BENTHAM Auction Mart’s annual show and sale of hoggs with lambs again attracted a bumper entry of tremendous quality, attracting customers from all parts of the country.

A new market record was achieved by Messrs Winter from Appleby, who, for the third year, were awarded the Les Thackray Perpetual Cup for their champion pen of five North of England Mule gimmer hoggs with single Suffolk lambs.

They were selected from an excellent show of 12 pens of sheep which were presented to the judges Richard Frankland, of Rathmell, and Graeme Jackson, of Bentham.

Later in the sale ring, there was enthusiastic bidding for the champion pen, with the eventual successful bidder being the judge Mr Jackson at a new market record of £500 per family.

Cumbrian farmers took all the prizes in the Mule section with Chris and Kevin Atkinson, of Appleby, claiming second prize, selling for £255 per family to judge Mr Frankland, who also purchased the third prize pen from Ian and Kevin Sowerby, also of Appleby for £250 per family.

In the Continental hoggs with lambs show, Messrs Winters claimed victory with a pen of five Texel x Suffolk hoggs with Texel x lambs, selling for £245 to judge Bob Richmond, of Leeds. However, Frank and Sue Towers topped the section on price with a pen of five Beltex x Texel Hoggs with Beltex x lambs selling for £250 per family.

Sarah Wallbank, of Wray, once again claimed the top spot in the Masham class with her pen of five with Beltex x Texel lambs selling for £200 per family to pre-sale judge, Les Thackray, of Mickley.

Geld gimmer hoggs were well sought after, topping at £160 per head twice for Mules from Winter Bros and Chris Atkinson, and averaging £128. A busy ringside which included new buyers from Wales, Cheshire and County Durham meant that trade remained firm throughout the whole sale.