A total of 51 lamb carcasses were put forward for judging in a standalone competition class at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual Christmas primestock show and sale on Sunday.

Breeders and feeders from Craven and further afield produced a magnificent show of carcasses, which were individually graded by EBLEX.

The fixture produced an overall average price of £114.66 per lamb, compared to £104.50 in 2012.

Beltex-sired carcasses clinched the leading honours, with the championship awarded to the first prize under-35kg Continental entry from Bentham’s Robert Garth and Kelly Armitage. Their title-winning carcass sold for a new event high of £300, or £17.14 per kg, to the show judge, butcher George Cropper, whose shop is in Accrington Market.

Mr Cropper made another successful bid of £150 for the first prize 41-44kg Continental carcass from Michael Hall, of Scosthrop.

The reserve champion carcass came from Coverham’s David Findlay, whose 37kg Beltex lamb carcass sold for £200, or £9.57p/kg, to Anthony Swales, who runs Knavesmire Butchers in York.

Mr Swales bought a total of five prize-winning carcasses – the second and third prize 35-40kg Continental entries from Bill Logan, of Stainforth, and Michael Hall again at £135 and £155 respectively, the second prize under-35kg Continental carcass from Hannah Brown, of Newton-le-Willows, for £170, and the first prize native breed carcass shown by Carleton’s Ian Bell for £112.

Luc Daguzan, who runs Le Bistro des Amis in Skipton, became the first restaurant owner to acquire top-notch locally produced lamb at the fixture, purchasing five carcasses.

He bought the third prize under-35kg Beltex lamb carcass from 2013 Skipton Christmas prime lamb champions Martin and Val Brown, of Newton-le-Willows, for £170, the third prize Swaledale lamb carcass from Burnsall’s JW Stockdale & Son at £88 and the second prize native breed Cheviot lamb carcass from David Findlay for £83.

Mr Daguzan also added the first prize Dalesbred lamb carcass from Richard Close, of Starbotton, for £85, along with a second Dalesbred carcass from Middlesmoor’s David Verity. Daguzan said: “We always try to buy our meat from local farmers – and you can’t get much more local than Skipton Auction Mart.”

Barnoldswick’s Alan Parnaby bought seven carcasses on behalf of Dales Butchers for its outlets in Ingleton and Kirkby Lonsdale. They included the third prize hill lamb carcass, also from JW Stockdale & Son, for £80, and the second prize Swaledale lamb carcass shown by Roy Nelson, of Bordley, at £78.

Mr Nelson was also responsible for the first prize Swaledale carcass, sold for £89 to Stanforths Butchers, which also paid £84 for the third prize Dalesbred carcass from Kevin Wilson, of Blubberhouses. Both will be sold in the Skipton shop.

Stanforths also paid £95 for the first prize hill lamb carcass from David and Michael Wilson, of Beckwithshaw, on behalf of Hopper Lane Hotel in Blubberhouses.

David Findlay added to his successes with the first prize native breed lamb carcass, knocked down for £74 to Watson Livestock in Hellifield.