthly show and sale, supported by the Western Holstein Club. Judge, Evan Ellis picked out the first-prize pedigree cow as his champion, a second-calver,Ìý Lachstone Cabo A Charm from Lachstone Farms, Middlewich, which went on to top the cow section at £3,000.

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A.R. Hough and Partners, Warrington, won the pedigree heifer class with ARH Violet 7 which sold for £3,100.

The £3,100 was matched by a heifer from Callum Benson, Middlewich, who sold another for £3,080.

Other heifers sold to £3,050 for both M.W. and J.M. Trevor-Jones, Oswestry, and Lachstone Farms, while J.M. Griffin, Sutton Coldfield, sold another for £2,950.

AveragesÌý– 16 fresh cows, £2,514; 33 fresh heifers, £2,455.

Auctioneers: Gwilym Richards and Market Drayton Market.

Suffolks supreme at Skipton

A PAIR of Suffolk cross lambs from Mark Evans, Steeton, secured the champion ticket at the Easter show and sale of spring lambs at Skipton.

Weighing in at 55kg each, the duo sold for £242/head to wholesale butcher J. and E. Medcalf, Halifax, who also bought Mr Evans' first-prize single 52kg down-bred lamb for £225.

Picking up the reserve ticket was a 51kg Charollais duo from Charles Marwood, Whenby, which sold for £225/head to Ikhlas Meats, Bradford.

Best single continental was a 45kg Charollais from Jackie Towers, Ingleton, which sold to G.B. Holt, Rossendale, for £220 or the top price per kilo of 488.9p.

In all, spring lambs averaged £205.57/head or 432.7p/kg.Ìý

Auctioneer: Craven Cattle Marts.