DRIFFIELD

Forward on December 7 were 12 sheep; 349 pigs (including 51 sows).

Sheep: spring lambs, med to £39/head or 88p/kg (86.5p).

Pigs: gilts, to 75kg to 85p (83.8p), 76-85kg to 87p (84.3p); boars, to 75kg to 82p (81.5p), 76-82kg to 80p (79.9p), others to 86p (81.6p), overweights to 45p; sows to £141.68 or 44p (41.7p).

Forward on December 11 were 43 cattle, including 24 heifers, 13 steers, six young bulls; 186 sheep (including 31 ewes); 32 pigs.

Cattle: steers, premium to 114.5p (102.1p), prime to 97.5p (94.8p); heifers, premium to 121.5p (102.4p), prime to 100.5p (85.5p); young bulls to 100.5p (96.3p), prime to 95.5p.

Sheep: spring lambs, standard to £35 or 92p (86.5p), med to £60 or 146p (98.8p), heavy to £60 or 113p (94.4p), super heavy to £49.80 or 108p (86.7p); ewes to £35 (£25.48), rams to £36.

Pigs: gilts and boars, porkers to 114p (107p), cutters to 107p (88p), baconers to 120p (116p).

MALTON

Forward on December 8 were 41 store cattle; 607 store lambs.

Cattle: Lim, bullocks to £484, bulls to £480, heifers to £572; Ch, bullocks to £446, bulls to £402, heifers to £414; BB heifers to £520; Sim bulls to £422.

Sheep: lambs, Texel to £38.80, Suffolk X to £35.20.

On December 11 at the Christmas show of pigs, the champion pen of pigs and winner of the BATA Cup was a pen of three cutter weight pigs exhibited by G Webster. The animals were purchased by the judge Charles Hill for GRP Hill Butcher, Thornton-le-Dale. Pen of three pigs up to 67kgs - 1, R and L Jackson, 100p to B W and D J Glaves. Pen of three pigs 68-81 kgs - 1, I Barnes and Son, 104p to Fletchers Butchers, Norton; 2 Harrison and Johnson 96p; 3 G Webster, 93p both to T S Horseley, Scarborough. Pen of three pigs 82-100kgs. 1 G Webster, 100p to G R P Hill, 2 D Johnson, 93.5p to T S Horseley; 3 L Barnes and Son, 92p to Fletchers Butchers, Norton. Best sow - 1 R jackson, 2 C t Fothergill, 3 M W West. Forward three cattle, 18 sheep, 150 pigs.

Cattle: heifers to 113.5p per kg (105.5p).

Sheep: lambs meedium to 94.4p (90.9p), heavy to 105.3p (102.3p).

Pigs: porkers to 100p (92.8p), cutters to 104p (88.6p), baconers to 101.5p (84.9p), sows to 58p (52.4p).

At the Christmas show of prime pigs. The judge Mr James Dodsworth awarded the supreme championship to a pen of 72 kilo pigs exhibited by Mr D Johnson, Bilsdale. The pigs sold for 117p per kg to Rowland Agar, Ilkley. Best pen of pigs 67 to 82kg, 1 D Johnson 117p; 2 F Horsley 98p, 3 D Wardle 98.5p, all to Rowland Agar, Ilkley, pen of pigs 82 to 100kg - 1 F Horsley 101p to B W and D J Glaves and Sons; 2 D Johnson 95p to A Traves, 3 W R Cooper, 91p to A Colling, best fat sow - 1 S Till; 2 G Belt and Son; 3 M B Green.

Forward 301 cattle including 93 young bulls, 1,588 sheep including 202 ewes, 182 pigs including seven sows.

Cattle: steers, premium to 107.5p (100.2p), prime to 98.5p (90.7p), heifers premium to 124.5p (107.6p), prime to 101.5p (89.4p), young bulls premium to 108.5p (99.4p), prime to 97.5p (88.9p), steers light to 102.5p (87.9p), heavy to 107.5p (83.4p), heifers medium to 118.5p (92.3p), heavy to 124.5p (92.3p), young bulls, light to 88.5p (82p), medium to 108.5p (83.9p), heavy to 104.5p (87.1p).

Sheep: lambs, standard to 96.7p (89.7p), medium to 98.6p (92.6p), heavy to 97.9p (90.1p), ewes to £46.20 (£27.43).

Pigs: porkers to 117p (92p), cutters to 95p (82.7p), baconers to 101p (82.3p), sows to 50p (46.3p).

