CALVES

137 rearing calves sold to a packed ringside of buyers, competing for all breeds classes and types. The best six week old British Blue bulls sold to £490 on two occasions from A Pickthall, New Hutton who sold others at £465. British Blues also sold to £455 and £450 from HJ Robinson & Son, Preston Patrick. Other stronger rearing bull calves sold to £450 from Langley Park Farms, Millom with other British Blue x to £400 from JR Handley, Whinfell with others at £390 from DR&CR Galbraith, Grayrigg and Herefords from J Hornby & Son, Stank also achieving £390. Other younger bull calves generally were £270 to £320, with Aberdeen Angus x selling to £305 from Langley Park Farm, Millom. Dairy bulls sold to £135 for a Holstine Friesian from DR&C Galbriath, Grayrigg with others at £105 from J Hornby & Son, Stank with young Fleckviehs to £90 from RG&J Clarke, Endmoor.
Heifer calves sold to £400 for a British Blue from Messrs Gibson and Berry, Endmoor with others at £385 from A Pickthall, New Hutton and Limousin x to £360 from Langley Park Farms, Millon. Aberdeen Angus x sold to £335 from Whitestone Farm, Newby with a month old Charolais from DW&E Cottom, New Hutton achieving £335. Other medium rearing heifers were generally £230 to £280, with the youngest £140 to £200.

WEANED CALVES & STIRKS

Weaned calves and stirks saw a top price of £1050 achieving for a Limousin x steer from S Whitehead, Middleton. British Blue x sold to £830 from J&R Waller, Killington with others at £810 from JR Pye, Stalmine. Younger steers were generally £650 to £750.
Heifer stirks sold to £780 for British Blue x from J&R Waller, Killington with Limousin x to £710 from M Forbes, Ecclefechan. Young British Blue x sold to £610 from A&CM Carter, Witherslack. Bull stirks sold to £690 for a 5 month old Fleckvieh form EJ Hodgson & Son, Lambrigg with a ring full of four month old Limousin x from Bambers Farm Ltd, Cockerham selling at £610.

SUCKLER CALVES

The first prize show and sale of 500 suckler calves saw one of the best entries of calves seen at Junction 36 for some time. Which were put before a packed ringside of buyers, ensuring a flying trade from start to finish, with vendors reporting trade being £80 to £100 up on the year. The pre sale show was kindly sponsored by I’Anson and Shap Fell Garage. The judging was in the capable hands of Mr C Walton, Bootle who we thank for his time and expertise. He awarded the prizes as follows:

CLASS 1- BEST CONTINENTAL HEIFER
1st British Blue from NA & J Temple- £1280
2nd Limousin from M & AM Irving- £1300
3rd Limousin from NA & J Temple- £990

CLASS 2- BEST CONTINENTAL BULLOCK
1st British Blue from M & D Hatton- £1320
2nd Limousin from B Wilson & Sons- £1550
3rd British Blue from M & D Hatton- £1280

CLASS 3- BEST CONTINENTAL BULL
1st Limousin from JM Kelsall & Son- £1390
2nd Limousin from JM Kelsall & Son- £1380

CHAMPION- NA & J Temple
RESERVE CHAMPION- M & D Hatton

The sale topped at £1550 for a wonderful Limousin bullock from B Wilson & Sons, Selside with other Limousin bullocks selling to £1440 from M&D Hatton, Broughton Mills. Other Limousin bullocks sold to £1400 from MW&M Hodgson, Cartmel Fell. The real best suckler bullocks were selling at £1200 to £1300. The younger (5-6 month old) sweeter sorts were regularly selling to £980.
Suckler bulls were a fierce trade, with the best selling to £1390 from JM Kelsall & Son, Quernmore who sold others at £1380 twice. Charolais bulls sold to £1290 for a pen of five from C&S Dickinson, Ulverston. Suckler heifers were the dearest seen for some time, with the best selling to £1360 from A&AM Irvine & Son, Kirkby in Furness. Other Limousins sold to £1300 from M&D Hatton, Broughton Mills with the best regularly selling at £1150 to £1200 and the next level down £880 to £950.
- 180 suckler bullocks averaged £1006.
- 205 suckler heifers averaged £890.
- 110 suckler bulls averaged £995.

CULL COWS

A larger entry of 86 cull cows were forward, achieving an overall market averaged of 159p/kg. Cull cows sold to a top of 199.5p/kg on two occasions for a Limousin x form J Black & Son, Kentmere and a Stabilisers from A Dixon & Son, Selside. Other heavy well fleshed beef cows were regularly 180p/kg to 195p/kg, with medium meated cow attracting a keen interest for finishing. Top grossing beef cow was a British Blue x achieving £1345 from J Black & Son, Kentmere. Dairy cows sold to 171.5p/kg or a British Friesian on two occasions from JW Hargreaves, Broughton in Furness with Holstine Friesian to 157.5p/kg from JM Barton & Son, Kirkby Lonsdale. An entry of predominately medium parlour type cows were generally selling at 140p/kg to 150p/kg, with leaner light weight cows 120p/kg to 140p/kg and the very smallest and leanest at realisation. Top grossing dairy cows was a Holstine Friesian from JM Barton & Son achieving £1343.
OTM beef heifers sold to 229.5p/kg and £1442 for an Aberdeen Angus x from M Allen, Carnforth with dairy heifers selling at 284.5p/kg and £1193 for a Holstine Friesian from Strickland Hill Farming, Witherslack.
OTM steers sold to 189.5p/kg and £905 for a Galloway from TM Dennis, Kirkby Stephen.
Cull bulls sold to 209.5p/kg for a Hereford from GM Redmayne, Ings and £1652 for a Charolais from Messrs Whiteman & Mason, Burton.

STORE CATTLE

Store steers sold to £1630 for a Limousin x from JA Barnes, Whinfell with British Blue x selling to £1370 from JE Wightman, Lupton. Limousin x also achieved £1370 from JB &ND Baines, Eskdale. Other pens of stronger steers were generally £1200 to £1350, with diary bred to £1100 for Fleckvieh and Montbeliarde from JE Whitman, Lupton.
Heifers sold to £1380 for an Aberdeen Angus x from Messrs Moorhouse & Richardson, Field Broughton with Limousin x selling to £1330 and £1310 from JT Proctor, Flookburgh. British Blue x sold to £1220 from S&M Cooper, Leece. Other stronger heifers were generally £1100 to £1200, with younger heifers selling to £1040 for British Blue x from RM Mason & Son, Levens with 12 month old Limousin x selling to £890 from G&ID Postlethwaite, Howgill.