Opening Skipton store lamb sale averages £89.28

The event, again traditionally staged on the second day of the Great Yorkshire Show, attracted lambs similar in size on the year, though in the main looking fresher and fuller than the first sale last year, with overall averages rising £4.64 on 2022 levels.

Andrew Haggas of Grove Farm, Otterburn, won the championship for the best pen of 40 or more lambs, with Beltex crosses. All twin-born entries, with the best being sired by a Wannop's ram bought at Skipton in 2021, the pen of 20 sold for the lead price of £126 per head to Tim Jackson, Grimsargh.

Judge David Breaks, Slaidburn, found his second prize pen in Beltex crosses from Michael and Elaine Dugdale, Giggleswick, which went on to sell for £108, while Knaresborough’s Stephen Robinson, secured third with an entry of 48 Suffolk crosses that made £90.

Ian Brown, Marske, sold Beltex pens at £120, £110 and £108, while similarly bred pens from local father and son, Chris and Tom Heseltine, Hesketh Farm Park, Bolton Abbey, sold at £120 and £114. The best pens of Beltex and three-quarter-bred lambs regularly sold at £108-£120, with medium Beltex lambs away £89-£105. The overall Beltex average was £113.12.

Texel cross lambs from Michael and Carol McKenzie, Arncliffe, sold to £118 – the top price for the breed followed by another pen of 40 at £112 and another at £98.50. Strong first cross Texels lambs regularly achieved £90-£100, with those with weight doing better at £100-£112. Good framed fresh Texel cross lambs made £82-£90, with younger lambs £70-£80, and a few at £60-£70. The overall Texel average was £87.83.

Suffolk lambs averaged £86.94, having sold to £104.50 for a pen of 40 from Michael Parker, Winterburn. The Strongest Suffolks were £90+, while fresh Suffolk lambs with frame could make £80-£88. A few pens of younger lambs sold at £71-£78.

The first North of England Mule lambs peaked at £77.50 for a pen of 35 wedders from Mick Crawshaw, Trawden.