MANY  happy returns all-round were the order of the day when, celebrating his 82nd birthday, Reg Dobson, farm manager for Clifford White, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, not only retained the 2023 title at the annual North of England Mule wether lambs show at CCM Skipton, but also returned top call of £126 per head. (Wednesday, August 23).

Both Reg and Clifford are dyed-in-the-wool Mule aficionados, having been involved with the breed for more than half a century and members of the North of England Mule Sheep Association (NEMSA) since its formation in 1980.

In winning the show class for pens of 50 or more for the second year running they retained the Stephen Foster Memorial Trophy with lambs once again fresh off the fells in the shadow of the Settle-Carlisle line’s Ribblehead Viaduct. Their 2024 victors far outstripped last year’s selling price of £92 per head, also top call.

The second prize pen from the Mason family, Oddacres, Embsay, made £115.50, the third prize winners from A Newbould & Son, Dallowgill, £112, the fourth prize pen from JM&S Tennant, Bordley, £102.

Outside the prizes, D&C Sayer, Threshfield, made £120.50 with Mule wethers, while other large pens of around 50 head made £115 from J Verity & Sons, Middlesmoor, £114.50 from R Berry, Cowling, £114 from KR Verity Pateley Bridge, £111from F Brown, Halton Gill, and £110 from HW&MA Alderson, Baldersdale.

A solid turnout of over 1,000 Mule wether lambs met with a good strong trade to level at £106.59, a near £30 per head increase on the previous year’s £76.77.

The show formed part of the fourth seasonal store lambs sale, which attracted 6387 head, a sharp increase on the fortnight, with additional smaller keeping lambs and lambs from hill ewes making their way to market.

All classes were dearer, especially hill-bred types, with a very busy ringside of 64 successful purchasers by the close of business, producing an overall average a shade over £105, again well up on the previous year’s £77.57.

Beltex lambs averaged £133.38, trading to a top of £146 from Tosside brothers Trevor and Clive Robinson, other Beltex pens away at £130-£140, longer-term Beltex-x lambs £110-£125, the next grade £98-£108.

Strongest first-crossed lambs with size, frame and meat sold at £118-£128, the next grade of good-framed farming lambs £105-£112. Lots of longer-keep and leaner lambs made £94-£102, with plenty of young lambs above £90. Medium lambs made £100-£109, longer-keep types £93-£98.

Masham wethers sold to £124 for a pen of 52 again from the Middlesmoor Veritys, while more lambs were forward out the hill and horned ewes. Cheviot Mule lambs sold at £118 from JW Sayer & Son, West End, and Adrian Leach, Hebden Bridge, Cheviots topping at £97 from TB Moorhouse & Son, Dacre. White-faced Woodland lambs from B Hawksworth, Bradfield, made £86, the same vendor selling Gritstone-x lambs at £80.

The mart says that more Mule and Masham wether lambs are required for the next fortnightly sale on Wednesday, September 4, to be run in conjunction with the annual gimmer lambs show.