RUSWARP

AT the Christmas show and sale of prime stock at Ruswarp market, R Young & Son of Roxby had an outstanding display of quality cattle and won no less that two classes and three reserve places as well as the overall championship. Their champion Blond d'Aquitaine bullock weight 480kg and later made 184.5p (£885.60), sold to Egton Abattoir. Overall reserve was another Blond, shown by G E & I M Pearson of Aislaby. Their heifer, weighing 510kg, was bought by B Glaves at 153.5p. Class winners: Lightweight bullock, 1 & 2 R Young & Son; lightweight heifer, D A Nolde, A Young & Son; heavyweight heifer, G E & I M Pearson, R Young & Son; young bull, Sneton Castle Farms, G Marshall & Sons. The cattle were judged by Douglas Mansher.

The number of sheep presented for judging was up significantly from last year. The judge, James Glaves, awarded the Yorkshire Bank Challenge Cup, Armstrong Richardson and I'Anson Feed Merchants prizes to R & D Harland with a pen of Texels weighing 44kg. They sold for £69.50 or 155p to A Radford of Sleights. Class winners: British breed up to 40kg, G Marshall & Sons, N Thompson; British breed 40.5kg and over, R & D Harland, A R Poole; Cont lambs up to 40kg, R & D Harland, Tom Ford; Cont lambs 40.5kg and over, R & D Harland, E Burnett; Scot or Swale, Tom Ford, F R Lyon.

Pig classes: lighweight, 1 & 2 R Atkinson & Sons; heavyweight, 1 & 2 R Atkinson & Sons.

Forward on December 6 were 67 cattle, including 25 store cattle, 41 calves and one dairy cow; 107 sheep; eight pigs.

Cattle: store cattle, Lim heifers to £252, AA heifers to £250, BB heifers to £180; bulls, BB to £280, Fr to £202; calves, F bulls to £55, Lim bulls to £155, Lim heifers to £68, BB bulls to £115, BB heifers to £45, AA bulls to £52, AA heifers to £16; dairy cattle to £480.

Sheep: lambs, Suffolk to £26, Texel to £28, Mule to £22; ewes, Suffolk to £26, Mule to £20, Swale to £10.

Forward on December 11 were 106 cattle (including 25 bulls), 338 sheep; 33 pigs.

Cattle: steers, to premium 184.5p (118.4p), prime to 98.5p (96.5p), others to 79.5p (72.5p); heifers, premium to 171.5p (115.6p), prime to 101.5p (95.3p), others to 85.5p (71.9p); young bulls, premijm to 103.5p, prime to 98.5p (94.1p), others to 85.5p (72.9p).

Sheep: lambs, light to £27 or 85.7p (68.5p), standard to £37.50 or 96.2p (86p), med to £69.50 or 155p (89.3p), heavy to £43 or 91.3p (87.8p).

Pigs: cutters to 95p (84.6p), baconers to 87p (83.8p), overweights to 77p.

SELBY

On December 8, at the Christmas fatstock show, champion honours (and the Lim championship) went to Nova Scotia Farms of Thorner. It was bought by Stephen Hibbert of Doncaster for 172p. Reserve champion and heifer champion went to R & J Robinson of Skyehouse. The champion bull was shown by K Jackson. In the sheep section, championship honours went to John North of Skyhouse for a pen of four heavyweight Texels; the first prize lightweights were shown by S A Harrison.

Forward were 270 fat cattle (including 74 young bulls); 462 sheep (including 64 ewes); 565 pigs (including 16 sows and boars).

Cattle (with overall average 94.7p): steers, premium to 171.5p (127.1p), prime to 96.5p (90.4p), others to 88.5p (85.1p); heifers, premium to 149.5p (124.8p), prime to 99.5p (90.2p), others to 91.5p (82.9p); young bulls, premium to 115.5p (105.4p), prime to 99.5p (95.1p), others to 93.5p (81.6p).

Sheep: lambs, standard to 126p (89.1p), med to 105p (89.7p), heavy to 121.6p (83.2p), others to 76p; ewes to £46 (£29.44).

Pigs: porkers to 82p (79.1p), cutters to 91.5p (79.1p), baconers to 80p (73.1p), others to 75.5p (64.8p); sows to 52.5p (45.1p); boars to 29.5p.

