By Robin Moule

CCM Skipton’s annual multi-breeds sheep highlight for pedigree and pure-bred rams and females attracted another solid turnout of 780 head and again produced robust trade across both the MVA and non-MVA sections, particularly the latter, which produced the day’s top call of 3000gns. (Fri, Oct 4)

NON MV CONTINENTAL: Another large entry saw buyers keen to acquire stronger tups, with Texel, Charollais or their crosses, notably those with one-quarter Beltex in them, easily the best to sell, while the stronger end of pure Beltex were also well sold.

Leading the day’s prices in this sale ring were father and son, Roger and Jason Craddock, Flass Farm, Bolton-by-Bowland, with the third prize shearling ram, by a home-bred Beltex-x-Texel tup, out of a Texel ewe, again home-bred. The Craddocks, who have been breeding commercials for some 12 years – they currently lamb about 300 ewes – saw their top price performer go to Cumbria with TC Whiteford, Tercrosset, Brampton, another from the same home making 1400gns.

Ellis Bros, Addingham Moorside, had a tremendous run of quality Beltex shearling rams, a trio hitting 2200gns, two more 2000gns, others at 1600gns and 1300gns. John and Alison North, Giggleswick, sold a pure Texel at 1800gns joint top, matched by another at this price from Geoff and Ann Robinson, Pannal, Harrogate, who also achieved 1,500gns with the runner-up in the Continental-x show class.

The class victor came from Northern Ireland brother and sister regulars, Willie and Libby McAllister, Artnagullion flock, Kells, Ballymena, with a Beltex-x-Texel shearling ram by the 14000gns Edendiak Hitman, also responsible for the 2023 Irish National female champion and 2022 male champion. Out a pedigree Texel ewe, the CCM champion sold for 1600gns, heading to South Yorkshire with C&A Howe, Hazelhead, Sheffield. Another McAllister shearling ram made1500gns.

Defending Beltex-x champions, Calderdale husband and wife, Adrian and Kathryn Leach, Hebden Bridge, again joined by 11-year-old son, Charlie, scooped all three rosettes at this year’s renewal with shearling rams.

The class victor and runner-up were both by the Scottish-bred Padkin Full Monty, also responsible for last year’s champion, along with supreme championship-winning Christmas prime lambs at Skipton. The former, whose dam is by a Rathbone tup, sold at 1200gns to next door neighbour Brian Lund, Walshaw, the latter, young Charlie’s own sheep, making 700gns, the third prize winner by Ardstewart Gigolo knocked down at 600gns. The Leach family run topped at 1300gns for a further shearling ram claimed by Ian Moorhouse, Dacre.

Another shearling ram from Seth Blakey, Bolton-by-Bowland, made 1400gns, while other quality crossing tups could command 1000gns-plus, good strong rams 600gns-plus, commercial types 350gns-550gns. Ram lambs sold to 350gns for a Charollais-x-Beltex from Anthony Thompson, Foulridge.

Solid section averages included Texel-x shearling rams at £721, Beltex-x shearling rams £631 and Charollais-x shearling rams £731 MVA SECTION TEXEL: 2023 champions, Alex and Gemma Brown, Brookhill flock, Tockholes, Darwen, retained the title, also adding the reserve championship, both by their main stock tup, Oakhall Gunner, a Staffordshire-bred ram acquired two years ago. The duo also headed their classes on price, the reserve champion shearling ram making 1500gns to Jonathan Townley, Clapham, the champion ewe lamb 500gns to Alan Harker, Long Preston. The couple – Mr Brown is now 85 - first started breeding Texel in 1976 and maintain a small flock of ten breeding ewes.

A trio of vendors - Chris Cornthwaite, Bolton-by-Bowland, Simon and Audrey Taylor, Cumberworth, Kirklees, and Phil Weaver, Caunton, Newark - achieved 1300gns sales, followed by a brace at 1200gns from Jeff and Jennifer Aiken, Castle Douglas, and the Keighley family, Leathley, Otley. Plenty of the strongest tups sold in excess of 900gns, next grade commercial tups at 500gns-plus.

