A TOP call of 1,500gns was seen at the Jacob Sheep Society’s 45th annual Northern Area sale at Skipton Auction Mart – and it fell to one of the breed’s best-known names, Welshman Robert Price, who runs the Pentre flock in Churchstoke, Powys. (Sat, Sept 5)

His January-born 4-horn twin ewe lamb by the Scottish-bred Kinloch Franco, out of an Edingale dam by Blackbrook Don’t Push It, found a new home north of the border when falling to Ewen McMillan, who runs Luruha Jacobs near Glasgow.

A second January-born ewe lamb also selling well at 850gns was consigned by Tom Lewis, who runs the Salopearl flock at Whitchurch in Shropshire. His 4-horn, a daughter of Lickhill Bruce, also travelled north into Scotland when claimed by Adam Christie of Huntly in Aberdeenshire.

Another Jacob stalwart Jean Price, who runs her own Pentrenant fock alongside her husband Robert - both have won multiple breed championships - also caught the eye when selling a brace of ewe lambs at 800gns and 700gns. The overall ewe lamb average was £340.

In addition, Mrs Price headed the adult ewe prices at 380gns with a 2016-born twin 4-horn which also fell to Ewen McMillan. The section average was £357.

Despite there being no show classes this year, the annual breed highlight attracted a solid entry of 144 registered Jacob sheep from some 30 members across many parts of the country.

An improved show of rams found a ready audience, selling to a top of 680gns for another Welsh entry, a February, 2019, 2-horn twin from Lyndon Trumper and family, the 2017 Skipton champions, who run the Beiliau flock at Brynderi, Abergavenny.

Their Celtic Magnum, acquired from fellow Welsh breeder Arwel Jones, of Pantyrefail in Carmarthenshire, is by Nettlebed Kerryman, a product of Betty Palmer’s local flock in Grindleton, and the leading price male found a new home in Norfolk with Thetford’s Gillian Christian. Shearling rams averaged £368. The Trumpers also made 650gns with a ewe lamb.

Ram lambs averaged £219, selling to a top of 500gns for a twin January-born 2-horn from Mike Munro’s Kinloch flock in Ladybank, Fife. The Oakdean Dave son found pastures new in the Lake District with Ulverston’s SG Benson.

Back with the ladies, which were as popular as ever, shearling ewes sold to a top of 480gns for a Gwent-bred twin 4-horn from J Leonard and family in Rogerstone, Newport. By Pentre Hash it returned to Wales with HL Jones, of Builth Wells. The section saw an average of £268 per head.

SKIPTON Auction Mart’s fourth annual ‘Dales Blue’ sale of pure and cross-bred Blue Texel sheep produced an overall top price of 480gns for a full mouth pedigree aged ram from North Craven’s Samantha Purcell, who farms in Austwick. It sold into South Yorkshire.

The top price female at 380gns was a registered shearling gimmer bred in North Yorkshire by Angram’s Phillip Hughes. The section produced an overall selling average of £188.

Other top prices and averages were: Ram lambs to 320gns from MD Barley, Northallerton (av £236), shearling rams to 300gns from N Beardsley, Ashbourne (av £202), ewe lambs to 250gns from Archie Allen, Winterburn (av £142),