A SOLID entry of 749 breeding sheep for CCM Skipton’s Spring Bank Holiday show and sale, backed by a packed sale ring, produced sharp trade for quality hoggs with lambs, Texel-x outfits averaging £330 and North of England Mules £274.

Skipton brothers John and George Stapleton, High Skibeden Farm, multiple past prize winners with their well-bred outfits, again shone when finishing first and second in the Continental hoggs with lambs show class - the lambs by Beltex tups from Chris and Linda Windle’s local Cavendish flock - making £360 and £380, bettered by three further pens in the run at £400 per outfit top price and £390 twice.

Calton father and daughter, Robert and Ellie Crisp, saw their third prize Continental pen make £380 per outfit, while a good run from Michael Daggett, Hartlington, sold to £390, £385 and £375. Sam and Jen Bradley, Addingham, who won last year’s show class, again arrived with their annual consignment of 60 outfits, which sold to £380.Best hoggs were generally £350-plus, nice outfits £320-£350 and commercial types either side of £300.

While Mule hoggs with lambs were short of requirements, first prize honours in their show class fell to Chris and Christine Ryder, Blubberhouses, making £280, others from the same home away at £275, followed at £270 by a brace of home-bred pens from Colin Stubbs, Rathmell.

The annual sale of Swaledale sheep with lambs was well supported, first and third prizes in the singled horned ewe show class falling to multiple past winner, John Bland, Crowden, Glossop, both outfits with Mule gimmer lambs, shown by nephew Alistair, making £180. From the same neck of the woods, the second prize pen, a younger ewe with single from Dale Hallam, Tintwhistle, did better at £230, with trade generally £190-£230 for twins and £150-£190 for singles.

Ewes with lambs saw Mules and hill-bred sheep of flock ages selling at the equivalent of £80-£105 per life depending on quality, with Continentals and Suffolks generally £100-£120 per life.

Several pens of geld gimmer hoggs saw Mules from Andrew Ogden, Cowling, sell to £185, with Stuart and Debbie Robinson, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, selling Herdwicks to £162.

Also penned for sale were 23 pedigree Blue Texel, all empty ewe hoggs, which met a smart trade and a good clearance rate. Mother and daughter, Elaine and Issy Hartley, Pendle flock, Roughlee, achieved 550gns and 500gns for ewe hoggs both sired by Walston Elite and from home-bred ewes, Pendle Elsie and Pendle Extra Special.

Elsa McKechnie, Silver Birch flock, Wigglesworth, sold a pair of ewe hoggs at 400gns, both by their Hackney ram and from a home-bred Pendle ewe. The overall selling average was £357.