RED Rose sheep farmer Robert Towers, of Camp House Farm, Farleton, near Lancaster, had a field day at Skipton Auction Mart on Monday, when exhibiting both the champion and reserve champions at the headline Easter prime lambs show, along with the first prize pen of pairs at the opening show of ewes with lambs at foot.

Mr Towers won the overall prime lambs title with his first prize single 45kg Beltex-cross-Charollais lamb, which went on to sell for a price-topping £160, or £3.55 per kilo, to Alan Beecroft, of Countrystyle Meats Farm Shop in Lancaster Leisure Park, the principal buyer of prize-winning Easter lambs, among them every single red rosette winner.

The same vendor then saw his red rosette-winning pair of same way bred 41kg lambs awarded the reserve championship, these selling for £155 per head, or 378.6p/kg, the top price by weight, again to Countrystyle Meats.

Mr Towers was also responsible for both second prize winners in the two Continental-cross show classes, his 48kg single selling for £155, the 50kg pairs at £150 each, yet again to Countrystyle Meats.

All the Camp House lambs were home-bred by a Beltex ram acquired as a second prize winner at Skipton’s main pedigree breed show and sale two years earlier. The tup itself was bred by Paul Tippett’s Hackney flock in Shifnal, Shropshire.

Earlier the same day, Mr Towers, who the previous week at Skipton brought forward the first Spring lambs of the new season, was also a multiple prize winner at the opening ewes with lambs showcase, again all with lambs by the same ram.

He finished first and third in the pairs show class with Charollais ewes with Beltex single lambs at foot. The victors sold at £178 per outfit to Tom Walmsley, of D&A Livestock in Haverah Park, Harrogate.

Mr Towers, who was accompanied by his 24-year-old daughter Josie, who works full time for Wynnstay, though helps out regularly on the farm, was also runner-up in the pen of 5s show class, again with same way bred outfits with twin lambs.

In addition, Mr Towers sold Charolais shearlings with twin lambs to £220 and shearlings with single lambs to £190.

Back with the prime lambs, retail and wholesale butcher buyers were once again out in force at the ringside as they competed to source new season ‘springers’ for the Easter trade.

Steeton Suffolk stalwart Mark Evans, of Tower Gate Farm, was again in fine form, winning both first prizes in the single and pairs show classes, with ram lamb entries all by the same home-bred ram, his first crop. The 50kg single sold for £150, the 55kg pairs at £157 per head.

Another regular showman, Tom Walmsley, of D and A Livestock in Harrogate, produced two third prize winners – a 36kg Texel-cross single claimed at £115 by Andrew Atkinson, of Felliscliffe, buying for RAgar Wholesale Butchers.