Rebanks Racy Ghyll herd races to 6200gns at CCM Skipton Belted Galloway sale

Top of the shop on price at 6200gns, the highest in the event’s three-year history, was a third prize bull and sole entry from James and Helen Rebanks, who run the Racy Ghyll herd at the Lake District farm of the same name in Matterdale.

James is a proponent of outwintering cattle and their top price performer, the compact and hardy hill bull, Racy Ghyll Aldo, had indeed been outwintered at 1200ft.

He is an April, 2023, son of Mochrum Colonel, bred on the Mochrum Estate in Dumfries and Galloway, renowned for its world-famous Belted Galloway herd, and a half brother to the 20,000gns Racy Ghyll Jay 2, which matched the breed record price last autumn.

Out of the home-bred Racy Ghyll Brighteye, whose mother was top price heifer at the Castle Douglas sale - the main centre for the breed - in 2019, Aldo headed way south to Devon when joining Gratnar Farm Partnership, North Bovey, Newton Abbott, who run a 75-strong Belted Galloway herd on Dartmoor.

Chris and Christine Ryder, Scaife Hall herd, Blubberhouses, have made the annual fixture their own, standing supreme champions at the first two breed highlights at their local mart, notching up a notable hat-trick when repeating the feat again this year, also adding the reserve championship for good measure with a brace of first prize bulls, again with solid Mochrum breeding.

The victor under show judge Judith Cowie, Gatehouse of Fleet – her Copelaw herd is at the heart of Belted Galloway country – was Scaifehall Monty, an April, 2023, son of main stock bull, Mochrum Lachlan, also sire of their 2023 and 2024 title winners and a 4,000gns purchase as a prize-winning junior bull at Castle Douglas, again in 2019.

Out of the home-bred Scaifehall Imelda, herself by Glen Elvis, a 3000gns purchase, Monty sold for second top 5900gns, returning to very near his place of origin when knocked down to Nidderdale’s DR&G Snow, Glasshouses.

Lachlan was also the sire of the reserve supreme champion, Scaifehall Maximus, born on the same day as the supreme to another Glen Elvis daughter, Scaifehall Irma, who netted 4700gns when joining Storeton Hall Farm near Birkenhead, Wirral, while a third Ryder bull, the May, 2023, Scaifehall Magnum, bred from Scaifehall Josephine, realised 3000gns going north of the border to Laura Hamilton, Lullenden herd, Melrose.

He, too, is by Lachlan, well utilised across five breeding seasons at Scaife Hall, and himself a son of Broadmeadows Jamie, sold by Clifton Belted Galloways near Dumfries to Mochrum Estate in 2016, and great grandson of Clifton Hercules, champion bull at the 2015 Great Yorkshire Show. Scaife Hall daughters also continue to cross well with Lachlan.

From the Ribble Valley, Mick Handley, Croasdale herd, Slaidburn, continued to receive strong support with a second prize bull, Croasdale Unbelievabull, an August, 2023, son of prolific breeder Lomond Whiskey Galore, out of the home-bred Croasdale Indie, also catching the eye at 5600gns when heading to Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales National Park with Ingleborough Farming.

The herd is only very recently established, comprising ten in-calf heifers due this month, with the new acquisition set to father next year’s next generation.

Croasdale also consigned the female champion, an October, 2022, free from the bull haltered heifer, Croasdale Tanya, by Cairnsmore Prince Charming, acquired at Castle Douglas in 2021, out of Croasdale Quartz, a good solid young cow doing well on the hill.

She sold for a section top 2900gns, returning to Lancashire with Ellie Hargreaves, Walton-le-Dale

Back with the boys, best of the three red and white Belted Galloway bulls on parade with a price tag of 4000gns came from Lincolnshire breeders Ben and Becky Burgess-Smith’s Blackthorn herd, Carleton-le-Morland – Becky judged the previous year’s show, though it was the first time the couple had entered.

Their second prize-winning Blackburn Ace, a ready to work January, 2023, son of Shelseys Willie Redman, out of Lineside Pippa, bred by Becky’s late father Peter Burgess, heads to Derbyshire to join JB and VEL Clowes, Monochrome herd, Morley.

The Clowes family was itself represented at the fixture, consigning a third prize bull, the April, 2023, Blackthorn Warrior son, Monochrome Red Kestrel, out of Leawood Helen, which made 2400gns.

The unhaltered female show class was won by former reserve male champion, Pendle’s Paul Atkinson, Sweetwell herd, Briiercliffe, with his June, 2023, Sweetwell Red Olga, by Gruige Invincible, away at 2100gns section top.

The younger second and third prize winners, both 2024-born and both consigned by Edward Duggleby’s East Yorkshire Bewswickhall herd, made 1400gns and 1200gns respectively – the former, Bewswickhall Lauren, by Dunay Minstrel, the latter, Bewswickhall Lexia, by Stonehouse Red Alert. However, his run topped at 2100gns for another 2022-born Red Alert daughter, Beswickhall Jasmine, scanned in-calf to Beswickhall Elastar.

Just one bull returned home unsold from the 19-strong entry, with the breed fixture generally regarded as the most successful yet at the North Yorkshire venue. Averages also showed a marked improvement, bulls leveling at £4770 and heifers £1727.