SKIPTON Auction Mart is looking forward to its high profile pedigree sheep and cattle autumn highlights, which continue to attract both vendors and buyers from many parts of the country.

The pedigree season starts next Saturday, August 30, with Skipton’s annual Stock Breeder Auctions of rare, minority and native breeds, featuring the 123rd annual show and sale for Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders and the Northern Area Jacob Sheepbreeders 39th annual show and sale.

Also on the menu is the summer poultry show and sale, along with the increasingly popular Saturday collective livestock auctions.

The Beltex Sheep Society’s annual high-profile pedigree fixture takes place on Saturday, September 6, and is followed by one of Skipton’s annual highlights, the opening NEMSA show and sale of Mule gimmer lambs, on Tuesday, September 9.

The second NEMSA fixture is a fortnight later on September 23.

In the interim, Skipton stages the milestone 21st annual show and sale of pedigree Charollais rams on behalf of the British Charollais Sheep Society, on Tuesday, September 15, followed on Thursday and Friday of the same week by the Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders’ 33rd annual two-day show and sale of 600 pedigree Texel rams and females.

The annual highlight is now widely recognised as offering one of the best selections of breeders’ sheep and commercial crossing rams in the country.

The Lleyn Sheep Society’s annual show and sale of registered breeding sheep on Thursday, October 2, is followed the next day by the mart’s busiest sheep sales fixture of the entire year, the annual multi-breed breeding rams shows and sales, supplemented by annual show and sale of Blue Faced Leicesters and the Hampshire Down Sheep Society’s annual pedigree show and sale.

Looking further ahead, the annual evening show and sale of Swaledale rams takes centre stage on Monday, October 6, to be followed the next day by the annual gimmer lamb shows and sales, with another Saturday collective on October 11 also featuring the annual pedigree in-lamb Charollais females show and sale.

The 15th annual Dalesbred Sheep Breeders Association annual show and sale is on Tuesday, October 21.

Also in the are the weekly Monday markets, incorporating shows and sales of prime cattle and sheep, dairy cattle and rearing calves, and fortnightly Wednesday sales of young feeding bulls, store and breeding cattle, plus other store and breeding sheep fixtures.

Cattle highlights include Skipton’s autumn multi-breed show and sale of beef breeding cattle on Wednesday, October 8, also featuring the annual sale of native breed cattle, along with the annual autumn show of suckled calves and store cattle with show potential on Wednesday, October 22.

A seasonal calf show also takes place on Monday, October 20, with an ever-popular seasonal sale of working sheep dogs scheduled for Friday, October 24.

All eyes then turn to the big Christmas show season, when the undoubted centrepiece is the annual festive primestock highlight, on Sunday, November 30, also incorporating the annual Great Northern Pork Pie Competition. This represents the pinnacle of Skipton’s primestock year and is a must for the cream of the region’s farmers, independent retail butchers and meat wholesalers.

Full details of all shows and sales are included in CCM Auctions’ 2014 Sales Calendar, available from the mart office, also posted online at ccmauctions.com