British Blue Cross Dominates Craven Champions Showcase

Monday 19th February 2018

The Walker farming family, from Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge, dominated the Craven Champions double-header, the annual opening show and sale of 2017-born store cattle with show potential at Skipton Auction Mart. (Tues & Wed, Feb 13 & 14)

The Walkers claimed the supreme and reserve supreme championships with a brace of heifers, along with the champion steer, all three sired by their highly regarded main British Blue stock bull, Cromwell Fendt. The first-class home-bred trio are seen as having great future potential, both as show cattle and for breeding.

Craven Champions Day 2018 Supreme Champion

The judge, North Wales commercial suckler breeder and showman, Aled Roberts, from Anglesey, went on to purchase his chosen champion, for a new record price of £3,600.

Mr Roberts, from Garnedd Fawr, Gaerwen, said he had high hopes for his new acquisition in the show arena and first planned to parade her at this year’s Beef Expo in Shrewsbury in May, followed by a tilt at the Royal Welsh Show in July. She will then take her place in his 50-strong suckler herd with an appointment with his Limousin stock bull.

The supreme champion secured an unprecedented seventh Craven Champions' title for the Walkers and, fittingly, received the Jack Walker Trophy, first presented by Jeff Walker in 2014 in memory of his late father.

The family’s 12-month-old reserve supreme champion sold for £2,000 to York farmer and butcher Anthony Swales.

Craven Champions Day 2018 Reserve Supreme Champion

The Walkers’ first prize bullock and champion steer, a January-born son of Fendt, sold for £1,700 to another regular buyer at the fixture, Michael Wynne, of Hall Farm, Matlock in Derbyshire

Mr Wynne also paid second top price in show of £2,400 for the first prize winner in the young handlers’ show class from Sheila Mason’s Keasden Head herd in North Craven. The July-born Blue-cross heifer was halter-trained, prepared and shown by her 17-year-old daughter Georgia, who attends Settle College and has been helping out on the farm since she was just six-months-old.

Known as Beauty, the heifer is by Bringlee Activator, acquired from Graham Brindley’s Staffordshire herd as a tiny calf and since used with great success at Keasden Head – he has now turned 12 and been responsible for many Skipton prize winners over the years.

To view the full report visit www.ccmauctions.com