Kirkby Stephen Beef Breeding Sale

Harrison & Hetherington Ltd, Kirkby Stephen mart held their annual show and sale of beef breeding cattle when an entry of 462 head were on offer.

Topping the sale at £4,000 was the Champion outfit which was a second calved British Blue cross cow with a Limousin calf at foot consigned by Mr J McAlister, Wester Thomaston, Bonnybridge which sold to Henry Crocker, Johnby. 

Champion Cow and Calf, the photograph shows Mr John McAlister the Vendor and Mr Andrew Watson the Judge in the ring, on the rostrum, presenting the Dawn Robinson Memorial Trophy is Mrs Cate Robinson and along side her also representing the Robinson family is Mrs Megan Pedley, missing from the photograph are the sponsors Mr Kevin Batty of Westmorland Accountants and Mrs Sophie Drake of Tethera Veterinary Services. 

Our judge Andrew Watson, Crookholm Farm, Canonbie awarded the second prize outfit to a Limousin cross heifer with Limousin calf at foot also from Mr McAlister which sold for £3,900 to Messrs Brown and Mason, Clapham. This same home sold another Limousin cross heifer with a Limousin cross calf at foot to again make £3,900 selling to Messrs Harrison, High Beck Head, Barnard Castle. 

The consignment of 10 outfits from Wester Thomaston sold to average a whopping £3,414,28. 

The third placed outfit was a Limousin cross heifer with a Limousin calf from Messrs RG&H Preece, Thornbush, Lancaster which sold for £3,400 to Messrs Ashton, Welshpool. 

In the In-Calf section the top price of £3,300 was achieved for a British Blue cross heifer in calf to the Limousin bull from Messrs J&JE Bradley, Penny Grange, Settle being purchased by Messrs Warren, Bradford.

Messrs Bradley also sold another two British Blue cross In-Calf heifers to make £3,000 selling to Messrs Bunting, Dumfries and Messrs Brass, Soulby.

The consignment of 28 wonderful In-Calf heifers from Messrs Bradley sold to average a fantastic £2,739.29 which was a wonderful achievement and the best to date in their 50 years this year of selling In-Calf heifers here at Kirkby Stephen Mart. 

Messrs W Dandie, Learielaw, Broxburn took the first placed In-Calf heifer with a Limousin cross which went on to sell for £3,000 to Messrs Bunting, Dumfries.  Messrs Dandie also made £3,000 of another Limousin cross In-Calf heifer which was successfully purchased by Messrs Millar, Crookholm Farm, Canonbie.  The great consignment of 20 In-Calf heifers from Messrs Dandie sold to average £2,533.33. 

In-Calf cows topped at £2,100 for a Limousin cross In-Calf to the Limousin from Messrs JE Clarke, Cringleber, Carnforth which sold to Messrs Moore, Highside Farm, Haltwhistle. 

A further five In-Calf cows sold in excess of £2,000 from Cringleber. 

Buyers flocked from as far as Inverness in the North to Cardiff in the South for what is one of the largest and best quality shows and sales of Beef Breeding Cattle in the country here at Kirkby Stephen. 

103 Heifers and Calves sold to average £2,416.58 (+ £600 on the year).

20 Cows and Calves sold to average £2,478.13 (+ £434.22 on the year).

115 In-Calf heifers sold to average £2,402.27 (+ £426.61 on the year).

17 In-Calf Cows sold to average £1,867.65 (+ £772.83 on the year).

The pre sale show was kindly sponsored by Westmorland Accountants and Tethera Veterinary Services Ltd, the following awards were made: -

Best Cow or Heifer with Calf at Foot

1^st and Receiving the Dawn Robinson Memorial Trophy    J McAlister, Wester Thomaston

2^nd       J McAlister, Wester Thomaston

3^rd       RG&H Preece, Thornbush

Best Cow or Heifer In-Calf

1^st        W Dandie, The Dales

2^nd       J&JE Bradley, Penny Grange

3^rd       NJ&L Allan, Beck House

Cows & Calves -

British Blue £4,000 Wester Thomaston, £3,000 Bail Hill; £2,850 Lower Langshaw; £2,300 New Hall Farm; £2,250 Crackpot Farm: Limousin £2,850, £2,550, £2,500 Lower Langshaw; £2,700 Barf House; £2,650, £2,200 Harley Grange; £2,350 Lowick Bridge Farm; £2,000 Cringleber.

Heifers & Calves –

Limousin £3,900 (2), £3,350, £3,000, £2,350 Wester Thomaston; £3,400 Thornbush; £3,100, £2,900, £2,650, £2,550, £2,500, £2,400, £2,350 (2) Paradise Farm; £3,000 Littlewood Hall Farm; £2,950, £2,900, £2,800, £2,750, £2,700 Green Farm; £2,900 Crackpot Farm; £2,900 Prospect Farm; £2,850 (2), £2,800, £2,750 (2) Bents Farm; £2,800, £2,700, £2,550, £2,500 High Dyke Farm; £2,650 Prospect Farm; £2,600, £2,300 New Hall Farm; £2,600 Stoneygarth; £2,500 Riddings Farm; £2,500 Cringleber; £2,500 The Ash; £2,400 Hatters Farm; £2,350 Netherhouses Farm; £2,350, £2300 Prospect Farm: British Blue £3,400 Wester Thomaston; £3,000, £2,300, £2,250 Paradise Farm; £3,000, £2,700, £2,200, £2,050 Stoneygarth; £2,900, £2,000 Bents Farm; £2,850 Thornbush; £2,800 Lower Langshaw; £2,650 Prospect Farm; £2,600, £2,300, £2,200 Riddings Farm; £2,450 New Hall Farm; £2,100 Barugh House; £2,050 The Ash: Beef Shorthorn £2,450, £2,300 Bents Farm.

In Calf Cows  –

Limousin £2,100, £2,050 (2), £2,000 (3), £1,950, £1,850, £1,800 (2) Cringleber: Aberdeen Angus £1,850 Cringleber: Blonde £1,800 Cringleber: Hereford £1,700 Cringleber. 

In Calf Heifers -

British Blue £3,300, £3,000 (2), £2,900, £2,800 (3), £2,750, £2,700, £2,600, £2,550 (3) Penny Grange: £2,650 Waitby Farm; £2,500, £2,450, £2,350 New Hall Farm; £2,400 Leck Fell House; £2,400 Stoneygarth; £2,300 The Dales; £2,300 Paradise Farm; £2,300 Beck House Farm; £2,200 Pendle Valley Farm: Limousin £3,000 (3), £2,800 (3), £2,600 (2), £2,500, £2,450 (2), £2,400, £2,350, £2,200 The Dales; £2,900 (3), £2,850, £2,800 (2), £2,700 (3), £2,650 (2), £2,600 (2), £2,350 Penny Grange; £2,850, £2,650 (3), £2,600 (2), £2,350, £2,200 Gunnerfleet; £2,700, £2,350 (3), £2,200 Beck House Farm; £2,650, £2,300 Paradise Farm; £2,550, £2,400 (3), £2,300 New Hall Farm; £2,450 Pendle Valley Farm; £2,350 The Bungalow; £2,250, £2200 (3) Cringleber: Bazadaise £2,300 Penny Grange: Aberdeen Angus £2,150 Cringleber.