Mr Wilson, of Hewness House Farm, clinched leading honours with lambs mostly sired by his highly regarded Harland F1 Bighead tup, with three of his sons siring the remainder. The victors went on to head the prices in both sections, with the tens making £200 per head and the 20s £145 each. The respective buyers were Fox Farms in Clitheroe and Tom Walmsley, of D&A Livestock in Haverah Park, Harrogate, who co-judged the 20s.

All prize-winning pens in both show classes sold well into three figures, with the second prize pen of tens from the Kitching family in Threshfield making £165 per head and the third prize winners from Joe and Nancy Throup, of Draughton, £152.

The Kitchings - brothers Charles and Richard, and sons, Frank and Jack - of Grisedale Farm, were also on the ball in the 20s section, picking up both second and third prizes, their pens selling at £115 and £142 respectively.

Outside the prizes, Nidderdale’s J&K Harker, of Lofthouse, caught the eye with a ten-strong pen at £185, second top price of the day, with Ken and Lynne Throup, of Silsden Moor, chipping in with a pen at £155, along with a brace of £150 pens from two well-known Walker farming families based in Dunsop Bridge and Appletreewick.

The second NEMSA fixture attracted another solid turnout of 8,887 head, which sold to an overall average of £91.92 per head, a fall of £3.12 on last year’s corresponding sale, though there were more lambs forward this year.

Skipton’s livestock sales manager Ted Ogden noted: “Trade set off at a fair pace, with some very good runs of lambs selling well, especially top pens and sharp shearling makers, plus anything with a good skin and a bit of colour.

“There was a definite trend from the buyers, who were keen to source darker headed lambs and, as a result, some smaller and younger light headed lambs were harder to place. Sheep in general were also a shade smaller on the year.”

Craven Cattle Marts again presented special prizes for the highest flock averages. Of those presenting 100 or more lambs, Robert Crisp, of Calton, was top of the flocks with 125 lambs at £113.18, with Kevin Wilson next best with 149 at £109.42 and John Lancaster, of Bordley, selling 170 at £105.15.

Topping the averages for consignees of less than 100 lambs were Stephen Fawcett, of Barden, with 31 at £113.36, followed by the Walkers of Appletreewick – Patrick and Janet, and their son Thomas – with 95 at £109.75, then Stephen and Tracey Fawcett, and their daughter Samantha, from Drebley, with 48 at £107.92.
 
The J Marsden Perpetual Trophy was awarded to the winners of the tens show class and the WCF Perpetual Trophy to the victorious 20s. Judges in the tens were Andrew Brammall, of Hathersage, and James Towler, of Grindleton, with the other co-judge in the 20s James Goulding, of Castley.

Show sponsors – full results and prices are at www.ccmauctions.com - were Pearson Farm Supplies, Armstrong Watson Accountants & Financial Advisers, and Barclays Bank.

Skipton’s third annual open seasonal show and sale of North of England Mule gimmer lambs takes place on Tuesday, October 3. Another busy sales day also features fixtures for Mule, Dales Mule, Swaledale and Masham lambs, the last on behalf of Masham Sheep Breeders Association.