A NEW Skipton Auction Mart record price for a single sheep of 9,500 guineas, or £9,975, was established at the Beltex Sheep Society’s 14th annual show and sale of pedigree rams and females at Skipton Auction Mart.

The all-time high fell to the supreme champion, the first prize shearling ram and male champion from the newly renamed Signature pedigree flock – formerly Hudhey - of farmer and butcher George Cropper, of Manchester Road, Baxenden.

It also represented the highest price paid to date this year for a Beltex shearling tup.

The March, 2013-born title winner sold in a two-way split between Brian Hall, of Ainstable Hall, Ainstable, Carlisle and Henry Jewitt, of Gracie’s Farm, Romaldkirk, Barnard Castle. They will be sharing the ram in the hope of producing top-notch show progeny and potential future champions.

Mr Cropper, also supreme champion at the corresponding 2011 and 2012 Skipton Beltex shows, had a first-rate pen of 12 rams and females, which all sold well and to an overall average of 1,841gns.

He also sold a shearling ram for 2,400gns to Norfolk breeders MJ Daniels & Son, of Norwich, along with a further shearling at 2,000gns to R Hall & Son, of Dalston, Carlisle. And his first prize aged ewe sold for 2,500gns to Harry Wood’s Dean Brow flock in Dutton, near Preston.

The same vendor capped an excellent day when also presenting the first prize ewe lamb and reserve female champion from his Signature flock, which was making its debut in the show arena. The runner-up sold for 1,000gns to Andrew Wood, of Whittington, near Preston.

Mr Cropper declared himself “chuffed to bits” with his all-time Skipton record price coup, which was more than double his previous best price for a Beltex sheep. “I was over the moon – in fact, you could say I’m still on it!," he declared this week.

This year’s Beltex showcase itself attracted a record number forward of 348 sheep, 301 of which found new homes, which represented a 43.5 per cent increase on the previous year. Shearling ram averages rose by £140.78 to level at £726.49.

However, it was the breeders’ sheep that really caught the eye and the sale set off at a blistering pace when the first sheep into the ring, the George Cropper-bred reserve supreme champion and sire of the supreme champion made 2,600gns. It was presented by Sean Forshaw and Harry Wood and found a new home in Norfolk with RW Mickleburgh.

Female champion was the first prize shearling ewe from a show debutant, Northern Ireland’s Elizabeth McAllister, who runs the Artnagullion pedigree flock with her brother William at Kells, near Ballymena. She sold for 700gns, again to Andrew Wood.

The first and second prize ram lambs came from the Cleveland-based Hillview flock of Neil and Jane Noble in Guisborough. The red rosette winner sold for 700gns to Messrs Thorpe & Kaye in Holmfirth and the runner-up went under the hammer at 550gns to Taylor Bros in Tosside.

John Wood, who was dispersing his Trawden-based North Valley flock, chipped in with the fourth prize and second highest priced ewe of the day at 1,000gns. The three-year-old was knocked down to a buyer from North Wales, Conwy’s DE Owen.

Back with the rams, Messrs Jones and Roberts made the long journey from Llangynin, St Clears, in South Wales, with a nice pen of shearling rams selling well at 1,750gns to S&RE Williamson, of Hamsterley, Co Durham, and 1,700gns to J Whitton, of Spaldington, Goole.

The entry comprised four aged rams, 156 shearling rams, 38 lamb rams, 28 aged ewes, 97 shearling ewes and 23 ewe lambs' and averages were: gimmer lambs £407.17 (2013 £420), shearling gimmers £395.03 (£445.73), aged ewes £537.06 (£417.90), ram lambs £406.79 (£475.65), shearling rams £726.49 (£585.71), aged rams £1,325.63 (£609.00).