RIBBLE  Valley father and son, Richard and Mark Ireland, Heys Farm, Whalley, again stood both champion and reserve with Continental-x pens at CCM Skipton Auction Mart’s November prime lambs show and sale, repeating the prestigious double they also claimed the previous month. (Mon, Nov 6)

They once more clinched leading honours with lambs by home-bred Shamrock Beltex rams themselves sired by Clary Fantastic, with Texel-cross females bred by home-bred rams from the family’s Heys Texel flock.

Tapped out by show judge Mick Etherington, Eldwick, both joined regular buyer Knavesmire Butchers, York, the 51kg victors at a sale-topping £195 per head, 381p/kg, the 44kg reserve champions at £185 each, 420p top price per kilo. The Irelands also chipped in with a further 53kg pen at £180.

The third prize 36kg Continental-x from Calderdale’s Brian and Linda Lund, Walshaw, Hebden Bridge, made £140, 388p/kg, the first prize 52kg Suffolk-x from RA&M Earnshaw, Flasby, away at £133 to regular buyer Andrew Atkinson, Felliscliffe.

A solid entry of 2,594 prime lambs saw all classes take a good lift on the week, with all weights dearer by some margin, 277 overweights at 53kg or more averaging, 261p/kg, £140.20, 1,212 heavies scaling 46kg or more, representing almost half the sale, levelling at 269.7p/kg, £130.66, with some nice runs of handyweight lambs averaging 281.6p/kg, £118.94.The overall selling average was £124.84 per head or 274.4p/kg (SQQ 281.3p/kg).

The near 3,500 entry also comprised 833 cast ewes and rams, with cull ewes a much sharper trade for all classes, trading to £199.50 for Texel from JA Squires, Sutton-In-Craven, with a section average of £88.78. Cast rams averaged £132.75.

The latest monthly Saturday livestock collective sale of 108 cattle comprised 42 heifers, 47 steers and 19 bulls. Blue steers sold to £940 for 10/11-month-olds from JSS Verity, Clitheroe, strongest Blue bullocks at 10 months making £850-£900, Blue heifers trading to £830 from the same vendor, who also led the Angus bullock and heifer trade at £955 and £790 respectively. Limousin bulls peaked at £830 from T Blackwell, Silsden.