TRIPLE joint top calls of 2,000gns were recorded for rams, with 10 sheep in total making 1,000gns or more at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual Bluefaced Leicester show and sale, which achieved excellent clearance rates, 100 per cent among the rams.

One of the joint top price performers was the Kitching family at Grisedale Farm, Threshfield, with a ram lamb son of P10 Barley, which headed its section prices and travelled to North Craven and Horton-in-Ribblesdale with the Sutcliffe family. The Kitchings also stood third in the shearing ram show class with a Ribblehead M2 son, which made 1,400gns.

With some solid dual-purpose pure and North of England Mule getters on parade throughout, a brace of shearling rams also hit 2,000gns. First at this value were JC Walker & Son, of Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge, with a ram by their Hewgill L12 sire, out of crossing bloodlines in the Brennand flock, which sold to A Newbould & Son in Kirkby Malzeard, Ripon.

The Walkers - Geoff and Margaret and sons, John and Rob – also stood runners-up in the aged ram show class with a 2-shear by Gragareth H5, which made 500gns. In line with the majority of vendors at the seasonal highlight the family utilise their Bluefaced Leicester tups, many home-bred, for both pure and cross-breeding of Mules, which have won multiple titles at Skipton’s annual gimmer lamb shows, most recently when claiming a flagship pen of tens championship double at the two keynote official North of England Mule Sheep Association fixtures earlier the same month.

Also from Dunsop Bridge, Edward, John and David Parkinson, who run the Hareden flock at the farm of the same name, matched the 2,000gns joint top selling price with their M4 Heyshaw-sired shearling ram, out of a Cumbrian-bred Emmott family Wythop ewe, which sold locally to Eldroth’s Johnny Cowperthwaite.

Show classes were co-judged by Derbyshire Peak District duo Steve Taylor, Hollow Meadow, and Lee White, Bamford, who chose as their supreme champion the first prize ram lamb from first-time fixture exhibitors, Stephen and Alison Pedley, who run the Yore House flock near Hawes. By Carry House L1, now a 4-shear, who has left a lot of good progeny on the ground, the dam by a Scottish-bred Drimsynie tup, the title winner made 1,100gns when heading to South Yorkshire with N&J&S Taylor, of Sheffield.

The adjudicators remained in the same show class when awarding the reserve championship to the second prize winner from James Middleton’s Wharfedale flock in Arncliffe. It was the first ram lamb to be shown and sold by Dawyck P4, a 16,000gns acquisition last year, out of a dam by Temain H1, bred in Ireland by the Loughery family. It sold for 500gns.

Both first and second prizes in the shearling rams show class fell to entries from Ellis Bros’ Ilkley Moor flock on Addingham Moorside. The red rosette winner, by a ewe paired with the Walker family’s Brennand L1 and with Booth family Smearsett breeding on the dam’s side, made 1,100gns. The runner-up by West Biggins L1, acquired from the Reed family, out of a dam sired by Ilkley Moor G27, which has both Smearsett and Mason family Oddacres breeding, sold for 1,000gns.

The first prize aged ram was consigned by Red Rose exhibitors John and Christine Stott, who run the Laund flock in Chipping with their son, Simon, and grandson, George. By Carry House N4, acquired as a lamb, out of a dam by a Misty Burn tup, the 2-shear headed its section prices at 1,100gns when going to Ian Holliday in Clapham.

Mart regulars, John, Claire and Annabel Mason’s Oddacres flock in Embsay stepped up with the first prize female, a ewe lamb among the second crop of daughters to Otterburn Lodge N2, bred locally by the Caton family, out of a Riddings L6-sired dam. She sold for 250gns, the Masons also catching the eye with a 1,400gns shearling ram sale.

Doing better at 500gns and 550gns respectively, the latter the top price female, were the second and third prize females, shearling ewes both from Geoff Richmond’s Sullom flock in Goosnargh, Preston. The dam of one was a Smearsett ewe purchased at Skipton in 2017 as champion ewe lamb, the other with Kirby Redgate breeding.

The Hewness flock of the Wilson family in Blubberhouses also did well, selling shearlings rams at 1,500gns and 1,400gns, ram lambs at 1,000gns and 800gns and aged rams at 550gns twice. Other notable shearling ram prices were 1,400gns from Joe and Nancy Throup’s Chelker flock in Draughton and another at 1,100gns from the Caton family’s Weston flock near Otley, which also claimed 500gns with an aged ram, with another at the same price from Ian and Mary Lancaster’s East View flock in Wiswell, Clitheroe.

Of the remaining ticket winners, the third prize aged ram from the Walker family’s Low Fold flock in Appletreewick made 550gns, plus another at 500gns, with the third prize ram lamb from David Lodge’s Whitbeck flock in Otley away at 450gns.

Complete clearance was seen for 85 shearling and aged rams, and 85 clearance of 53 ram lambs. Top prices and averages: Shearling Rams to 2,000gns (av £678), Lamb Rams to 2,000gns (av £490), Aged Rams to 1,100gns (av £483), Shearling Ewes to 550gns (av £551).