THE New Year at Skipton Auction Mart launched with a bang on Monday with a very good turnout of 4,318 prime sheep, comprising 3,484 hoggs and 834 cast ewes and rams.

While the former were, as anticipated, less money than seen prior to Christmas they would generally be dearer than was seen during the previous week’s sales, an overall average of 248.8p/kg recorded for everything sold, with an SQQ for comparison at 253.2p/kg. Per head, the overall selling average was £108.74.

The opening monthly prime lambs show, judged by Joe Bosworth, of Rossendale, saw the 2022 Christmas show supreme and reserve supreme champions, Calderdale-based husband and wife, Adrian and Kathryn Leach, of Owlers Farm, Hebden Bridge, return to claim the New Year tile with another smart home-bred 41kg Beltex pen of five making £138 per head.

All were again from the Leach family’s pure Beltex flock and featured a combination of bloodlines from Ainstable, Fouridge-based Anthony Thompson and home-bred ewes.

Two sires were involved in the champion pen – three by Padkin Full Monty acquired last year from Scottish breeder Alistair Padkin and also responsible for the festive victors, the other two by Rathbone Electric, bred locally in North Craven by Mike Davis and family.

The latter ram has certainly made his mark within the flock, leaving some very useful females and also responsible for the best Leach tups at Skipton’s high profile multi-breeds sheep highlight last September, where his sons topped at 1,200gns and averaged over £800 each.

Back in show, standing reserve champions with the second prize Continental pen, 42kg Beltex, were the Heseltine family from Hesketh Farm Park, Bolton Abbey, away at £126 each, though bettered at £138 again for the third prize 43kg pen from Ellis Bros on Addingham Moorside.

A second show class for North of England Mules was won by a 54kg pen from M Ryder & Son in Haverah Park, Harrogate, knocked down at £117.50 per head to regular buyer Andrew Atkinson Livestock in Kettlesing, the 48kg runners-up from Wilson family in Blubberhouses sold for £103 to Kevin Marshall, of nearby Menwith Hill. A standalone class for hill lambs was won by 41kg Lonks from the Greenwood family in Addingham, their charges heading the horned section when making exactly £100 each.

Back in the lump, the best trade of the day was for well-fleshed lightweights and handyweight commercials, together with a good enquiry for overweight types and best-meated heavies. At the top end of the gross prices Mark Walker, of Hartlington, made £151.50, HL Kitching, of Northallerton, £147, Felliscliffe’s Henry Atkinson £146 twice, Tim Robinson, of Longridge, £144, and the Hutchinson family, regular travellers from Faceby, £144 twice for what were all heavier Continental-cross lambs.

By-weight, the best lambs made £3 per kilo-plus to a top of 359p/kg for Beltex from Andrew Atkinson, while some nice skinned handyweights were able to command 280-300p/kg. Mule lambs were generally 225-235p/kg, heavy Mules grossing £115-£120. Horned lambs sold from 180-220p/kg, depending on type and weight.

Among the individual breed averages were Beltex at £121.40 per head, or 293.5p/kg, Texel £109.86, or 251.3p/kg, Suffolk £106.02, or 239.5p/kg, Charolais £102.15, or 239.6p/kg, Blue du Maine £104, or 251.2p/kg, Blue Texel £134, or 252.8p/kg, Badger Texel £107.60, or 265.3p/kg, Mule £103.74, or 224.3p/kg, Lonk £99.45, or 241.6p/kg, Swaledale £72.12, or 192.3p/kg, and Cheviot £111.04, or 240.2p/kg.

While less pure-bred heavies were seen in the market, trade for cull ewes remained strong, the best end selling at £150-£170 for lowland lambs with both weight and frame, joint tops coming from Mark Crabtree, of Kettlesing, and F Reeday & Son in Hetton.

Strong ewes were generally £130-£150, with medium continental ewes £110-£130, leaner goods and ewes weighing less £85-£105 and plain feeding ewes £60-£82. Heavy Mules sold to £107.50, plenty of other pens away at £92-£102, while mediums with less fat made £80-£90 and leaner goods £72-£85, with plain Mule ewes £40-£65. Horned ewes with weight sold in to the mid-£60s, plenty of pens with meat making £50-£62, lean ewes £30-£42 and plain ewes £20-£32 depending on frame.

The overall cull ewe selling average was £98.21, while cast rams averaged £72.78, peaking at £151.50 for both Suffolk and Texel.