THE  next generation of farmers put their expert lamb handling skills on show at Skipton Auction Mart's annual young shepherds' prime lamb competition on Monday (August 12) proving the future of sheep farming is in safe hands. 

Immaculately turned out youngsters in three age groups controlled their charges with ease in front of show judges and mart regulars Paul and Janet Bolland, of Airton, who had the tricky task of picking winners from a close contest of 20 lambs.

In the end the supreme champion prize went to Kieran Robinson, 11, from Tosside, with his 11-26 years class-winning 42kg Beltex x lamb. He was awarded the Alflex Livestock ID trophy which is no doubt sitting pride of place on his parents' mantlepiece. Kieran's lamb also made the contest's top price of £260 (619p/kg) after being snapped up by Gargrave's Craven Farm Butchers, run by Ross and Charlotte Greenwood. The lamb will be supplied to The Blue Bell Inn, in Kettlewell, to be served up to the inn's customers.

The other young class winners were Kieran's brother, Connor Robinson, six, and Raff Middleton, 10, from Beamsley. Connor was victorious in the six years and under category with his 47kg Beltex x lamb which was bought for £200 (425/kg) by James Robertshaw for his Thornton farm shop. Raff took first prize in the seven to 10 years category with his 56kg Texel x lamb which sold for £230 (410p/kg), again snapped up by Craven Farm Butchers and also destined for the Blue Bell Inn. Raff who took reserve champion with his charge, mirrored the same positions he enjoyed last year when he also won his class and reserve champion.

Other young competitors were: Will Lambert, Summer Sugden, Annie Gray, George-Ira Sugden, Jay Pennock, Jonny Isherwood, Belle Middleton, Henry Sugden, Jovi Wood, Thomas Marshall and John Peel.

Full show results and selling prices: Six and under - 1, Connor Robinson £200; 2 Oliver Lambert £138; 3 Martha Middleton £178. Seven to 10 years - 1 Raff Middleton £230; 2 Alfie Lambert £148; 3 Ivy Simpson £145. 11 to 26 years - 1 Kieran Robinson £260; 2 Rosie Garth £145; 3 Charlie Leach £190.

Sale day also included prime cattle comprising clean cattle over and under 30 months and cast cattle as well as rearing calves.

Among the cattle, top prices per head were two Belted Galloway heifers from T Boothman to £1488 and £1425, and a Belted Galloway steer to £1188.

Prime Cattle (over 30 months) made an overall average of £1273.05 (184.5p/kg) There was only a small entry of rearing calves with a lot of sellers bringing sheep in. A top price of £440 was reached for a British Blue bull from J Gooch.

A total of 3,416 prime sheep comprising 2327 Spring lambs and 1086 cast ewes and rams were entered. Numbers are growing in the regular weekly sale of sheep in the prime and cast/feeding sections. Overall sale average, as predicted, was a shade down on the week at 307p/kg or £133 per head.

Heavier lambs saw a nice trade, with lambs 46kg upwards averaging 305p/kg or £145 for heavies and £164 for overweights. Overweight lambs sold to £230 per head. Heavies sold to £200. KG&JL Huck, of Bordley, sold to a top price per kilo at 411p/kg (45kg £185). Commercial lowland lambs realised 290p to 310p per kilo. Mule wether lambs sold to £140 per head.

A strong entry of 1080 ewes forward saw a top price from J Harrison, Skipton, at £269.50. Best pure meat ewes sold at £230-£270 with fat ewes either side of £200.

Leaner ewes £160-£180 and feeding light weight ewes £115-£140. Heavy first crossed ewes sold at £140-£165 and the biggest ewes sold at £165-£190. Heavy Mules £125-£139.50 with a strong ewe from New York Farms, Silsden selling to £145.50. Lean ewes £100-£114 and plain ewes £70-£90.

Swaledale ewes sold to £109.50 from TE Walker, Barden. Full meat Swaledale ewes with weight £90 upwards.

Next grade meat Swaledale ewes £70-£85 with lean ewes £60-£70 and plain ewes £45-£60.

Spring lambs reached an overall average of £133.65 per head or 306.7p/kg. Prime breed averages were: Beltex £147.56 (346.2p/kg); Texel £133.00 (306.2p/kg); Suffolk £136.42 (300.1p/kg); Charolais £142.27 (315.7p/kg); Mule £118.24 (276.4p/kg); Blue Texel £141.32 (330.4p/kg); Blue du Maine £131.68 (320.6p/kg); Cheviot £129.00 (288.3p/kg); Dutch Spotted £133.88 (310.4p/kg) Cull Ewes average £107.14 Suffolk to £197.50, Texel to £254.50, Mule to £145.50, Lleyn to £139.