THE trading year at CCM Skipton Auction Mart ended in great style with a bumper turnout of 3,518 prime and cast sheep on Thursday, December 28, a fixture staged purposely to cover the two usual weekly Monday sale days which fell on both Christmas and New Year’s Day.

It proved a wise move, a cracking average of £129.48 per head, or 302.3p/kg (SQQ 305.6p), achieved for 2,957 Spring-born lambs, with 32-35kg lightweights particularly good to sell, nice sorts making 290-320p/kg, a smart 34kg pen from IMA Smith, Rimington, reaching £114, 335p/kg, the weight range averaging 298.9p/kg.

The 37-48kg lowland lambs also found a fiery trade throughout with buyers notably keen for handy sheep, the smartest end away at 360-400p/kg, topping at 414p/kg, £178, for a 43kg Beltex pen from TA&N Whitfield, Morton Banks. Paul and Janet Bolland, Airton, sold lambs at 389p/kg, John and Judy Garnett, Draughton, also catching the eye with a 387p/kg pen . A nice skinned lamb could make 330-350p/kg, plenty of commercials trading at 280-325p/kg. The overall selling average for medium to standard weight 36-45kg lambs was 306p/kg.

Overweights met a strong trade too, those over 52kg levelling at £154 per head. The best end made £160-plus, peaking at £166.50 for Texel from RKR Wood, Stokesley, another pen at £165 from Simon Bennett, Silsden Moor, with JR Crabtree, Otley, hitting 307p/kg with a 53kg pen.

Similarly, there was a sharp enquiry for 46-52kg heavies, which averaged £142, the best end seeing 75 pens make £140-£160. Section top at £162, 344p/kg, was a 47kg Texel pen from M&G Dobson, Hartlington, with Fox Farms, Clitheroe, selling lambs to £160 and 333p/kg, and Kevin Marshall, Menwith Hill, making 334p/kg, £158.

In the Mule, horned and hill lambs section, handweights were good to sell, with heavies also adding up well. John and Alison Spensley, Thorlby, sold Mule wethers to £150, J&K Harker, Pateley Bridge, heavy Mules to £136.

In the handier weights, Ellis Bros, Addingham Moorside, made £125 with 44kg Mules, the Kitching family, Threshfield, chipping in with a £124.50 pen at the same weight. Lighter Mules saw a 38kg pen from Richard and Matthew Close, Starbotton, make £114, 297p/kg.

Kevin Huck, Bordley, sold 52kg Swaledale lambs to £134, plus further 43kg and 39kg pens at £114 and £109 respectively. From Lincolnshire, PE Baker made £150 with 48kg Cheviots, other handier weight Cheviots trading around 300-310p/kg. RKR Wood returned to sell 39kg Scottish Blackface at £109. .

Individual breed averages and leading prices included: Beltex £137.57, 342.3p/kg. Per head: £178, £154 TA&N Whitfield; £164, £156 TA Robinson; £160 KA&HL Fawcett; £157 M&B Allen; £155 Fox Farms; £155 J&J Garnett; p/kg: 414p, 385p, 384.6p TA&N Whitfield; 389.2p PJ Bolland; 387.5p J&J Garnett; 384.6p S Asquith; 383.8p M&S Eddleston.

Texel £132.61, 308.2p/kg. Per head: £166.5 RKR Wood; £165, £162 SD Bennett; £165, £163 JR Crabtree; £164 G Mellin; £163 RA&E Smith; £162 MJ&GC Dobson; p/kg - 382.5p, 357.9p S&P Scrivin; 375p, 353.7p J Howard; 371.8p.

Suffolk £131.74, 292.3p/kg. Per head: £156 RG Church; £155.50 PR Baker; £155 JR Fraser; £154 JA Brown; £147 B Spensley; £145 P Rylatt; p/kg - 315.9p, 311.1p PR Baker; 313.5p JA Brown; 312.5p Haddon Farms.

Charolais £132.07, 312.4p/kg. Per head: £155 S Horsfield; £155, £144 B Dibb; £154 RG Church; £142 JA Brown; £140.5 PR Baker; p/kg - 341.3p, 331p PR Baker; 326.9p J Shuttleworth; 315.8p RN Thompson.

Blue Texel £133.31, 327.5p/kg. Per head: £150 P Holgate; £142 IMA&RJ Smith; £135 RG Johnson; £131 A Brown; £128 PJ Bolland; p/kg - 355p IMA&RJ Smith; 345.9p PJ Bolland; 310p M Preston; 306.8p RG Johnson; 300p P Holgate.

Cheviot £131.76, 303.2p/kg. Per head: £150, £136.50, £134, £130 PR Baker; £129 B Dibb; £126 P Holgate; p/kg - 312.5p, 311.6p, 310.2p, 295.5p PR Baker; 292.7p J Caygill; 292.3p CD&RF Kitching.

Dutch Spotted £128.50, 285.6p/kg, both K Marshall. Rouge £140, 367.2p/kg. Per head/kg: £150, 340.9p Ellis Bros; £138, 373p RKR Wood. Masham £106, 260.1p/kg. Per head/kg: £107.50, 262.2p A&SL Throup; £100, 250p T&S Holgate.

Mule £114.56, 268.2p/kg. Per head: £150 B Spensley; £136 J&K Harker; £125 Ellis Bros; £125 JH Throup; £124.50, £124 CD&RF Kitching; £124 M&B Allen; p/kg - 297.4p RH&EA Close; 284.9p, 283p, CD&RF Kitching; 284.1p Ellis Bros.

Swaledale £101.47, 251.3p/kg. Per head - £134, £114, £109 G Huck & Son; £115 B Dibb; £112 JH Throup; £111 P Addyman; £109.50 M&B Allen; £106.50 JA&JH Hewetson; p/kg - 279.5p G Huck & Son; 269.2p J&R Paisley; 266.7p.

Dalesbred £86.20, 260p/kg. Per head: £107, p/kg - 281.3p both RH&EA Close. Hampshire £107, 264.3p/kg. Per head: £154, £104; p/kg - 281.1p, 280p all JR Craig.