Bentham Blonde bull sets new mart record
Ringsiders at Bentham Auction Mart last week saw a stong entry of breeding cattle forward and saw a new mart record price for cattle.
Sale leader at £3000 was a British Blonde bull from J and J E Bradley, Skipton, which sold to Stephen and Sue Hartley, Clitheroe.
Messrs A and E D Booth, Giggleswick, forward a consistent string of 25 Hereford cross heifers with calves at foot. Cows with bull calves at foot averaged £917.50 with a top price of £1000, while those with heifer calves averaged £876.25 and topped at £910. Purebred Herefords with calves topped to £1040.
Top price of the day went to Stalmine-based M E and J Swarbrick, who sold a British Blue cross heifer with two calves for £1900 to J A Stoney. Leading the way with cows and calves was Mr A J Haggas, Skipton with a British Blue cross cow with a Limousin heifer calf at foot selling for £1380 to M Thompson, Long Preston.
Trade for store cattle and feeding bulls was also strong with bulling heifers being keenly sought after. Wes Cornall, Garstang, and Brian Carter, Lancaster, had yearling heifers topping at £720 and £850, respectively.