THE first prize ewe lamb and overall reserve champion from Shropshire-based Tom Lewis’s Salopearl flock claimed 900gns top price at the Jacob Sheep Society Northern Region 48th annual show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart. (Sat, Sept 2) Tom, who established his Jacob flock eight years ago and now has some 25 breeding ewes on the ground at Mill Bank Farm, Whitchurch, achieved the feat with a January-born 2-horn single, among the first crop of lambs by the home-bred Salopearl Spitfire, now a shearling, out of a daughter of Hyndshaw Gareth, himself bred by breed stalwart Helen Baillie, of Carluke, Lanarkshire.

The high flyer, which had also won its class at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show, went north of the border with Ian Forsyth to join his Oldtown Jacobs flock in Aberlour on Speyside.

West Lothian show judge Scott Dalrymple, of the Dun-Mor flock in Linlithgow, was bang on the money when all six of his class victors went on to head their section prices, with Dun-Mor awarding the Gordon Connor Memorial Salver to the Skipton reserve champion in honour of the late National Field Officer and presented for the second time by his daughter Mairi.

Second top call of the day at 850gns fell to the first prize shearling ram from Ewen Macmillan, who runs the Luruha flock at Fintry in Lanarkshire and stood overall reserve champion last year. His Luruha Hillbilly, a May, 2022, 4-horn twin by the home-bred Luruha Gordo, out of a Robert Price Pentra dam, went to Cumbria to join Karen Nicholson’s Swinside flock at High Lorton, Cockermouth.

Next best at 620gns was the first prize shearling ewe from Ms Claire Bentham, who runs the local Greenbank flock in Long Preston. Her March, 2022, 2-horn triplet, a Rill Chill daughter, out of a Blackwolds Heniz-sired dam, headed to South Yorkshire and Sarah Hill’s Hazeldene flock in Shafton, Barnsley.

The same exhibitor picked up further tickets with the runner-up in the shearling ram class, a March, 2022, 2-horn single also by Rill Chill, out of a Hurrsdale Oxygen-sired dam, sold for 360gns, plus the third prize shearling ewe, away at 270gns.

First-time North Yorkshire exhibitor Emma Chester, of the Fettle Mead flock in Dishforth, saw her first prize ram lamb progress to be crowned supreme champion. The February-born 4-horn twin, Fettle Mead Sir Tor, is by Loynton Ram 1, bred in Staffordshire by fellow entrant Jean Blacknell, out of a home-bred dam by Overdale Farage, itself bred by Stephen Dodsworth and now with Studley Jacobs.

Emma, who runs a small Jacob flock and has been involved with the breed for some 13 years, saw her title winner earn a selling price of 600gns when falling to the judge for Connor & Dalrymple’s Dun-Mor flock.

Also catching the eye at 580gns was the runner-up in the shearling ewe class from 2021 supreme champion Howard Walsh, who runs the Thornley flock near Longridge, Preston. His fully home-bred February, 2022, 4-horn triplet, by Thornley Captain, became a further Ian Forsyth acquisition.

Back with the boys, catching the eye at 460gns was the second prize ram lamb from the Haworth family’s local Hurrsdale flock in Skipton, run, like the annual highlight, by husband and wife, Gavin and Rebecca.

Their January-born 2-horn single, by Wharf Rocket, out of a Blackbrook Don’t Push It Hurrsdale dam, also found a new home in Cumbria with Kayleigh and Dan Sexton’s Beechcroft flock, Lindal-in-Furness. The Haworths were also responsible for the fourth prize ram lamb, a 4-horn twin by Hurrsdale Quattro, which made 290gns.

The ewe lamb show class saw other rosette winners readily sold. Both the runner-up and fourth prize winner were consigned by multiple past Skipton champions – they won last year - Welsh husband and wife, Wyn and Siwan Harries, who run the Hope flock at Wenant, near Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire.

The latter, a January-born 4-horn twin by the home-bred Hope Rory, out of a Hope Rocky Boy-sired Gobaith ewe, did best at 440gns, the latter, a 4-horn twin by Hope Flame of Ace making 390gns. The ladies of the Harris family, who run their own Gobaith flock, were also responsible for the third prize ram lamb, another January 4-horn son of Hope Rory, which made 340gns.

The aged ewe show class was won by Pat and Trevor Black, of the East Yorkshire Blackwolds flock in Gowthorpe. Their 2020 2-horn twin, by Border Brigadier, who has bred a brace first prize ewe lambs this year, out of a home-bred dam by Blackwolds Warrior, topped its class prices at 260gns.

The annual highlight attracted an entry of 133 head. Top prices and averages were: Shearling ewes to 620gns (av £208 – 2022 £269), ewe lambs to 900gns (av £200 – 2022 £145), ewes to 260gns (av £164 – 2022 £184), shearling rams to £850gns (av £528 – 2022 £140), ram lambs to 600gns (av £311 – 2022 £331) ENDS Pic caption 1 (choice of pics): First-time exhibitor Emma Chester with her CCM Skipton supreme champion Jacob ram lamb.