| 2016-07-18 |    |
Numbers and Prices Rise at Skipton Store Lamb Opener
Skipton Auction Mart’s high-profile opening sale of store lambs attracted a much increased entry of 4,258 head, over 900 more than the previous year, and total clearance was achieved at an overall average selling price of £61.76 per head, up £3 on 2015. (Wed, July 13)
The fixture, which marks the onset of Skipton’s big sheep sale season, also remains the first major store lamb sale in the north and it again created widespread interest, with all eyes on opening trade.
Tom Heseltine, centre, joined by judge Stephen Maskill, right, and a mart stockman helper, are pictured with the first prize pen of store lambs at Skipton’s big opening show and sale.
Father and son Chris and Tom Heseltine, of JGE Heseltine, based at Hesketh House, Bolton Abbey, consigned the first prize pen of 40 or more store lambs for the second year in succession and have now notched up a hat-trick of red rosette wins at the annual fixture in recent years.
Their latest show-topping Beltex-cross pen, exactly 40 in total, were all by home-bred rams and sold for a solid £76 per head, to Thomas Walmsley, of Haverah Park, Harrogate.
The show judge, Hebden Bridge butcher Stephen Maskill, said there were some good lambs about, with around half a dozen pens of a similar standard among his shortlist for prizes. He based his final judgement on consistency, describing his winning pen as “well-drawn lambs ideal for the modern market.”
The Heseltines’ 118-strong store lamb consignment averaged £71.13 per head overall, the best of the day.
The family, who also run the ever-popular visitor attraction, Hesketh Farm Park, have this year lambed 1,100 sheep, producing around 1,000 Beltex-cross, 800 Texel-cross and 300 Mule lambs. As usual, all will be sold through Skipton.
The second prize show pen, 50 Texel-cross from Bolton Abbey’s Roland Carr, sold at £70 per head, with the third prize 40-strong Texel-cross pen from Adrian Leach, of Hebden Bridge, making £67.40 each.
The day’s top call of £79 per head fell to a Suffolk-cross entry from Malham partnership Swinbank & Briggs. Overall individual breed averages, which all showed an improvement in price on 2015, were: Beltex, £68.76, Texel £61.54, Suffolk £62.14, Hampshire £59.53, Charollais £58.16 and Mule £53.11
Animal ID firm Top Tags again sponsored and will also co-sponsor with Laurence Pierce Wool Merchants at Skipton’s second major seasonal store lamb sale on Wednesday, July 27, when an entry of 6,000 to 7,000 lambs is expected.
The day also features the annual show for pens of 50 Down-cross lambs, when Robert Meatcalfe, of Brearton, north of Harrogate, will be bidding to land his third successive red rosette. Also on the agenda is a special sale of breeding ewes and rams suitable for early tupping.
