The inaugural show and sale of Belted Galloway cattle at Skipton Auction Mart has cemented the growing popularity and impact of the distinctive breed.
The show and sale was undertaken on behalf of the Belted Galloway Cattle Society at the North Yorkshire auction mart on Saturday (27 May).
Taking top honours on price with their only two entries were local breeders Chris and Christine Ryder, who run the Scaife Hall herd in Blubberhouses, near Harrogate.
They claimed both the male and female championships with a son and daughter, born in June 2021, by their 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 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.
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 inaugural fixture produced an excellent clearance, with all but one of the 26-strong entry finding new homes.
Seven bulls averaged £2,512, nine un-haltered heifers £1,120 and nine halter-led heifers £916.
