HUSBAND and wife Andrew and Becky Bishop, of Pitfield Farm, Eldersfield, were supreme champions at the Beltex Sheep Society’s 15th annual show and sale of pedigree rams and females at Skipton Auction Mart.

Making the 360 miles-plus round trip, the Bishops, who trade as A & R Livestock, secured their second title with the January-born first-time shown ram lamb. They also landed the championship in 2010.

The Bishops' Beltex flock was one of the first to be established in this country and is renowned for its carcase lambs.

The victor, also male champion, joined Madders and Johnson, of Deer Park Farm, Stafford, for 1,800gns.

The day’s leading price of 2,500gns fell to a shearling ram shown by George Cropper, of the Hudhey flock in Baxenden. His April, 2014-born ram sold locally to Rob Lambert in Wigglesworth.

Mr Cropper achieved top price at the fixture for the second year in succession. Last year, he set a new Skipton Auction Mart record price for a single sheep of 9,500 guineas, again with a shearling ram.

Stuart Curries’s Beautry flock in Rathmell,was responsible for the day’s highest priced female with his February, 2014-born shearling ewe, selling for 1,550gns to Irish buyer Andrew McCutcheon, of Trillick in County Tyrone.

Local breeder Karen Shuttleworth, of the Heber Park flock in Gargrave – she was Skipton Beltex champion in 2013 - took second prize in a strong shearling ram class and sold to Scottish breeders EJ and AM Fox, of Symonton, near Biggar, for 2,000gns.

Reserve supreme champion was the first prize shearling ewe and female champion from the Dean Brown flock of Harry Wood, based at Popes Farm, Dutton. She was bought by AJ Wood and Son, of Whittingham, for 1,600gns.

Northern Ireland produced the first prize shearling ram and reserve male champion, which came from the Artnagullion flock, run by Elizabeth McAllister, and her brother, William, and sold for 1,600gns to Michael Hall, of Airton.

Reserve female champion was the first prize aged ewe from Anne Moss, who runs the Holmebeck flock at Ewebank Farm, Rokeby, near Barnard Castle.

Mrs Moss, who has been breeding and showing Beltex since 2001, said this was likely to be her swansong in the show arena as she was now winding down and was staging a dispersal sale at the fixture. She signed off by selling her reserve female for 1,300gns to Aberdeenshire breeder Stuart Wood, of Skene.

However, that wasn’t quite the end of it, as Mrs Moss also picked up a second red rosette with her first prize aged ram, which sold for 1,300gns to J Whitton, of Goole.

The ewe lamb show class was won by the Rathbone flock of Michael Davis and his daughter Becky, based at Ravenshaw Farm, Eldroth, Their March-born victor sold for 440gns, again to AJ Wood & Son.

Sale averages, with comparisons to last year, were: gimmer lambs £294 (2014 £407); shearling gimmers £529 (£395), aged ewes £455 (£537), ram lambs £666 (£406), shearling rams £633 (£726), aged rams £997 (£1,325).

Full results and other chief prices can be viewed at ccmauctions.com