The day’s proceedings opened with sharp trade in the geld gimmer hoggs sale, when Welsh vendors Hywell and Enfys Williams, who had travelled up from Llanddeusant in Carmarthenshire, produced the best of the Continentals on price, a pen of four Texel sold for £162 per head.

The Williams family also provided one of the day’s highlights when kindly donating a Texel ewe and her lamb for sale in aid of NHS Charities. It realised £500 in total, first falling for £300 to a familiar face at Skipton, Darley’s Kevin Marshall, who donated it for resale, then further demonstrated his generosity by purchasing it again for an additional £200.

Geld Texel hoggs sold to an overall average of £112, bettered at £115 per head by the North of England Mule geld hogg average, which was nicely in front of expectations, these selling to a high of £152 each for a brace from Richard Umpleby, of Killinghall. As usual, many Mules had been acquired at one the official NEMSA sales at Skipton last autumn.

Next up were hoggs and lambs, which met a very fast selling trade, Texels with single lambs finding keen favour and selling to a top of £260 per outfit for a pen of six with six Beltex lambs from Skipton brothers John and George Stapleton, of High Skibeden Farm.

The Stapletons had claimed first prize in the Continental show class at the annual highlight the previous two years, but were unable to go for what would have proved a memorable hat-trick at the latest renewal with all shows currently suspended due to Covid-19. Interestingly, however, their 2019 red rosette winners sold for £230 per outfit, indicating the solid trade achieved this year, despite continuing restrictions.

Of the remaining Texels with singles at foot, those with good Beltex lambs made £215-plus per outfit, other nice sorts selling from £185 to £210.

Mule hoggs and lambs were equally well sought after, nice sorts hitting £170/£180 and the best end making £190 to £200, with Saddle End Farms in Chipping leading the way at £208 per outfit for a pen of five plus five. Texel hoggs with singles lambs averaged £209 and Mules with singles £183, both showing a nice rise on the year.

Ewes and lambs followed in the same vein, as ever this section of the sale seeing young outfits to include in flocks in good demand. Of the young Texel ewes with twins, one outfit from Thomas Panter, of Hellifield, topped the section at £235, Andrew Throup, of Marchup, also doing well with a further three pens at £230. Other better outfits were able to achieve similar prices, while shearlings with singles sold to £170.

For the first time, the weekly sale was live streamed via a video camera in the sale ring and although all vendors still have to “drop and go,” they are now able to watch their stock sold remotely via the newly introduced live online auctions link at www.ccmauctions.com This is a valuable bolt-on facility that is likely to prove increasingly popular.