Despite future uncertainties in the industry surrounding Brexit, the first opening sale of store lambs at Skipton not only saw averages up £3 per head on the year for more sold, but also a total clearance of the 4258 head forward.
The event, which had 900 more forward compared to the same sale last year, saw averages balance at £61.76, with Beltex-sired lambs commanding the lead at £68.76.
Top price was £79 per head paid for Suffolk cross lambs from the Malham partnership of Messrs Swinbank and Briggs.
However, it was a pen of 40 Beltex cross lambs from father and son team, Chris and Tom Heseltine, of JGE Heseltine, Hesketh House, Bolton, that secured the lead award for the second year in succession at the pre-sale show.
Their pen, all by home-bred rams, realised £76 per head to Thomas Walmsley, of Haverah Park, Harrogate.
The Heseltines’ consignment of 118 lambs cashed in at £71.13.
The second prize pen, 50 Texel crosses from Bolton Abbey’s Roland Carr, sold at £70 per head, with the third prize 40-strong Texel cross pen from Adrian Leach, of Hebden Bridge, making £67.40 each.
Individual breed averages, which all showed an improvement on the same sale last year, saw Beltex cross lambs level at £68.76, Texels at £61.54, Suffolks £62.14, Hampshires £59.53, Charollais at £58.16 with Mules averaging £53.11.

Auctioneers: CCM Auctions