The Boden family of the Sportsman's flock, Cheshire, produced the lead priced lot at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual show and sale of pedigree Suffolk females when selling a gimmer for 3000gns.

The family sold a pen of four gimmers by the 2022 Suffolk Sheep Society sire of the year, Salopian Solid Gold, which was purchased in 2021 for a breed record price of 200,000gns. With the top priced lot being bred from a Birness Muzza-sired Ballynacannon dam. She sold carrying three lambs to the 52,000gns Lakeview 1Up to Martin Sharp, of JM and EL Sharp in Giggleswick.

The reserve champion from the same home made 2500gns when the hammer fell to Rachael Cook, of Ingleby Suffolks. Out of a Stockton dam, with a full brother already having made 30,000gns, the gimmer sold carrying a single lamb.

The other two gimmers in the Sportsman's pen both made 2000gns, the first, out of a home-bred Strathbogie A Kind Of Magic dam, which sold to the Holgate family in Rathmell, North Craven.

Helen Wareing, of Kirkby-in-Furness, purchased the latter lot.

Stephen Bolland, who runs the Wharfe flock at The Arches in Bolton Abbey, was on the mark again when consigning the first prize ewe lamb which went on to make 2500gns.

This January-born lamb is by Solwaybank Cracker and Out of a Wharfe Dam by Rhaeadr Rolex. The final bidders were Holgate family in Rathmell, North Craven.

The third prized gimmer then realised 2000gns when the hammer fell to Martin Sharp, Giggleswick. By the same sire, she is out of a home-bred Strathbogie Supershot-sired dam and is scanned carrying twins to Bridgeview Maximus.

The same buyer went to 2000gns for another gimmer from the same home this one by Solwaybank Kenzo, out of another Supershot-got dam, who also sold in-lamb to Maximus.

Aberdeenshire breeder, John Gibb, who runs the Cairnton flock, Techmuiry, Fraserburgh, produced the pre-sale champion in the form of a Moorsley gimmer, which was tapped out by the judge, Andrea Smith, Stanworth Suffolks at Withnell, Chorley, who backed her decision and bought this girl for 1800gns. She was purchased last year at a Society sale from Katie Brannen, Temple Sowerby, Penrith, being out of an Irish-bred Willie Tait Burnview dam, the victor was sold carrying a single lamb to Bridgeview Balvenie, reserve UK sire of the year in 2022, who himself sired the home-bred 75,000gns Cairnton Chaos, a Scottish record for a Suffolk ram lamb.

Jimmy Douglas, Cairness, sold the first prized ewe lamb for 1200gns to Holgate family in Rathmell. A Cairnton Bullseye daughter she is scanned carrying twins to Balvenie.

Auctioneers: CCM auctions.