CALVES & STIRKS
115 calves went under the gavel today with strong types continuing to be a sharp trade but younger calves seeing a varied trade with many buyers still cautious about the climbing feed prices. Today saw the anniversary show and sale of calves which was kindly sponsored by Café Ambio, RE Buildings, Cornthwaite Group and Dugdale Nutrition. Judging was in the capable hands of our very own John Longworth, who awarded the champion and reserve to WB Winder & Co, Broughton in Furness. The calf trade peaked at £520 today for a British Blue Bull from JC&E Mason, Levens with Limousin bulls selling to £410 from RF&CE Hodgson, Pennington. Many Continental bred bull calves were regularly selling at the £280 to £320 mark. Heifers saw a keen interest for calves suitable for further finishing with British Blue heifers selling to £410 from WB Winder & Co, Broughton in Furness with other to £370 from R Morris-Eyton & Son, Whicham. A wonderful Fleckvieh bull from SJ&J Hodgson & Son, Calton sold to £310. Black and White bulls would be the trade of the day, topping at £150 from JB Morley, Great Asby with others from the same home selling to £135. Many rearing Black and White bulls were hitting the £100 mark today.
A wide variety of stirks were forward today, ranging from recently weaned Aberdeen Angus x heifers to well bred suckler Limousin steers. Todays sale peaked at £900 for the fore mentioned Limousin x steer from MW&PA Rollinson, Methorpe which was the stand out stirk of the day. Other suckler bred stirks sold to £795 from Limousin x Bulls (6 month old) from S Whitehead, Middleton with 4 month old Limousin x bulls selling to £495 from Shuttleworth & Brown, Sedbergh. Nicely reared Aberdeen Angus x bulls from R Wallace, Scotland sold to £550, with a pen full of British Blue x heifers from Messrs Young, Lindale selling at £535.

BEEF BREEDING CATTLE
It was an honour for North West Auction to sell the part reduction of in-calf cow on behalf of SJ&M Richardson & Son, Lupton which created much interest from local and travelled buyers. 2nd calved Blonde cows in calf to the Bazadaise bull sold twice to £1750, with others selling to £1720 twice, with an overall average for all sold being £1550. The annual consignment of Luing in-calf cows from Lowe Moor Howe sold to another strong trade topping at £1000 but the real stars of the show where their Sim-Luing bulling heifers which created much interest selling to £1330 on three occasions with others to £1320. A mixed show of cows with calves at foot were forward with all selling to full value. A first cross British Blue heifer with a Limousin calf sold to £1520 from AA&IM Smith, Ingleton.

STORE CATTLE
The catalogue entry of 425 store cattle created much interest from a packed ringside of buyers at J36, ensuring all cattle were well bid for and vendors left pleased with their days trading. Todays sale included the anniversary show expertly judged by Mr James Crichton, after much time and deliberation he awarded the champion rosette to the first prize Limousin heifer from D&A Nicholson, Ulverston with the reserve champion going to the second prize heifer from SJ&NS Wood, Windermere. The sale saw a sharp trade from start to finish peaking at £1480 for the champion heifer, with other Limousin heifers selling to £1320 from SJ&NS Wood, Causway. The best meated Continental heifers were regularly selling at £1250-£1300 mark. The best bred yearling heifers regularly selling at the £1050-£1100 mark, with good rearing types either side of £900. Bullocks saw fierce bidding from start to finish with £1370 being the top price for a British Blue bullock from J Twigge, Lindale with other bullocks selling to £1340 firstly for a Hereford from S&SM Robinson, Lowgill and secondly for a Limousin from T Ayrton & Sons, Over Wyresdale. Smart yearling bullocks were a flying trade and many more could have been sold to the vendors advantage. Topping at £1290 from RH&C Ayrton, Abbeystead with plenty selling well into the £1200 mark. There is always a strong trade for native bred bullocks at J36 with 16 month old Aberdeen Angus bullocks from RM&JL Whitton, Cartmel selling to £1260. A run of 20 young bulls were forward with all of them meeting their full value, with Limousins leading the way at £1130 from WA Atkinson, Colton.

OTM CATTLE
A tremendous entre of 84 cull cows and OTM cattle were greeted by an active ring side of buyers, keen to secure all classes and types with vendors leaving well suited with prices achieved. An overall marked average of 146p/kg achieved. Beef cows sold to a top price of 189/kg for a Limousin from M Cooper & Son, Woodland who sold others at 184.5p/kg, as did RHS&M Boyren who sold a pair of Limousin x cows at 184.5p/kg. Heavy well fleshed beef cows regularly sold at 155-175p/kg with medium type cows suitable for future finishing 135-150p/kg. Dairy cows sold to a top price of 141p/kg achieved on two occasions, firstly for a Fleckvieh from SJ&J Hodgson & Son, Colton and a Holstein Friesian from JR Robinson & Son, Nook. Medium dairy cows regularly sold at 120-130p/kg, with leaner parlour types 110-120p/kg. Top grossing cow today was a heavy weight Aberdeen Angus from JM Simpson, Underbarrow achieving £1406, with a future two cows over £1200 being a Limousin x from RHM&S Boyren, Colton achieving £1359 and an Aberdeen Angus from RJ Walling, Lyth at £1237. Dairy cows sold to £1167 for a Montbeliade from WB Winder & Co, Broughton in Furness.
Todays sale saw 16 OTM heifers forward selling to 211p/kg on two occasions for Stabiliser x heifers from A Dixon, Selside with other beef bred heifers selling to 197p/kg from GM Redmayne, Ings and 194p/kg for a British Blue x from RHM&S Boyren, Colton. OTM dairy heifers sold to 189p/kg for a Holstein Friesian from R Morris-Eyton, Millom with others from 174-185p/kg. Top grossing OTM heifer with week was a Holstein Friesian from R Morris-Eyton, Millom achieving £1305 with others at £1274 from Jenkin Cragg Farms, Kendal and £1264 for a British Blue x from RHM&S Boyren, Colton.