FATHER and son, Wilf and Stuart Buckle, Bleathgill Farm, South Stainmore, Kirkby Stephen, again made their mark at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual evening show and sale of registered Swaledale rams when consigning the two leading four-figure prices for a brace of shearlings among their usual selection of strong, well-built rams.

All four shearlings in the pen were among the first crop by the same West Briscoe tup, a £10,000 purchase from Middleton-in-Teesdale two years ago, with the £1,600 top price performer, out of a dam by a Dent family Naby tup, claimed by fellow exhibitors, the Shirt family, from Edale in the Derbyshire High Peaks, regular buyers at the fixture who also stood runners-up in the aged ram show class with a 3-shear making £200.

Next best for the Buckles at £1,000 was a ram out of a daughter of a Bill Cowperthwaite Malham Moor ewe, this got by a Murton Hall tup, also a £10,000 purchase and selling locally to John Addyman, Hagg Farm, Skipton.

Show champion was the first prize shearling ram from Stuart and Debbie Robinson, Foredale Farm, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, this got by a Peter Lightfoot Patterdale tup, out of a home-bred dam by a Robert Tennant Conistone ram. The victor, also the best conformation ram, sold at £700, going to Paul Newbould, Dallowgill.

In addition, the Robinsons, who farm with their sons, George and Michael, and also do well at Skipton with their Swaledale females – they won the ewes show class at the annual late September highlight for the eighth consecutive year – made £800 joint section top with a 4-shear aged Aygill ram joining the Horsfield family, Blacko, while the other £800 joint top aged ram, also a 4-shear by a Bill Cowperthwaite tup from Richard Woodsworth, Bolton Abbey, went to TE Walker, Barden.

Thornton-in-Londsale show judge Chris Handley, assisted by ten-year-old son Henry, a pupil at Ingleton Primary School, remained in the shearling show class for his reserve champion, the runner-up from the Hodder Valley Walkers - Geoff and Margaret and sons, John and Rob - of Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge. Their home-bred first crop son of a Paul Ewbank tup made £950 when also selling locally to Anthony and Heather Hewetson, Bank Newton.

R&E Cowperthwaite - Robert and Lindsey, and son Sam – Stockdale Farm, above Settle, made £900 with a home-bred shearling going to SE Lord, Roeburndale, Lancaster. John Tennant, , Bordley, had shearling rams at £700 and £600, along with an aged ram also making £600, with £500 sales falling to two further shearlings from Saddle End Farms, Chipping, and Kevin Huck, also Bordley, who chipped in further with the second prize aged ram, a 5-shear making £350.

The first prize aged ram, a 4-shear from John France, again from Chipping, made £300, two others from the Bank Newton Hewetsons selling at £450 and £400, plus another two at £400 from Roy Nelson, Bordley, and Bernard Simpson, Heathfield, Pateley Bridge.

While trade for 67 head was more selective than previous years it was again straight for most classes, with another good clearance rate. Shearling rams averaged £383.59 (2022 £493.13) and aged rams £359.44 (2022 £432.59).