Trade up on year at Skipton CCM NEMSA second sale

 Again staged solely on behalf of NEMSA members, better top end pens could command prices of £180-£200 or more, peaking at joint highs of £250 for the champions in both the 10s and 20s show classes.

Winning the 20s class for the first time and receiving The J Marsden Perpetual Trophy were Chris and Christine Ryder, Scaife Hall Farm, Blubberhouses, all in the pen by home-bred rams. The Ryders achieved their best-ever result at the breed highlight when also standing runners-up in the 10s show class, the majority again by home-bred tups, though one by a Highberries tup shared with next door neighbour Kevin Wilson. The second prize 10s made £200, another from the same home achieving £195.

Victory in the 10s fell to multiple past champions, the Hodder Valley Walkers - Geoff and Margaret and sons, John and Rob, Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge, eight in their pen by home-bred tups, including Brennand N9 and his sons, and Brennand P10, another two by West Biggins and Highberries rams. The title winners received the WFC Perpetual Trophy.

Wharfedale father and son, Francis and James Caton, Weston Hall Farm, Weston, who pulled off a tremendous double when crowned champions in both show classes at the opening NEMSA showpiece a fortnight earlier, returned to pick up yet more tickets, finishing third with their 10s, these making £210, and both second and third with their 20s, sold at £185 and £190 respectively, plus another pen at £180.

Back in the 10s, the fourth prize pen from the Kitching family, Grisedale Farm, Threshfield - brothers Richard and Charles, and sons Frank, Jack and Thomas – sold for £210, a second at £180, while another Walker family, this time Patrick, Janet and son Thomas, Fold Farm, Appletreewick, finished fifth, making £185, the sixth prize winners from Kevin Wilson, who farms at Hewness House Farm, Blubberhouses, with wife Daphne and son, James, achieving £190.

Also doing well with 10s were Messrs Walker & Alpe, Saddle End Farms, Chipping, at £215, while EW&JR Parkinson, Dunsop Bridge, Joe and Nancy Throup, Draughton, and John and Claire Mason, Embsay, all sold to £200, the Parkinsons further chipping in with a £192 pen. John, Gill and James Huck, Hubberholme, hit £185, others at £180 consigned by both John and Rose Tennant, Bordley, and JW Stockdale & Sons, Burnsall.

Back in show, the fourth prize 20s from John and Lynn Smith, Carleton, made £168, the fifth prize pen again consigned by the Wilsons £162, the sixth prize winners from Calton father and daughter, Robert and Ellie Crisp, £172.

Like the previous sale, the bulk of medium lambs made from £140 to £170, depending on colour and size, smaller lambs generally mid-£120s to late-£130s, a shade less for odd pens from some vendors completing their sales for the season.

CCM presented special prizes for the highest flock averages. Of those consigning 200 or more lambs, Jeff Pickles, Chapel-le-Dale, did best with 203 to average £153.41, followed by 200 from the Wilsons at £151.88, then 236 from the Kitchings at £145.21.

In the 100-200 lambs bracket, the Ryders led the way with 103 averaging £184.1, then the Catons with 191 at £168.20 and the Masons with 106 at £163.21. Of vendors presenting less than 100 lambs, John Airey, Elslack, topped with 20 levelling at £170, followed by Saddle End Farms with 25 at £168.80 and the Parkinsons with 57 averaging £164.11.

The pre-sale show was again extremely competitive, with 20 pens of ten and 10 pens of 20 put before the adjudicators - tens judged by Sam Bradley, Addingham, and Rebecca Udall, Shelf, 20s by Mark Bartlett, Cottesbrooke, and Andrew Needham, Oakham.

Returning to again to sponsor were Skipton NFU Mutual, Carr’s Billington, WBW Surveyors, Armstrong Watson Accountants, Shepherd Partnership Accountants and Harrison Drury Solicitors.

The third annual show and sale of Mule gimmer lambs on Tuesday, October 8, is an open fixture and again runs alongside annual shows and sales for Swaledale, Dales Mule and Masham gimmer lambs.