Johnson Yearsley herd reduction produces top of 7,800gns for cow and calf outfit at CCM Skipton annual Aberdeen-Angus highlight
The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society’s fifth annual autumn pedigree sale at Skipton Auction Mart included a major reduction on behalf of Adrian and Penny Johnson’s Yearsley herd in the village of the same name in Hambleton and it was one of their cow and calf outfits that led the prices when netting a combined 7,800gns. (Wed, Nov 9)
Sold separately, first up and making 5,600gns – and certainly justifying their faith when picked out as the star of the sale by the vendors – was the June, 2019-born Liley Red Designer daughter, Yearsley Royal Lady V355, the last heifer out of their the old Wall Royal Lady H663 dam. She sold in-calf to McCornick Kapaldi to A&JM Taylor, of Mosshall, Blackburn. Her March, 2022 heifer calf, Royal Lady Y427, also by Kapaldi, followed her mother to the same purchaser at 2,200gns.
The Johnsons have been in Angus cattle at Clarence House Farm since 1987 and have shown successfully at all their local shows, building up a very good trade, with virtually all of their bull calves going on as breeding bulls from Cornwall to Aberdeen, while heifers have been sold into Europe, primarily France, Germany, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic.
Also catching the eye for the Johnsons at Skipton was a pair of sisters from the Eston Anne family which both made 4,000gns. First up was Yearsley Eston Anne Y417, a January, 2022, daughter of Balmachie Jack Eric, out of a Rawburn Boss Hogg-sired dam, Yearsley Eston Anne T271, going to the Ainsworth family in Lancaster.
A second Eston Anne out of the same dam, this time the previous year’s calf, the January, 2021, McCornick Pathfinder daughter X388, who had been shown all summer, sold in-calf to Rawburn Bannockburn, going north of the border to I&A Burgess in New Abbey, Dumfriesshire. Yearsley Eston Anne T271 was herself sold earlier in the sale and at 3,800gns made her way to John Elliot’s Rawburn herd in Kelso.
The Johnsons also sold another cow and calf outfit at 3,600gns when Yearsley Royal Lady U302, a Boss Hogg daughter out of a Haymount Willinger dam, together with her Pathfinder bull calf at foot, went to Richard Gratton in Kirkby Misperton.
Opening the sale for the Johnsons was their March, 2020, bull, Kapaldi, bred by Martin McCornick, who farms near Newton Stewart, the son of Rawburn Echester purposely acquired for his easy calving. He sold for 3,000gns, going to Northern Ireland with M Tighe, of Batterstown in Co. Meath. The Johnsons’ 47-stong consignment, including calves, sold to an overall average of £2,164.
Airedale production sale
The fixture again featured the annual production sale on behalf of the local Airedale herd of South Craven father and son breeders, David and Josh Isherwood, of Lane Bridge Farm, Kildwick, and quality was once more apparent.
Topping their consignment at 5,000gns was Airedale Kinannie T539, a September, 2017 twice-calved daughter of Weeton Ephos, bred from the same Rawburn prefix family and sold seven months in-calf to Weeton Black Brooke to Oakamoor Angus in Haxby, York.
Other Isherwood sales at 2,000gns-plus included one at 2,800gns, this for a fully home-bred June, 2020, cow and mother of one, Airedale Pastelle V637, sold in-calf to Shadwell Finnigan X262. The Isherwoods, who continue to run Isherwoods Butchers in Kirkgate, Silsden, where Angus meat from their Airedale herd remains ever-popular, achieved an average for seven successful sales of £2,730.
The sale entry was 65 head. Top prices and averages: Aberdeen-Angus heifers to 4200gns, av £1900 (2021 £1,785), cows in-calf to 5600gns, av £2702 (2021 £2713), cows with calves to 3600gns, av £2703 (2021 £1365), bull to 3000gns.
Adrian and Penny Johnson’s Yearsley Royal Lady, which claimed top price of 5,600gns at CCM Skipton’s annual Aberdeen-Angus breed highlight
The Isherwood family’s 5,000gns top price Airedale Kinannie at CCM Skipton’s annual Aberdeen-Angus breed highlight.
