Blue’s Take Top Honours at Craven Champions Day
23rd February 2015
The Walker family from Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge, secured the Supreme Championship at the Skipton Mart, Craven Champions Day. The first prize British Blue-cross heifer and female champion shown by John Walker, was sired by Bluegrass Cyclone and out of a home-bred British Blue-cross cow owned by Margaret Walker.
The title winner sold for £1,800 when finding a new home in South Yorkshire with Michael Wynne of Barnside Farm, Midhopestones, near Sheffield, who was buying on behalf of his 12-year-old daughter Ellie, a pupil at Penistone Grammar School and enthusiastic member of Penistone Young Farmers Club.
The Supreme Champion from the Walker family
However, it was the Walkers’ reserve female champion and overall reserve champion – winner of the young handlers’ show class in the hands of Rob Walker - that caused the greatest stir on the day when selling for £3,000, a recent record price for a store animal sold at Skipton.
The Reserve Supreme and Top Price again, from the Walker family
The 10-month-old, another British Blue-cross, is by Cromwell Fendt and was purchased by George Rice, from Church Garth, Carlton, Yeadon, to show on the Yorkshire’s regional show circuit this year, hopefully culminating at the Great Yorkshire.
Show judge David Wilson of Harome, Helmsley, said both his principals had fantastic potential. “I picked the supreme champion over the reserve on the day because it was the more finished animal, though the reserve has excellent potential for another day,” he said.
The Walker family were also responsible for the first prize British Blue-cross bullock and male champion, another Cyclone son, which sold for £1,450 to Matthew Keel, of Thirsk and another British Blue-cross heifer and daughter of Fendt, which secured the day’s second top price of £2,000, selling to Messrs. Williamson, of Littleburn Farm, Hamsterley, Bishop Auckland.
Sheila Mason of Keasden Head also had a successful day, selling her second prize unhaltered heifer, a British Blue-cross also selling to Messrs. Williamson for £1,600.
