SCOTTISH breeder Hamish Goldie, from Clarencefield, Dumfries, again enjoyed the long trip south when he was crowned champion at the Lleyn Sheep Society’s annual registered show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart.

The Skipton regular lifted the title with his first prize pen of five shearling ewes.

These topped the class selling prices at £165 per head when joining MD Shields in Thirsk, who also purchased the third prize winners from the Orchard Lleyn Flock for £145.

Mr Goldie also sold a £160 pen to Rosneath Farm, Argyll.

Local breeders Mark and Steph Shields, of Plum Tree Farm, Timble, near Otley, who consigned the champion shearing ewe pen in 2017, finished runners-up in the same class this year.

Their charges fell for £160 per head to Paradise Farmers in Hull.

Another local enterprise, John and James Dugdale, who run the Borrins flock at Stackhouse, near Ingleton, also sold shearling ewe pens at £145 and £140 to local commercial purchasers and regular buyers, A and A Bradley, of Long Preston.

Many shearling ewes found new homes from £100-£165 per head. Ewe lamb prices also followed the prizes, with the first prize pen from Scottish breeders, Tom and Ian Walling, of Selkirk, making £90 each.

Again these went to MD Shields, who also paid the same price for another pen from John Morton, of Penrith.

The same breeder was responsible for the first prize and overall reserve champion shearling ram, which sold for 250gns.

The second prize ewe lamb pen from T Riley, of Chorley, sold for £80 per head to John Scott, from Kendal in Cumbria. Generally, ewe lambs were changing hands from £62-£90 per head.

As it was the last Society sale of the season, there was a stronger clearance than some earlier sales on the rams.

Welsh breeder Wynne Davies, of Pwllheli, claimed the day’s top price of 550gns with his shearling ram, Bronallt Gus, sired by Bronallt Dwain.

The buyer was Clitheroe’s MH Handley.

The next best on price was the third prize ram from James Goldie, of Dumfries, which sold for 500gns.

Lochar Gilroy, sired by Lochar Fantastic, was purchased locally by John Bownass, of Settle. The rams that saw demand sold in the 400-500 guineas region, with many other rams changing hands for 300-380gns.

This year’s sale took place in the renovated Lingfields Ring, which Society members praised for its pleasant atmosphere.

The averages were:

Shearling ewes to £165 average, £121 (2017 -£11), Ewe Lambs to £90, average £74 (- £19), Rams to 550gns average £348 (-£80).