Procters Farm again provided the star performers at the Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders’ annual female sale at Skipton, selling the three lead priced lots.

Flock manager Jeff Aiken and his wife Jennifer, who attend to the Lancashire-based unit, led the way with a gimmer by the 100,000gns Sportmans Batman, which sold for 3200gns, to Ben Lowe, who owns the Rue Wood flock from Shrewsbury.

She is bred from a Teiglum Younggun dam and a full sister to the Procters Farm 14,000gns sale topper at the January Gems sale in Ballymena the previous week. She changed hands carrying a single lamb to Llyfni Droog.

Second top price was 2600gns paid for another Batman daughter from the same family as the 46,000gns gimmer sold at last year’s Select Seven sale. Ayrshire-based breeder, David Morrison, Dalwyne, Barr, forked out the cash for entry bred from a Strathbogie Ya Belter dam and again due to Llyfni Droog.

Selling at 1700gns was a gimmer by the 12,000gns Fordafourie Balvennie, again out of a Teiglum Younggun dam. Scanned for twins to the Batman son, Procters Dingo Dollar, she found a new home in Wales with Dyfed Hedd Jones, of Pwllheli. Procters sold five gimmers to average £1953.

Welsh breeder, Myfyr Evans again came up with the goods with ewe lambs from his Rhaeadr flock at Llanrhaeadr selling to 1300gns for a daughter of Brackenridge Crown Royal, out of a Glenside Whiz Kid dam. She sold to Stephen Peel, Harrogate, with the four Rhaeadr ewe lambs averaging £931.88.

At the inaugural Blue Diamonds sale of 15 Blue Texels, the same day, Aberdeenshire breeder, Stuart Wood, Skene, bought one of the two lead priced females at 1100gns.

Selling at this price was the February-born ewe hogg, Pendle Emma from mother and daughter team, Elaine and Issy Hartley, of the Pendle flock in Roughlee, Nelson. Emma is by Sams Cosmos, and out of a Hackney Xcel-sired dam.

The Hartleys also sold the second 1100gns ewe lamb, Pendle Ellin, by a Millside sire, to Cumbrian buyers, Andrew Ivinson, Ousby.

Auctioneers: CCM.

averages: Texels – Gimmers – £718.84; ewe lambs £931.87.