Overall champion
Good profit margins for junior farmers at Darlington
The championship at Darlington's junior farmers overwintering competition went to 19-year-old Harry Askwith, Crook, with a Limousin heifer which had been bought from T.H. Mace and Sons, Esh, in December.
The reserve ticket went to a British Blue heifer from eight-year-old Ava Wilson, Lanchester, which was bought at the November suckled calf show from the Stones family, Marrick.
The prize for showmanship and presentation was won by Michael Brannen, Temple Sowerby.
The animals in the competition averaged a £372.15/head profit, with the biggest gain of £710 achieved by 23-year-old Elliot Grieves, Oakdene, with his Beef Shorthorn steer.
Tied at the top of the heifers gaining £590 profit were Elliot Grieves and Ava Wilson with her reserve champion.
Others gaining more than £500 profit were Mindi Dawson, George Wearmouth, Robert McAneney and Abi Hill. Ponteland based Emma Watson and Imogen Davies, Bolam, joined Elliot Grieves with a more than £500 gross gain with both of their overwintered cattle.
In the sale of store cattle bullocks averaged £1,283 and heifers £1124. Top price was £1,730 for an 18-month-old British Blue heifer from N. Wilson, Darlington. Steers sold to £1,690 for a 15-month-old Limousin from J.S. Foster and Son, Bowes.
Auctioneers: Darlington Íæż½ã½ã Auction Mart.
Limousin heifer tops Caithness YFC sale
At the Young Íæż½ã½ã' overwintering competition at Caithness Livestock Centre, Quoybrae, the overall championship went to a 505kg Limousin cross heifer from Halkirk club member, Hannah Levack, Dunbeath, which sold for the top price of £3,600.
The reserve championship also went to Hannah, this time with a 501kg Limousin cross heifer which made £3,000 to W. Robertson and Sons, Tomintoul. Both heifers were bred by U. MacDonald, Lower Cairnglass.
Achieving the best daily live weight gain of 1.247kg/day was a 512kg Limousin cross heifer from Sophie Gunn, Hill of Forss.
The best gross margin heifer section was won by Katie Gunn, Halkirk, with a 501kg Limousin heifer.
The best daily liveweight gain and best gross margin bullock prize went to Sophie Tucker, Wick, with a 532kg British Blue bullock with a daily live weight gain of 1.213kg.
The award for best paraded and presented animal also went to Sophie Tucker, while the prize for highest placed Charolais cross by a registered Charolais bull went to Sophie Gunn.
In the sale, a 501kg Limousin cross heifer from Katie Gunn, made £2,050 to H.M. Sutherland, Golspie.
Next at £1,900 was a 494kg Limousin cross heifer from William Campbell, Watten, which sold to A.M.M. Polson, Wick.
A 532kg British Blue bullock from Sophie Tucker, Wick, realised £1,700 to W. and J. Cameron, Keith.
Auctioneers: Aberdeen and Northern Marts.
Flying trade for ewes and lambs at Skipton
Top price per outfit was £340 for Texel ewes with single lambs from John Midgley, Luddendenfoot, who also sold Beltex cross ewes with singles at £300.
A large proportion of twin outfits achieved £290 and above, peaking at £330 for Texel crosses from Chris Craven, York, and was also responsible for the first prize pen of five Continentals, three and four-shear Suffolk cross ewes with February-born single lambs, which made £250/outfit with another pen at £260, along with Suffolk crosses with twins to £320.
The best of the North of England Mules from David White, Hebden, realised £305, the same vendor also selling Mule shearlings with twins to £300.
Winning the show class for pens of five Mule ewes and lambs were James and Deborah Ogden, Austwick, with four-crop ewes and Charollais cross twin lambs which made £300.
The Ogdens also sold Mules with singles to £222. Richard Umpleby, Killinghall, sold Texel cross shearlings with single lambs to £315.
Auctioneers: CCM.
Young Íæż½ã½ã cattle sell to £4,000 at Thainstone
At the Young Íæż½ã½ã overwintering competition at Thainstone, the Calladrum Cup for collecting points for highest feeder margin, highest average daily liveweight gain, best presented and paraded animal and best quality animal, went to Amara Nairn, Ballindalloch from Keith Young Íæż½ã½ã Club.
Finn Christie, Pitcaple, won the best quality animal with a 642kg British Blue cross heifer which also claimed the overall heifer prize and went on to sell for the top price of £4,000 to Miller Farms, Midmar, Inverurie.
The overall bullock title also went to Finn Christie for his 570kg Limousin cross bullock which sold for £2,120 to the judge Derek Nelson, Edzell.
Overall home-bred went to a 666kg Charolais heifer from Harvey Stuart, Ballindalloch which sold for £3,100 to J. B. Wilkie and Sons, Westhill.
Graeme Rhind, Kinloss, won first place in the best presented and paraded section.
The second top price of £3,800 was for a 474kg Limousin cross heifer from Finlay Hunter, Culsalmond which sold to Miller Farms, which also paid £3,500 for a 522kg Limousin cross heifer from Amara Nairn, Ballindalloch.
Bruce Forbes, Little Kildrummie, Nairn sold his 470kgs British Blue cross heifer for £3,400, to J.S. Youngson, Westhill.
A 558kg Limousin cross heifer from Jack Stuart, Letto Braes of Glenlivet which achieved £2,500, being purchased by Ian Grant, Seaview Cottage, Slattadale.
Averages - 67 heifers, £3.732p/kg (£1,841.11); 21 bullocks, £3.278p/kg ); overall, £3.61p/kg (£1,823.41).
Auctioneers: Aberdeen and Northern Marts.
Pedigree heifers tops dairy sale
The Western Holstein Club supported show and sale at Market Drayton topped at £2,500 for the winning pedigree heifer, Penrikka King Doc Haulwen from R.A. and J.E. Williams, Hay on Wye.
The second prize pedigree heifer, Rowmar Adorable Duchess made £2,350 and was one of 11 heifers from A.A. Winstanley and Partners, Audlem, who sold others at £2,450 and £2,380 to average £2,145.
Their cows included the first prize pedigree cow, the second calver, Rowmar Adror Snowdrop which made £2,400 and the second calver, Rowmar Martini Zoe 7, which topped the cow category at £2,420. The five Rowmar second calvers averaged £2,324.
Commercial heifers sold to £2,380 for J.L. Atherton and Co, Baldwins Gate.
The Brindley family, Adderley, sold heifers to £2,250 and £2,200 and D. and E. Monk, Ormskirk, to £2,180.
Auctioneers: Gwilym Richards with Barbers.
Store cattle at Pateley Bridge
Top price at the Easter show and sale of store cattle at Pateley Bridge was £1,845 for a Limousin heifer from J.W. Stockdale and Sons, Burnsall.
The judge, Liam Rodney, Masham, awarded the overall championship to a Limousin steer from R.D. Anderson, Middleham, which made the leading steer price of £1,780 to Messrs Robshaw, Tadcaster.
Reserve champion was a British Blue heifer from S.A. and T.L. Fawcett, Drebley, which sold for £1,780 to D. and C. Newhouse, Horton in Craven.
Top price bull at £1,825 was from J. and K. Harker, Harrogate.
Averages: 40 bulls, £1,474.14; 61 steers, £1,413.09; 79 heifers, £1,269.28.
Auctioneers: Barnard Castle and Teesdale Íæż½ã½ã Auction Mart Co.
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