Northern Ireland’s Matthew Burleigh, Shanra, Enniskillen, claimed a memorable hat-trick at the Northern Beltex Club’s eighth annual winter show and sale of pedigree in-lamb ewes at Skipton Auction Mart.

At the sale, which achieved a 92.5% clearance rate, the sale leader was the first prize gimmer, Matt’s Dragon Fly, a March, 2018-born twin by the Scooby Doo son, Hackney Wonderboy, a 5000gns acquisition in 2015 and dual winner of both the Balmoral and Irish National shows.

The dam is by the 12,000gns Matt’s Abracadabra. The champion, like Mr Burleigh’s two previous title winners, was sold in-lamb to Hackney Corker, bred by the Paul and Christine Tippetts. Dragon Fly flew to the day’s top call of 1100gns when claimed by the Cornforth family, from Tadcaster.

The same home also had a call of 900gns for another Wonderboy gimmer, the third prize-winning Matt’s Dressed To Kill, out of a Pentland Showman-sired dam. Carrying a single lamb to Ardstewart Angus, she sold locally to Bolton Abbey father and son, Chris and Tom Heseltine. The duo also took home a third Wonderboy-got Matt’s gimmer for 650gns.

The reserve champion came from Mike and Jane Davis, Rathbone, Ravenshaw, Eldroth, and was sold in-lamb for 550gns to David Newhouse, Ghyllstones, Malham. Their Rathbone Dorothy is by the home-bred ram, Rathbone Cristiano, and out of a Woodies Ring A Ding-sired Rathbone ewe. She sold in-lamb to the 3600gns Airyolland Cobalt

The Davis team was prominent in the prize list, also consigning the first and third prize ewe lambs, along with the second and third prize aged ewes.

Among their solid run of females was another gimmer at 550gns. The Y Bedol A-Team daughter, Rathbone Dainty, again in-lamb to Cobalt, also found a new home in the Yorkshire Dales with Mr Newhouse.

The Beltex fixture again ran alongside the annual winter collective sale of continental-sired ewes, sold as individual and small groups, being mainly three-quarters bred and pure-bred sheep suitable for show lamb production.

Frank Joel and Jack Edmondson, Westhouse, led the sale at 500gns with a one-crop Texel Beltex-cross ewe sold carrying twins to a home-bred Ingleborough View ram by the 3000gns Tercrosset Blackmail. It was claimed by Ellis Bros, Addingham Moorside.

The Davis family was again in action with the best of which were in-lamb Dutch Texel shearlings at 480gns and 420gns.

averages: Belt – In-lamb sheep, £413; ewe lambs £233; gimmers, £423.47; aged ewes £320.25. Cont – In-lamb females, £256; ewe lambs, £169.