Breeding Sheep (1,065 Head) Another good strong entry of 1,065 head comprising 430 Sheep with 625 Lambs at foot and 5 Geld Hoggs. A bit of a two tier system this week, older sheep good to sell, especially those with strong lambs, but younger sheep and hoggs with lambs at foot were harder to cash than recent weeks. As usual please let us have entries by 12noon on Friday for inclusion in the weekly online catalogue.

Skipton’s Stapleton leads the pack in annual breeding sheep show and sale Skipton Auction Mart was bustling on the May Day bank holiday once again with the annual sale of breeding sheep added to the mix. There was a strong turnout of 2,209 hoggs and lambs and geld gimmer hoggs, slightly down on the previous year’s record entry. Skipton’s John Stapleton was again leader of the pack as in previous years, taking first prize with a pen of 10 Continental geld gimmer hoggs and first and second prize for two pens of Continental hoggs and lambs.

Breeding Sheep (2,209 Head) Incorporated into today’s sale was the Annual Show & Sale of Geld Gimmer Hoggs and Hoggs with Lambs at foot attracting a total entry of 2,209 head comprising 569 Geld Hoggs and 728 Sheep with 912 Lambs at foot. Buyers were a little more cautious than of late, but still the strong outfits of Mule and Continental Hoggs with lambs at foot were good to sell, John Stapletons homebred Texel Hoggs with Beltex lambs at £290 were the sale leaders and his run created an enormous amount of interest. David Coates’s champion pen of Mule Hoggs led that section at £255 per outfits whilst Robert Johnson had a run of 150 Mule Hoggs with lambs and they sold away to a top of £240 per outfit. Several good runs of hoggs with lambs already entered for next weeks sale which will be at the usual time of 11:30am in The Lingfield Sale ring. Please let us have entries by 12noon on Friday for inclusion in the weekly online catalogue.

Breeding Sheep (1,024 Head) There were 383 Sheep with 641 lambs at foot forward for today’s weekly sale. Trade was decent given the recent realignment in the prime sheep prices and again young sheep were keenly sought as has been the case for much of this season as customers look to find replacements to be put into flocks this spring.

244 Breeding & Store Sheep and Goats Today we held a special additional sale of Sheep with Lambs at foot in conjunction with the Monthly Sale of Stirks and weaned calves. The star turn was the dispersal sale of The Brimar Flock of Registered Zwartbles Sheep held of behalf of Mrs Margaret Watkinson. The sale ring was packed to capacity with friends and breeders who came from far and wide to support the sale.

Breeding Sheep (442 Head) There were 162 Sheep with 280 lambs at foot forward for today’s weekly sale. Trade was a bit stronger today with grass starting to appear and more customers now starting to look for sheep. Please let us have entries by 12noon on Fridays for inclusion in the online catalogue for prospective customers to see what is entered. Thankyou.

Breeding Sheep (362 Head) There were 135 Sheep with 227 lambs at foot forward for today’s weekly sale. A useful entry drew a huge bank holiday crowd of buyers and young sheep were again extremely well bid for and many more could have been sold. Average this week of £71.74 per life or £192.37 per outfit. Please let us have entries by 12noon on Fridays for inclusion in the online catalogue for prospective customers to see what is entered. Thankyou.

Thomas Boothman again dominates Skipton ewes with lambs opener Linton’s Thomas Boothman was again the standout performer at Skipton Auction Mart’s opening early Spring show of ewes with lambs at foot, landing the championship for the second year in succession, also adding the reserve championship to his tally this year. (Mon, March 30) Mr Boothman, of Linton Hall Farm, secured principal honours with two pens from his annual consignment of 72 outfits of Texel and Continental-cross ewes and shearlings, all with twin Beltex lambs.

Breeding Sheep (591 Head) There were 216 Sheep with 375 lambs at foot forward for today’s weekly sale. Young sheep with strong lambs were again keenly bid for, £230 to £250 not an uncommon price. The top price on the day was £265 per outfit, achieved on three different occasions, twice by Thomas Boothman, Linton who sold a run of 72 Texel Shearlings and Young Ewes with twin Beltex, and Andrew Bailey, Eldroth sold Mule Shearlings with twins to the same amount. Older sheep with strong lambs were again good to sell, whilst those with younger lambs were a much better trade than last week.

Breeding Sheep (221 Head) A larger show of Ewes with Lambs at foot sold away nicely. Anything with strong lambs were very much in favour, a few pens of ewes with younger sold to a mixed trade offering buyers a little more value for money.

135 Ewes and Lambs at Foot An Increased entry for the weekly sale attracted a large crowd of buyers to compete for a very nice entry. Sheep with strong lambs was the order of the day with the equivalent of £65-£75 for twins and £80-£95 per life for single. Commercial types of sheep with singles £65-£75 Per Life and twins £50-£60 Per Life. Average for the whole sale was £173.42 per family (£68.82) per life.

Fortnightly Sale of Store Lambs and Inlamb Ewes. Forward: 1,065 Head - Comp 730 Store Lambs (av £60.55), 334 Inlamb Ewes (av £120.31). Numbers of store lambs were still good for the time of year and a sharp trade as well with probably a better selection of lowland lambs than at the previous sale and with a lower percentage of Horned lambs this helped to push the overall average above £60. A nice entry of in lamb breeding ewes were mainly made up of a dispersal held on behalf of FE Coy & Son of Rotherham. These sheep were in fine fettle and created a great amount of interest locally and from further afield.

CCM Auctions held their Mid Winter Sale of Blue Faced Leicester Females at Skipton on Wednesday. The Smearsett flock of The Booth Family of Old Hall Farm, Feizor were awarded the champion sheep prize by todays judge, Mr Thomas Walker of Appletreewick. The prize award was won by the first gimmer hogg out of their pen, sired by Gragareth E1 from David Lawson, and out of a ewe family containing a £12,000 ram sold to Marriforth, it found a new home at £500 in Ayrshire with Hugh Mongomerie. The same buyer also snapped up the highest priced sheep on the day, on this occasion from John Mason, Oddacres. A gimmer hogg by his John Park sire it sold for £580. Messrs Booth also made £500 of the third prize ewe, sired by Shafthill C1 and sold carrying triplets to a Mereoak lamb purchased in Hawes last Autumn, it sold to Kevin Wilson of Blubberhouses. Overall there was an 80% clearance rate.

Forward: 6,517 Head – 5,072 Store Lambs & 1,445 Breeding Sheep Next Sale is Wednesday 26th November – Entry of 6,000 expected. Entries close Monday 17th November Plenty of late Autumn grass and a timely lift in prime sheep prices together with a large company of southern based buyers helped to raise store sheep trade by some £3 to £5 per head today, when good entry ofover 6000 sheep were forward for the early November sale of Store & Breeding Sheep.

CCM Auctions conducted their end of season breeding sheep sale on Tuesday at Skipton Mart. A tidy entry of sheep saw breeding ewes sell to a total clearance whilst the ram sale was well attended but buyers were selective for the quality. Next sale of all classes of Breeding Sheep is on Wednesday 13th November. Entries by Monday 4th November