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07/10/08
Six different sheep breeds vied for individual championship honours at the annual multi-breed shows and sales of 951 pedigree and pure-bred rams and females, as the autumn sheep sales season moved into top gear at Skipton Auction Mart. (Fri, Oct 3)
Chris and Vicky Newsham with their Skipton Suffolk champion.
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In the Texel classes, local breeder John Mellin, of Hull House Farm, Hellifield, added to an ever-growing list of honours when securing the championship with a shearling ram, Hull House Nero, by the Irish sire Castleknow Matchmaker. It sold for 820 guineas to PT Makin, Middlesborough.
John Mellin also had the top price ram lamb at 460 guineas, acquired by Harold Peel, Embsay, who also bought the first prize ram lamb from JD Houghton, Bury, for 320 guineas. Best of the shearling ewes from Angela Nairey, Blackburn, made 300 guineas when sold to John Beckwith & Sons, Gargrave.
This section also produced the joint top price of the day when a Texel-cross ram by Cumbrian exhibitor Thomas Whiteford, of Brampton, sold locally for 1,200 guineas to Andrew Haggas, Otterburn.
The price was equalled in the Blue Faced Leicester section by a two-shear ram from K Fawcett & Son, Barden.
Cecil Hutchinson, of AC & C Hutchinson, Brickyard Farm, Kirkby Wiske, Thirsk, fresh from his title-winning success at Hawes the previous day, followed up at Skipton with a second Blue Faced Leicester championship. His home-bred ram lamb sold for 240 guineas to RE Potter, Kirkby Moorside.
Ram lamb prices peaked at 820 guineas for an entry from John Mason, Oddacres Farm, Embsay, while the shearling ram prices were headed at 700 guineas by JC Walker & Son, Dunsop Bridge, to Andrew Rigby, Slaidburn.
Best of the BFL females was a three-shear ewe from K Fawcett & Son, sold for 400 guineas to A Oldfield, Gisburn.
A debut championship success at Skipton was achieved in the Suffolks section by Chris Newsham and daughter Vicky, of Ribbleside Farm, Walton-le-Dale, Preston, with their home bred-shearling ram, purchased for 500 guineas by C Pickford, Macclesfield.
The second prize shearling ram from Ian Briggs, Guiseley, joined James Foster, Bolton Abbey, for 560 guineas, though top price in class was the 580 guineas paid by John Mellin, Black Lane Ends, for an entry from Geoff Lawn, Skipton.
Mark Evans, of Tower Gate Farm, Steeton, bidding for his fifth consecutive Suffolk title at the fixture, had to be content with reserve championship honours this time around with his Strathisla-sired ram lamb, sold for 420 guineas to P Knowles, Kendal.
Top price in class at 480 guineas fell to the third prize ram lamb from another Steeton Suffolk enthusiast, Graham Fort, Brighton House Farm, selling to a Welsh buyer.
East coast exhibitors were responsible for the Beltex champion, a shearling ram from Thomas and Judith Hunter, of New Town Farm, Hunmanby, Filey. By Brickrow Johnny Boy, a £5,000 Carlisle acquisition, the same sire was also responsible for the Hunters’ top-priced shearling ram at last month’s eighth annual Beltex production show at Skipton.
The victor sold for 360 guineas to M Burnop, Clitheroe. In addition, the Hunter family topped the Beltex prices at 380 guineas with another shearling ram.
The Charollais champion was a home-bred ram lamb from breed stalwart Charles Marwood, of Foulrice Farm, Whenby, York. By Cum Dunrig Edward, top-priced shearling at 1,850 guineas when acquired by Mr Marwood at the NSA ram sale in Builth Wells in 2005, the Skipton title winner was knocked down for 400 guineas to T Robinson & Son, Dunsop Bridge.
The same vendor also sold his second prize ram lamb for 450 guineas to KR Crabtree, Otley, while shearling ram and class prices were headed at 480 guineas by an entry from Mark Worthington, Ramsbottom. The first prize shearling ram from E Mackley, Scarborough, made 300 guineas to Richard Paul, Arncliffe.
There were joint champions from two local breeders in the Zwartbles classes – the first prize ram lamb from association council member Joan Barker, Garris Lodge, Airton, and the first prize female shearling exhibited by Raymond Heigh, Brook House Farm, Bentham.
The latter is by a Stonehouse ram, out of an ewe bred Mrs Barker, who went on to sell her ram lamb for 150 guineas to John Stephenson, Bordley. Section prices peaked at 180 guineas for a shearling ram from JA Bilsborough, Chelford.
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Sheep Trade Buoyant at Skipton
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