chelford sale

Belgian Blue x Dairy Calves soar at Gisburn Auction

5th April 2007

The North West British Blue Cattle Breeders Club in conjunction with the Belgian Blue Society were very pleased to sponsor the prizes and rosettes at a show and sale of Belgian Blue crossbred dairy calves organised by auctioneers Richard Turner and Son at the Gisburn Auction Mart on the 5th April 2007.

The bull and heifer calves competed in their own classes and the first prized calves in each class were judged for the championship. The judge, Chris Hodgson, of Rillington, Malton, is a butcher’s buyer, and he chose an eight weeks old bull by Springfield Patrice out of a Friesian/Holstein cow in its 6th calving as his Male and Overall Champion from vendors E. Knowles and Sons Bashall Eaves, Clitheroe. The Female and Reserve Champion ticket going to a nine weeks old heifer by Chestnuts Umpire also out of a Friesian/Holstein cow from vendor Geoff Blezard, Ribchester, Preston.

Mark Hartley and Jackie Smith of the North West Club present the prize to Jim Nowle with his Champion bull calf

Prize presentation to Brian Blezard and his Reserve Champion heifer calf

A packed ring of buyers from North and East Yorkshire, Cumbria, Aberdeenshire and South Lancashire were soon into their stride and the Champion bull calf went on to sell for £355 to calf rearer Philip Foad of Turrif, Aberdeenshire and the Reserve Champion heifer for £265 to B & B M Bayes of Driffield.

North West Club members Allan and Deirdre Wilkinson, Out Rawcliffe, Preston, bred Springfield Patrice and Ben Newton, Spalding, Lincolnshire bred Chestnuts Umpire. In both instances the semen was sourced through Genus Breeding Services.

Although not all the calves were entered into the show there were 28 BB Bulls and 29 BB Heifers for the buyers to choose from. Four bull calves sold for £300+, twelve sold for £250+ and a further ten sold for £200+. The 28 bulls sold to an average of £248.

The highest price for a heifer was £270 but unfortunately the animal had not made it into the show due to its delayed arrival! Five heifers sold for £250+ and a further fourteen sold for £200+ with the average for the 29 heifers being £214.

The auctioneers expressed their delight in the way the show and sale had preceded and the vendors were pleased with their prizes and delighted with the prices!