| 2016-08-05 |    |
Robert Fielden Leads the Field at Prime Lamb Show
Robert Fielden, of Speke Edge Farm, Todmorden, consigned his first seasonal draw of prime lambs at Skipton Auction Mart’s opening August sale and met with immediate success when his Continental-cross show pen secured the monthly championship. (Mon, Aug 1)
Mr Fielden, who continues to farm with his 95-year-old father Frank, took top billing with a pen of five 39kg Beltex-cross lambs, all home-bred by rams purchased at Skipton’s main Beltex Sheep Society annual sale staged each September.
Robert Fielden, right, with his champion prime lambs at Skipton, assisted by show judge James Dewhirst.
They progressed to head both the day’s gross and by-weight prices when selling at £112 per head, or 287.2p/kg, to regular buyers Vivers Scotlamb in Annan, Dumfries and Galloway.
Geoff and Margaret Lawn, of Skipton, were close behind on price with their first prize pen of 47kg Suffolk-cross lambs, which joined Swaledale Foods in Skipton at £111, or 236.2p/kg.
Robert Capstick, of Yew Tree Farm, Bolton-by-Bowland, presented the second prize Continental-cross and reserve champion pen of 41kg Beltex-cross lambs, which made £103 each on joining Andrew Atkinson, of Felliscliffe, buying on behalf of Hartshead Meats in Mossley, Ashton-under-Lyne.
The first prize pen of 43kg Mule lambs from Joe and Nancy Throup in Draughton headed the class prices at £72.50 each when falling to Welsh wholesaler St Merryn Foods.
Also catching the eye was local vendor John Turner, of Ellenber, who saw three of his Texel-cross pens reach £103 each, while, from further afield, Ian Marsden, of Hoylandswaine in South Yorkshire, topped the Charollais prices with a £102.50 per head pen.
A lower turnout of prime lambs nationally was also reflected at Skipton. The 3,037 head on offer featured more heavier lambs than the previous week, with buyers paying particular to the weights on offer. The better end of the heavies resulted in a swifter trade and saw 45kg -52kg lambs average 190.58p/kg, with the overall average 4p up on the week at 188.22p/kg, or £77.67 per head.
Mule wethers again met a strong trade, with the overall average of £70.11 per head almost £5 up on the week. Geoff and Margaret Lawn again topped with a £81 per head pen, with plenty of pens of Mules well past the £70 mark.
Also among the mix were almost 400 cast sheep. Cull ewes sold to an overall average of £52.88 per head, peaking at £127.50 each for a Texel offering from Hellifield’s William Watson. Cast rams prices showed an increase on the week to average £61.57, with a high of £95.50 for another Texel from T&J Smith, of Lothersdale.
