Skipton Show and Sale of 27 Belted Galloway Cattle
New Society Sale of Bulls and Females to be held at:
CCM Auctions, Skipton Auction Mart
Gargrave Road, Skipton, N Yorks. BD23 1UD
- Show 10.30am
- Sale 12 Noon
Judge: Mr Neil Richardson
Details
- Address
- CCM Auctions, Skipton Auction Mart
Gargrave Road, Skipton, N Yorks. BD23 1UD - Closing Date
- 28/04/2023
Ryders ride high with championship and top price double at inaugural CCM Skipton Belted Galloway cattle highlight
Victorious bull joins Cairnsmore herd at 4,400gns top call
The inaugural show and sale of Belted Galloway cattle on behalf of the Belted Galloway Cattle Society at Skipton Auction Mart readily cemented the growing popularity and impact of the distinctive breed both regionally and nationally. (Sat, May 27)
Taking top honours in both the show arena and later in the sale ring on price with their only two entries were local husband and wife breeders, Chris and Christine Ryder, who run the Scaife Hall herd at the farm of the same name in Blubberhouses, between Skipton and Harrogate.
The Ryders claimed both the male and female championships with a son and daughter, born within a day of each other in June, 2021, by their well-utilised stock bull, the Scottish-bred Mochrum Lachlan, a 4,000gns purchase when standing third prize junior bull at Castle Douglas, the main centre for the breed, several years ago.
Used successfully for three seasons at Scaife Hall, Lachlan is son of Broadmeadows Jamie, sold by Clifton Belted Galloways near Dumfries to Mochrum Estate, Wigtownshire, in 2016, and great grandson of Clifton Hercules, champion bull at the 2015 Great Yorkshire Show.
Lifting the male championship for the Ryders, who started their now 130-strong Belted Galloway herd in 2010, and going on the claim top call of 4,400gns was Scaifehall King, out of the home-bred Poplar Quincy daughter, Scaifehall Gina. The bull was the subject of keen interest ringside, before falling to well-known Scottish breeders, Jane and Bill Landers, who run the Cairnsmore herd at Bargaly Farm, Newton Stewart.
Jane had travelled down especially from south-west Scotland, the heart of Belted Galloway country, after first seeing and being impressed by the bull on social media, but then needing to view him in the flesh.
She clearly liked what she saw and King will be put to work on young heifers in the Cairnmore herd, established in 2005, now comprising some 25 breeding cows and with multiple successes on the Scottish show circuit, most notably with Cairnsmore Hamish, whose many titles included overall champion at the Royal Highland Show. The Landers also breed pedigree Beef Shorthorn cattle and North Country Cheviot sheep.
Derbyshire show judge Neil Richardson, of the award-winning Fernyford herd, Buxton, had earlier tapped out a Ryder maiden heifer, Scaifehall Kylie, as female champion. The daughter of Scaifehall Helena, herself by the 3,000gns Glen Elvis, was acquired by the North Yorkshire breeders from Robert and Debbie McTaggart, Gatehouse of Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire.
She headed the female prices at 1,800gns when one of six going to the East Riding of Yorkshire to join Anne Mountain, of West End Farm, Harlthorpe, Selby, who is coming out of retirement to establish her new pedigree Belties herd.
Undertaking the bidding for Anne and sparking her interest in the breed was her partner, breed stalwart Robert Adams, whose family has in its own right run the Bigginvale Belted Galloway herd in Alstonefield in the Derbyshire Peak District since 1991. Robert remains a member of the Belted Galloway Society Council and is a former chairman of its market development committee.
Taking second top call of 3,500gns was the third prize bull in a strong show class from the Croasdale herd of Forest of Bowland husband and wife, Malcolm and Marty, who farm in Slaidburn in partnership with 29-year-old son, Mick.
From a herd first established in 2001 and now with over 100 head on the ground, Croasdale Samson is an October, 2021, son of Lomond Whisky Galore, purchased at Castle Douglas in 2019, out of Barwise Jamilly, a first prize junior heifer winner when acquired in 2014. Samson proved another strong contender and remained in the Forest of Bowland when joining Simon Colley at Hareclough Farm, Bashall Eaves, whose family established the herd in 2020.
