PURE-BRED Texel gimmer lambs from Glusburn’s David Towell stole the limelight for the second consecutive year at the big mid-September store lamb sale at Skipton Auction Mart.

The fixture featured annual prize shows for pens of ten Continental and Suffolk gimmer lambs, with Mr Towell, of Upper Leys Farm, again successful in the former with home-bred lambs.

The victors, which retained the Chris Hagar Trophy, went on to sell for £200 per head, the day’s highest price by some considerable margin, to Tim Jackson, of Goosnargh, Preston.

In addition, Mr Jackson paid £120 each for the second prize Continental pen from Easingwold’s Ken Gamble, a regular vendor at the sale, who also presented the runners-up last year.

In the new section for pens of Suffolk lambs, brothers Stewart and Stephen Lund, of West Farm, Litton, were responsible for the first prize show pen, all out of Mule ewes. They sold for £103 per head to Cheshire buyer TJ Burke. The Lunds also sold a further same-way bred show pen at £100 each.

The show formed part of Skipton’s fortnightly store lamb sale of 7,420 head, which sold to an overall average £59.03 each.

Trade for both Continental and Suffolk gimmer lambs was good and the best end of both breeds sold to over £90 per head, with an overall gimmer lamb average of £73.92 each.

Strong lowland lambs were into the £60s, medium keep lambs £55 to £59, and long keep lambs £48 to £54. Hill-bred lambs also met with a sharp trade, especially Mules, with the 1,308 wethers averaging £51.08 per head.

James Harrison, of Weston, Otley, led the section at £55.50 for a pen of 84 head, John Harker, from Lofthouse, made £55.20 with a pen of 45, while £54.50 was twice achieved for a pen of 50 from Mark Harrison, trading as V Verity & Son, of West End, and Rosemary Berry, of Cowling, with 46 head.

Cheviot-bred lambs are becoming even more popular at Skipton, with Broomhead Estate Farms, of Bolsterstone, near Sheffield, topping at £57.80 per head.

A 10,000-strong entry is expected at the next fortnightly store lamb sale on Wednesday, which also incorporates show classes for Swaledale and Dalesbred wethers.