A HERDWICK gimmer shearling from Ian and Angela Grisedale, of Green Mount Farm, Crooklands, Kendal, was champion in the sheep show classes at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual rare and native stock breeders auctions of rare, minority and traditional breeds of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.

The Grisedales have been breeding Herdwicks for around six years at their Cumbrian holding, where they also raise Beltex-cross and Texel-cross ewes, and pedigree Limousin cattle.

The title winner was among a pen on nine gimmer shearlings and six ewe lambs, with shearlings selling at 105gns and 100gns.

In the native breed cattle show classes, the champion was a 13-month-old Hereford heifer from the well-known Corniggs pedigree herd of Weardale’s Harry Elliott at Low Cornriggs Farm, Cowshill, Bishop Auckland. She sold for 1,300gns to Richard Saxby, of Waddington.

James Barker, of Tadcaster, overall sheep champion at last year’s corresponding fixture with a Hebridean shearling ewe, won another red rosette at the latest renewal, with a shearling ewe, which sold for 55gns to Joe McRobert, of Biggar in South Lanarkshire.