Next best among the boys at 2,500gns was the 4th prize bull from the Scottish Borders Burnfoot herd in Oxton of Hugh and Nancy Sloan, with Burnfoot Rory, a March, 2021, son of Clifton Hermes, also by Clifton Hercules. Out of the home-bred Burnfoot Flick, he returned north of the border to Aberdeenshire with C&AE Cameron in Keith for their Montgrew herd.
Making 2,000gns was a June, 2021, bull carrying the red gene from Miss Ellie Street, who trades as Braes Farm Ltd and runs the Perritys herd at Hull House, Hellifield. Her Barwise Topmark daughter, Perritys Gibbs, out of Thornthwaite Jewel, joined James Wilson, Consett, for his Reaston Hill herd.
The reserve champion male came from Pendle’s Paul Atkinson, Sweetwell herd, Briercliffe, with his March, 2021, Sweetwell Peem, by Howe Mill Double Decker, acquired in-calf with her 4,400gns dam, Howe Mill Double Decker, at the Wiltshire estate herd dispersal sale three years ago, where Mr Atkinson also purchased the bull’s grand dam, Howe Mill Mustang Sally, for a then breed record price of 7,200gns. The Red Rose breeder’s sole entry – he established his 90-strong herd 15 years ago – made 1,900gns when heading to Northern Ireland with Sharon Porter and Alan Campbell, Gortaclare herd, Strabane, County Tyrone.
Another local bull making four figures at 1,500gns was consigned by Martin Sharp and family, Taitlands herd, Giggleswick, their Taitlands Romeo, a February, 2021, son of Thornthwaire Eorl, out of a Clifton dam, finding a new home with Surrey Wildlife Trust, a conservation charity in Pirbright. The Sharps also sold a second February, 2021, bull at 950gns, along with four lots of unled females at 810gns and 790gns twice. All were by Thornthwaire Eorl.
Remaining with the females, Anna Coulthard, who runs the Castlefield herd with mum Catherine in Ivegill at the top of Cumbria, arrived with a consignment of eight, all daughters of the prolific Fernyford Neptune, acquired from the show judge four years earlier.
They made a clean sweep of the prizes in the in-calf show class with home-bred April and May, 2020, heifers, all AI’d this April to Coulmony Maximus. The red rosette winner, the May, 2020, Castlefield Rebecca, progressed to stand reserve female champion before selling at a consignment-topping 950gns. The third prize winner, Castlefield Rebel, made 900gns when among the Anne Mountain purchases, the runner-up, Castlefield Rose-anna, 820gns, with another, Castlefield Rachel, also AI’d to Maximus, making 850gns.
The Coulthards – their herd was first established in 1976 by Catherine’s father and Anna’s grandfather Roger Robson – also stood second and third in the maiden heifer show class with a brace of April, 2021, entries. The runner-up, Castlefield Savannah, made 780gns, with the third prize Castlefield Sienna another Mountain acquisition at 700gns, as were two further maidens at 600gns and 450gns.
From Niddderdale, Steve Halsall, Summerstone herd, Lofthouse, caught the eye with a trio of four-figure prices for 2021 females, all by Auchengassel Origin, who has produced heifers with excellent maternal ability and ease of calving, and all run from late April to sale date with the 9,000gns Mochrum Finnegan.
Doing best at 1,750gns was Summerstone Cali, out of Off The Wall Belva, whose maternal grandsire is Lullenden Aztec Warrior, followed at 1,500gns by Summerstone Christabelle, out of a very strong Stonehouse cow, both also going home in the Mountain trailer. The third, Summerstone Connie, out of Stonehouse Red Dawn, became a second acquisition at 1,500gns by James Wilson.
From the Hope Valley, Oliver Brayne, Pioneer herd, Derwent, Bamford, sold a trio of April, 2021, maidens, all by Offthewall Harold, and all at 820gns.
The inaugural fixture produced an excellent clearance, with all but one of the 26-strong entry finding new homes. Seven bulls averaged £2,512.50, nine un-haltered heifers £1,120 and nine halter-led heifers £916.