THIRSK

On December 7, there was an excellent offering of show cattle to be judged by J Moxon. Champion was a BBX heifer shown by A T Cooper of Thirsk. It was purchased by Brown's Butchers of Lincoln for 192p/kg. Reserve champion was claimed by W H Barker & Son, of Scotton, which was bought by H Lee, of Thirsk, for 154p. Best non-Cont bull, C Hunton, Snileswroth; best cereal-fed young bull, L B Holliday, Thirlby. The show cattle sold well, with a larger number making more than 130p. The sheep were judged by C Iveson. Champion pen of lambs, A C Hutchinson, Kirby Wiske (Cont X), purchased by L Brown & Son for £58/head; reserve champion, A Harper and Son, Beadlam (Cont), purchased by E Jackson for £47.

Forward on the day were 356 finished cattle (including 90 young bulls); 1,883 finished sheep (including 189 ewes); 1,017 finished pigs (including 117 sows/boars).

Cattle: steers, med to 154p (256p) av 109.9p, heavy to 145p (241p) av 101.3p; heifers, light to 129.5p (216p) av 92.2p, med to 137p (228p) av 95.9p, heavy to 192p (320p) av 97.9p; bulls, light to 118p (197p) av 94.4p, med to 106.5p (177p) av 80.4p, hevy to 109.5p (182p) av 95.3p. Commercial quality cattle were mixed, but trade much firmer on the week.

Sheep: lambs, light to 82.8p (176p) av 82p, med to 134.9p (287p) av 89.4p, heavy to 100p (212p) av 89.1p, overweights to 99.1p (210p) av 91.5p; ewes, light to £20 (£9.14), heavy to £40 (£23.54), Cont to £40, Suffolk to £38, Mules to £34.50. a similar number of sheep were a better trade.

Pigs: porkers to 105p (91.5p), cutters to 93p (81.6p), baconers to 96.5p (78.4p), overweights to 93.5p (83.7p); sows/boars to £184 or 56p (44.6p).

YORK

Forward on December 7 were 317 accredited cattle including six accredited dairy cattle, 79 calves, 176 stirks, 52 store cattle, four cows and calves; 283 store sheep; 494 store pigs.

Cattle: accredited dairy cattle, Fr heifers newly-calven to £640, Fr cows newly-calven to £550, cow and calf to £325; accredited store cattle (with prices to £580 or 104p), Ch to £492 or 99p (av heifers 82p), Lim to £580 or 104p (av steers 97p), Sim to £365 or 80p, BB to £448 or 81p; accredited stirks, stirks to 20 weeks to £158 (av bulls £81, heifers £58), Fr to £70, stirks over 20 weeks to £458 (av steers £299, bulls £248, heifers £228), Fr to £360, Ch to £158, Lim to £458, Sim to £325, BB to £342, Blond to £178; accredited (calves with prices to £150), Ch bulls to £122, Ch heifers to £18, Sim bulls to £88, Sim heifers to £20 (£19), Fr bulls to £35 (£13), AA bulls to £18 (£14), AA heifers to £18 (£13), Lim bulls to £148 (£67), Lim heifers to £42 (£17), BB bulls to £145 (£100), BB heifers to £40 (£23), Blond bulls to £150 (£121), Blond heifers to £32.

Sheep: store sheep (with prices to £57), ewes in lamb to £57, Suffolk X lambs/hoggs to £39, Texel X lambs/hoggs to £31; rams to £56.

Pigs: store pigs (with prices to £50.80), 8-10 weeks to £38 (£35.48), 10-12 weeks to £48.50 (£42.69), over 12 weeks to £50.80 (£46.76).

Forward on December 11 were 463 cattle (including 239 young bulls); 1,268 sheep (including 266 ewes); 1,087 pigs (including 46 sows/ boars).

Cattle: young bulls, Cont to 129.5p (93.6p), others to 88.5p (75.8p); steers, light to 129.5p (84.8p), med to 169.5p (94.5p), heavy to 164.5p (93.6p); heifers, light to 219.5p (102.9p), med to 154.5p (88.9p), heavy to 249.5p/kg (99.4p).

Sheep (with overall average 93.4p): spring lambs, light to £32 or 100p (100p), standard to £46 or 117.9p (92p), med to £48.50 or 115.5p (93.1p), heavy to £75 or 163p (94.8p), others to £56.50 or 100p (92p); ewes to £41 (£18.80); rams to £24 (£18.67).

Pigs (with overall average 85.7p): porkers to 102p (88.1p), cutters to 100.2p (87.2p), baconers to 96p (82p), others to 83.8p (82p); sows to £160.55 or 57.5p (46.2p); boars to £105.52 or 33p (31.4p).