CCM Skipton Auction Mart’s early September fortnightly Wednesday store lambs fixture attracted a bumper turnout of 9675 head, the largest entry of the season to date and over 2000 more than last year’s corresponding sale, producing an overall all-breeds average of £115.36, a nigh on £15 increase on 2023. 

The annual top draw sale of Suffolk-x, Texel-x, Cheviot Mule and Cheviot-x gimmer lambs included prize shows for an excellent entry of gimmer lambs, and, as anticipated, trade was up on the year, with gimmer shearlings generally better to sell countrywide. Many regular customers were supplemented by several new faces seeking gimmer lambs, most vendors reporting their consignment averages up between £10 and £25.

Top pens of Suffolk and Continental lambs were mainly £165-£200, odd prize-winning pens making more, with a strong lamb in most breeds £145-£165 and £120-£140 sweeping up most of the rest, smaller runners trading at store price, plus £5 to £10.

While 2023 Continental show class winners Roger and Jason Craddock, Forest Becks, Bolton-by-Bowland, finished runners-up at the latest renewal, they earned the day’s bragging rights with the sale-topping £310 per head pen of ten Texel/Beltex crosses.

Joe and Nancy Throup, Berwick Intake Farm, Draughton, won the Continentals show at their first-ever attempt in this section with Texel-x-North of England Mules all got by a Procters Farm, Wennington, tup bought out of Skipton a few years ago. They sold at £190, the third prize pen from TA&N Whitfield, Silsden, making £175.

Ken and Hazel Gamble, Easingwold, sold Continentals sold to £192, Thomas and Shiela Binns, Downham, to £188, the Threshfield Deans consigning £185 and £180 pens.

Robert Metcalfe, Grange Farm, Brearton, Suffolk show victor in both 2022 and 2023, took second and third prizes this year, again with home-bred lambs out of North of England Mule ewes, these topping the section at £210 twice, the first prize pen from Matt Reeday, F Reeday & Son, Manor Farm, Hetton, away at £190.

John Stott, Laund Farm, Chipping - he farms with his wife Christine and son, Simon – won the Cheviot Mule show class for the third consecutive year with lambs by home-bred Bluefaced Leicester tups topping at £175, the same home also responsible for the £160 runners-up. The third prize pen from J&H Varley, Cowling, made £138.

The annual prize show for pens of 40 or more Masham wether lambs saw Nidderdale vendors J Verity & Son, and GF Harker & Sons, both, Middlesmoor, stand first and second, their pens away at £106 top and £94 respectively.

In the store lambs, trade was not up to the electric prices seen the previous fortnight and while good strong Continentals were not too dissimilar on price, a medium and smaller lowland lamb was easier to buy, as were Mule wethers.

Continentals and Cheviot Mules gimmer lambs were judged by Buckinghamshire’s Richard Haynes, Suffolk gimmers by Gloucestershire’s Mike Credland and Masham wethers by Ian Lancaster, Wiswell. Show sponsors were Tops Tags Animal ID, British Wool and The Renewables People.