TOTAL clearance was achieved for the huge and much increased entry on the year of 8,188 store lambs on offer at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest fortnightly Wednesday sale.

They sold to an overall average of £58.30 per head, an increase of £3 -£4 each on the 6,357 lambs sold last year. (2019 - Wed, Aug 21)

Short keep lowland lambs were keenly contested all sale long, with Suffolk and Continental crosses making from the mid £60s to early £70s, with the better smart, but smaller Beltex sorts selling from £70 to £80.

Medium keep lambs were generally in the early £60s, with some into the late £50s and long keep lambs in the £50s. Almost 6,000 Suffolk and Continental lambs in the entry levelled at £60.19 each.

There were a few pens of drawn gimmer lambs in the mix, with Chris Ryder, of Blubberhouses, easily the leading performer when selling three quality Texel pens at £107 £106 and £100. The Texel gimmer lamb average was £88.56.

A solid turnout of 2,228 North of England Mule wether lambs saw the best sorts selling from £58 to £65, medium lambs £53 to £57 and smaller long keep types £48-£52. They averaged £54.61.

The annual show for pens of 50 Mule wethers for the S Foster Memorial Trophy was won for the third year in succession by North Craven husband and wife, Michael and Elaine Dugdale, from Close House Farm, Giggleswick,

The Dugdales run Mule, Swaledale and Texel flocks. They are long-standing members of the North of England Mule Sheep Association, custodians of the breed, and their latest Skipton victors, by both home-bred and bought-in tups, went on to achieve top price in class of £65 per head.

Runners-up, Horton-in-Ribblesdale husband and wife, Stuart and Debbie Robinson, sold their pen at £57.50, with the third prize winners from Mark Harrison, of V Verity & Son in West End, making £62.50.

A second annual show for pens of 50 Down-cross lambs for the R Morphet Memorial Trophy fell to brothers Stephen and Stuart Lund, of West Farm, Litton, their charges emulating the Mule red rosette winners when selling away at £65 each.

They were bettered at £69 for the second prize pen from Brearton’s Robert Metcalfe, who also sent out the third prize winners, these making £63.50. The overall Suffolk average was £60.87, with a section high of £73 for a pen from J Bracewell, of Cliviger, Burnley.

A few batches of Cheviot and Cheviot-cross lambs sold to a top of £60, averaging £56.53. Other breed averages were: Beltex £66.55, Texel £59.06, Charollais £53.04.

The show classes were co-judged by Richard Williams and Trevor Pritchard, from Anglesey. Top Tags Animal ID and Laurence Pierce Wool Merchants co-sponsored.