Ram lambs saw a high of 650gns for the first prize winner from Richard Bradley’s Far Hey flock, Salterforth, to RL Garbutt, Chop Gate, Middeleborough, other strong lambs away at 500gns-plus, with just young lambs 350-450gns.

Gimmer shearlings peaked at 420gns twice for the second and third prize winners from Richard Wilson, Eden Valley Texels, Appleby, all forward averaging £342 (2023 £431). Both shearling rams and ram lambs saw an increase on the year, the former averaging £824 (2023 £695), the latter £437 (£369).

MVA & NON MVA SUFFOLK: Standout performer on price at 2200gns was the reserve champion, a 3-shear by a Glanmarton stock tup from Ben Hardcastle, Ramsgill, which joined Nigel Peacock, Maunby, Thirsk.

Last year’s non-MVA champion, Alistair Lawn, Skipton, won the shearling ram show class with a home-bred by a John Elliott, Roxborough Mains, Kelso, ram, making 1500gns and matched at the same price by the third prize winner from the same home. John and Alison North, Giggleswick, sold their class runner-up for 1000gns.

Stephen Bolland, Wharfe flock, Bolton Abbey, repeated his 2023 MVA championship win, again with a ram lamb by a Welsh-bred tup, Frongoy Firepower, picked up for just 550gns and readily proving his worth when the title winner sold for joint section top 1000gns, matched on price by a second ram lamb from the same home.

Plenty of strong shearling tups sold at 1000-1500gns, other strong tup lambs at 600-900gns, with the younger end 300-500gns, other aged rams 400-800gns. Aged rams averaged £945, shearling rams £825 and ram lambs £619.

Cheviot tups sold to 520gns from KO Stones, Marrick, with two others from the same vendor and the Westalls, Burnley, making 500gns.

MVA CONTINENTAL CHAROLLAIS: Breed stalwarts Charles and Valerie Marwood, and son Stephen, Foulrice flock, Whenby, dominated this section, winning all but one of the six rosettes on offer across the two show classes and standing both champion and reserve. The victor, the first prize ram lamb, a son of Foulrice Atlas, among the breed’s top recorded stock rams this year, sold for 500gns, the reserve, the first prize shearling ram by a Somerset-bred Andy Coombes Mendip tup, topping the Marwood run and the section at 600gns to B&E Thorpe, Clitheroe. Other prize winners made 550gns and 500gns twice Shearling rams averaged £472 and ram lambs £483, while JD Loftus, Singleton, brought a quality run of 20 pure Charollais gimmer lambs which topped at 300 for a pen of five, with others 240gns-plus to average £280.

ZWARTBLE: Section champion was the first prize shearling ram from Matthew Beckwith, Sharphaw flock, Gargrave, with Sharphaw Leo, by Haydan Jupiter and sold for 180gns. Reserve champion was the first prize female from Harry Parsons, Giggleswick. His Newfield Kate, a 2-shear ewe by Top Notch Ferdinand, out of a Bessiebell dam, sold for 310gns section top to TA Broderick & Sons, Denton, Ilkley, with other ewes from the same home away at 250gns-plus. Shearling gimmers sold to a top of 220gns from PI&TJ Harsley, Summerbridge, gimmer lambs from the same home to 120gns. Zwartble shearling rams averaged £189, shearling gimmers £210 and ewe lambs £117. A single pen of 2-shear Hampshire Down from John Craig, Rathmell, sold to highs of 400gns twice.

Alistair Sutcliffe, Carleton-in-Cleveland, judged the Continental, Beltex and Zwartble show classes, Thomas Walmsley, Haverah Park, Texel and Charollais, and Adam Staveley, Cowling, Suffolk. Co-sponsors were Skipton NFU Mutual, Denton Cars, Ineos Grenadier, British Wool Marketing Board and Top Tags Animal ID.