By Robin Moule

RIBBLE Valley father and son, Richard and Mark Ireland, Heys Farm, Whalley, are currently firing on all cylinders with their top-notch prime lambs, when, and for the second consecutive month, consigning both the champion and reserve champion pens of five at CCM Skipton Auction Mart’s October show and sale. (Mon, Oct 7)

They again clinched leading honours with lambs by home-bred Shamrock Beltex rams themselves sired by the prolific Scottish-bred Clary Fantastic. The 43kg victors, out of Texel-cross ewes, sold at £172 per head, the 47kg reserves, out of Rouge-cross-Texel ewes, at £160 to Halifax wholesalers J&E Medcalf.

The third prize 47kg Beltex pen from George Sunderland, Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge, also made £175 when claimed by show judge Nick Dalby, Hartwith, while a standalone show class for Suffolk lambs was won by Alan and Emily, Middleton, Beamsley, these falling to weekly sheep buyer Andrew Atkinson, Felliscliffe.

The horned show class was won by a 38kg Dalesbred pen from Nidderdales’s Keith Verity, Lofthouse, selling at £97 each and again to the Calderdale Medcalfs.

The peak sale season at CCM continues. The third seasonal sale of gimmer lambs, which attracted an increased entry of 3105 head, featured four show classes, while the annual show and sale for in-lamb Charollais females, supplemented by a standalone ‘Autumn Charms’ sale, again proved popular.

In the cattle ring, Skipton’s Autumn pedigree event included a special show and sale of pedigree beef breeding cattle, along with shows for 2023 and 2023-born suckled bull, steer and heifer calves, while the latest fortnightly Craven Dairy Auction show and sale was supplemented by the annual autumn coloured breeds highlight.

In addition, the ‘live’ Autumn sale of working sheepdogs attracted a catalogue entry of 39, comprising 26 fully-broken field-run dogs and 13 in the unbroken pen. Full reports on all with appear on upcoming Herald farming pages, and online.