Store lambs up on fortnight and year at CCM Skipton

While the vast majority of vendors were familiar faces from many parts of Yorkshire across into Lancashire, they were supplemented by several from Derbyshire up to the West Highlands of Scotland, with local buyers joined by others from all parts of England and Wales.

The annual Top Tags Animal ID-sponsored show for pens of 20 or more Beltex-x lambs was won for the second year running by Tosside brothers Clive and Trevor Robinson, their pen of exactly 20, all by home bred-tups, tapped out by judge, Andrew Hutchinson, Faceby, selling for the day’s top call of £132 per head to D&A Wilcock & Son, Ashton, Wigan, a second pen from the same home making £120.

Standing runner-ups for the second consecutive year were B&R Lawson & Son, Richmond, their lambs making £116, just pipped at £118 by the third prize pen from Adrian and Kathryn Leach, Hebden Bridge.

A further five Beltex pens sold from £120 to £123, these consigned by Andrew Haggas, Otterburn, twice, Ian Moorhouse, Dacre, Geoff Marwood, Newsham, and Bolton Abbey father and son, Chris and Tom Heseltine, who also headed the Texel prices at £110, this section averaging £88.02.

The next grade of smart Beltex lambs made £110-£120, with some smaller, younger types available at £90-£108, the mart reporting that with more younger and cross-bred lambs now coming forward buyers are looking for both short and long-keep lambs. The overall Beltex average was £112.85.

First-crossed Continental lambs with weight regularly made £92-£108, longer-term first crosses £82-£88, while a run of May-born crossed Charollais lambs from Anna Nicholson, travelling all the way south from Oban, sold to £85.

Suffolks lambs averaged £87.61, topping at £97 for a pen of 50 from SL&SD Lund, Litton, while North of England Mule lambs stepped up a gear, a pen of 40 from Rosemary Berry, Cowling, leading the way at £93, the section averaging £76.51.

Mules with decent frames are said to be in good demand and needed for the next sale this coming Wednesday, August 23, which also includes the annual show for the best pen of 50 Mule wethers.

In addition, a fairly strong trade was seen for close on 300 breeding ewes, with two-crop notably strong when averaging £175.53, topping at £202 for Texel from Pete Simpson, Dacre, these selling to Geoff Marwood. Shearlings were also in demand, averaging £172 and peaking at £185 for a pen of Berrichon from Sam Coy, Rotherham, who also sold a Berrichon ram at £210.

It was among the first sale of rams this season, with 11 forward of various ages, all making either side of £200 to a top of £260 for a Texel again from Pete Simpson.

In the August prime lamb show, Ellis Bros, Addingham Moorside, secured their second consecutive monthly championship under judge Mick Etherington, Eldwick, with another strong pen of five 44kg Beltex-x shown by Rob Ellis and sold for double top per head and by-weight of £188, 427p/kg, to ringside regular Andrew Atkinson, Kettlesing.

The 2nd prize and reserve champion 42kg Beltex from Frankland Farms, Rathmell, fell to Knavesmire Butchers, York, at £158, the third prize 40kg pen from Tim Robinson, Longridge, making £136.

James Spensley, Elslack, stood 1st and 2nd in the Suffolk-x show class with 48kg and 44kg pens selling respectively at £129 and £125, again both to Andrew Atkinson, bettered at £143 by the third prize 50kg pen from the Ribble Valley and J&F Nutter, Hurst Green, these going to Nick Dalby, Hartwith.

Mr Atkinson also claimed by the 1st and 2nd prize Mule pens, both weighing 44kg, the victors from Kevin Wilson, Blubberhouses, at £108.50, the runners-up, again from Ellis Bros, at £112.

Also staged on Monday was Skipton Auction Mart’s annual Young Farmers’ prime lambs show, with classes for three age groups judged by Embsay’s Annabel Mason. Supreme champion was ten-year-old Charlie Leach, from Hebden Bridge, the reserve championship awarded to Raff Middleton, nine, of Beamsley. A full report will appear in next week’s Herald.