The victor was one of many lambs and additional sale items donated by ever-generous local farming communities, along with other kind-hearted individuals, and the West Yorkshire hospice this year benefited to the tune of £4,121 in total.

The fact that this was on a par with last year’s overall figure proved a superb result when bearing in mind restrictions governing the reduced number of people currently allowed in auction mart sale rings in order to ensure safe distancing. Over the years, the seasonal showcase has raised over £50,000 for Sue Ryder Manorlands.

Chris Ryder, who farms with his wife Christine at Scaife Hall Farm, Blubberhouses, again clinched the title and retained the PFS Shield with a Mule by their home-bred DAWYCK K3 stock tup, which also sired three in the couple’s high priced £205 per head pen of 10 at Skipton’s annual opening NEMSA ewe lamb show and sale in September.

The socially distanced show was judged in pens by Laura Robinson and Jenny Dolphin, who, as well as farming in their own rights, both work on the Skipton Auction Mart site for leading agricultural and rural supplies company, Carrs Billington.

When their chosen champion entered the sale ring, it first sold to John and Pauline Turner, of Draughton – they traditionally open the bidding at the charity sale - for £220. As in past years, the Turners again re-donated the lamb and it sold in turn to Gargrave’s Simon Spensley for £220, then Skipton NFU for £240, the Carrs Billington co-judges at £120, the same price to James Spensley, of Elslack, mart foreman, Andrew Wright, local haulier, Geoff Dunn, of Steeton, also chairman of Skipton Charities Gala Committee - and finally for £100 to regular sheep ring buyer Andrew Atkinson, of Felliscliffe, Harrogate.

Take into account that a Mule wether lamb might make around £90 on a normal market day then the total selling price of £1,150 is even more remarkable.

Back in the show class, all prizes fell to North of England Mules. Standing runners-up were Ellis Bros, of Addingham, Moorside, with the 2020 Skipton Christmas hill lamb champions, Ken and Lynne Throup, of Silsden Moor, finishing third and Nick Houseman, of Lindley, Otley, fourth.

Other generous farmers to donate lambs were WP&B Walker, JK Wilson, JA&JC Throup, J Percival, R Mawson, JW Stockdale, Roy Nelson, P Addyman & Son, JC&N Throup, FG Throup, R Lambert (Mile House), Rob Smith, Ashfield Farms, A&SL Throup, D Gray, BW Appleton and M Ryder & Son.

Cakes and other donated goods peaked at £100 for a fruit cake from Eileen Addyman, of Skipton, purchased by pedigree Beltex sheep aficionado Chris Windle, also from Skipton. Other items/cash were also given by R Baxter, PL Metcalfe, J Lofthouse, S Spensley and Ann Atkinson.

Both Addingham & District Sheepbreeders and CCM Auctions, which again waived its selling commission on all the charity lambs, paid warm tribute to mart customers and others who, they said, again came up trumps by not only donating live lambs and additional goods for sale, but also standing up ringside and purchasing all the many items, and in some cases donating them again to be resold.

Molly Ralphson, Manorlands Community Fundraiser, said: "We have faced unprecedented challenges this year at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice; and it's thanks to our generous supporters that we have been able to continue providing care through it all. Our Sue Ryder doctors, nurses, carers and specialists might be on the frontline during this pandemic, but they couldn’t be there if we didn’t also have the support of people such as the farming community at CCM Auctions. Thank you so much to everyone involved for their generosity - this donation really will help more people to receive the specialist care they need."

Further boost for Northallerton cancer unit

The charity element continued when a further Mule lamb donated by Nidderdale sheep farmer Richard Harker, plus a number of extra items from others, were also auctioned off in support of a campaign by Nidderdale Young Farmers Club president David Brown – both men live and farm in Ramsgill on opposite sides of the valley - who has been out and about dressed as a cheeky elf raising funds on behalf of the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Cancer Unit in Northallerton.

This lamb also sold several times to John Mellin, of Black Lane Ends, on-site security provider Andy Clift, Felliscliffe’s Andrew Atkinson, Tom Walmsley, of Haverah Park, Lincolnshire’s Steve Dorey, CCM auctioneer Kyle Hawksworth and finally to Andrew Atkinson yet again, raising £810 in total.  

Other items were later donated to this cause, including a day’s shooting in Nidderdale, which was bagged by Skipton NFU’s Sam Bradley at £450. The total amount raised on the day came to £1,800, more than doubling the £1,100 that had been realised to date by Mr Brown, whose family sell both cattle and sheep at Skipton.

“It’s brilliant – I just cannot believe it. I can only say thanks a million times to all who supported this worthy cause,” enthused Mr Brown, who has now thankfully recovered from leukemia after receiving life-saving treatment at the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Cancer Unit, hence his fund-raising efforts on their behalf.

The two charity sales formed part of Skipton’s fortnightly midweek sheep fixture, which attracted 2,385 head, including a tidy entry of store lambs, when trade for the year’s final sale was every bit as good as anticipated, with feeders still keen to secure lambs for feeding into the hogg season.

The overall selling average of £71.12 per head was very comparable to previous sales given the increased proportion of hill lambs and many vendors coming forward towards the end of this season’s lambs. Fortnightly sales return in the New Year on Wednesday, January 13.