Averages: Shearling rams, £761.81 (2016 £727.68), ram lambs £433.31(£432.29), gimmers £433.63 (£404.96), ewe lambs £363.56 (£241.02).

Contract shearer and Dalesbred hill sheep farmer, Richard Wilson, came up trumps to sell the lead priced ram at the Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders’ show and sale at Skipton, at 4500gns.

His top came for the home-bred shearling ram, Crimple Head You’re the Man from Beckwithshaw, Harrogate. The first crop of shearling rams by the Parkholme Telegram Sam son, Parkholme Van Dyke, bought here two years ago from Graham Taylor, You’re the Man is out of an Arkle Underdog-sired ewe from the Moor Top flock. Fourth in class at the Great Yorkshire, he sold to John Mellin, buying for his 200-ewe Hull House flock from Skipton.

Mr Wilson sold four shearlings to average £1929.

Second top price was 3500gns paid twice for shearling rams from David Towell’s Moor Top flock on Glusburn Moor.

His duo were both sons of the Wigglesworth Spellbound-sired Moor Top Wildfire, with the first, Moortop Yahoo, out of a dam by the 3500gns Moor Top Star, selling to the Brontemoor flock owned by the Priestley family, Kirkambeck, Brampton.

The second, Moor Top Ya Belter, out of a daughter of Moor Top Union Jack, joined Angela Nairey’s Meinspride flock at Luisey, Blackburn.

Steve Richardson’s Stonebridge flock from Mount Pleasant Farm, Great Houghton, near Barnsley, produced the pre-sale champion Stonebridge Ya Belter. Second at both the Lincolnshire and Great Yorkshire Shows, he is by Newbie Mains Winston, a 6000gns tup acquired in 2015 and shared four ways, the champion is out of an ET daughter of Allanfauld Rockafella and sold for 2000gns to NG Bailey, Denton Park, near Ilkley.

Reserve overall was the first prize ram lamb from Peter Woof’s Stainton flock from Storth End, Kendal. A son of the 32,000gns Hexel Wildcard, out of a home-bred daughter of Sportsmans Tremendous 11, made 1500gns selling to TB Moorhouse and Son, of Dacre.

The first prize gimmer and female champion from Jennifer Lodge and her son Luke of the Heyworth Lodge flock from Moseley Grange, Moss, Doncaster, made 1500gns selling to Steve and Janet Symes of the Anglezarke flock in Chorley. Their purchase is by Tophill Union Jack and out of a show ewe by Sportsmans Tremendous 11.

More than financing that transaction, the Symes sold the lead priced ram lamb at 1900gns. This was Anglezarke Appollo, by Tophill Wall Street, out of a Glenside Vavroom-sired dam, purchased by the Keighley family of the Manderlea flock in Wharfedale.

Auctioneers: Craven Auction Marts.