Kyle is the new face at Skipton Auction Mart

The 19-year-old is the third generation from a South Yorkshire farming family. His parents, Brian and Dawn, raise sheep and calves at Thompson House Farm in Bradfield, Sheffield, where Kyle cut his teeth in the agricultural sector from a young age.

In fact, from the age of five to his early teens during the school holidays Kyle often accompanied his granddad, also Brian, who was involved in the sheep trade to purchase sheep at auction marts all over the North of England and into Scotland, as well as joining his grandma, Lillian, to buy calves at local auction marts.

Educated at Bradfield Secondary School, in 2017 Kyle undertook a DART Training apprenticeship, gaining a Level 2 Diploma in Work-based Agriculture, then in January this year began a four-year course in livestock market operations and management at Harper Adams University in Shropshire, a specialist provider of higher education for the agricultural and rural sector. He has successfully passed his first year examinations.

In 2017/18, he was employed at Ashford Hall Farm in Derbyshire, undertaking general farm work, machinery driving and gaining a valuable understanding of farm husbandry.

Kyle already has significant experience on the rostrum under his belt in multiple auctioneering roles since the age of 16, when he first started conducting weekly poultry sales and selling calves and cull ewes at Holmfirth Auction Market. This was followed by stints at both Pateley Bridge and Northallerton marts last year, acting as sole auctioneer of store cattle, cull cows and store and breeding sheep at the former, at the latter selling cull ewes, store lambs, ewes with lambs at foot and store cattle, as well as handling quarterly machinery sales.

Kyle has also handled twice yearly sales on behalf of the David Brown Tractor Club, along with regular sales of small tools and implements for Watts and Associates, an auction house in Barnsley. His remit also includes acting as a field officer, involving liaison visits to farms, and he hosted a hospitality stand at the North Yorkshire Show.

Kyle is now conducting rearing calf shows and sales at CCM Skipton and has also undertaken a sale of working sheep dogs in the unbroken pen, as well as selling both store cattle and store lambs, and generally assisting with other sales.

Craven Cattle Marts’ livestock sales manager and auctioneer Jeremy Eaton said: “Kyle has hit the ground running and has fast become a valued member of the team here at Skipton.”

Hobbies and interests include clay pigeon and game shooting, as well as continuing to assist on the family-run farm when time permits, alongside his sister Ellie. His services have also been in demand - and freely given - for charity auctions.