On what was the third seasonal turnout of NEMSA lambs following the two high profile shows last month, Robert Crisp, of Nelson House, Calton, repeated his 2015 success when again presenting the first prize pen of ten Mule gimmers, home-bred by a selection of tups from long-time provider, Nidderdale’s Dick Burley, and Ellis Bros, of Addingham Moorside.

They sold at £145 per head to North of England Mule aficionado Ross Sizmur, from Okehampton in Devon, who also bought the title winners at last month’s opening NEMSA sale on what was his first visit to Skipton.

Mr Crisp was also responsible for the third prize pen, these joining M Ridsdale in Penrith for £132 each. The same vendor sold further pens at £122 and £110. John, Gill and James Huck, of Hubberholme, presented the second prize £124 per head pen. Show judge was Michael Barker, of Halton, Lancaster.

Quite a few better lots on the day made it in to three figures and among a decent company of buyers were several attending the sale for the first time. The better end of Mule lambs was easily traded, as too was anything with plenty of size, though smaller lambs, especially the lighter headed types or poor skinned ones, were less money than some would have anticipated, showing that buyers were willing to pay for the better types.

Generally, the lambs at this sale were marginally smaller than 2015 and consequently showed a small fall in the selling average on the year, with the total entry of 5,196 Mule gimmer lambs averaging £81.26 per head. The 3,203 NEMSA lambs among the mix averaged £81.77 (-£2.46 on 2015), while 1,614 lambs consigned by non-members averaged £79.34 (-£3.16)

In the Swaledale show ring, John Tennant, of Low Bucker House Farm, Bordley, assisted by his 25-year-old daughter Rose, won the Craven Cattle Marts Trophy for the champion pen of ten gimmer lambs.

Moorland-reared, they featured daughters of rams bred by Raymond and Alison Calvert at Hoggarths, Patrick and Kirsty Sowerby in Stainmore, and S&P Brogden, from Helbeck, before going on to top both section and overall prices on the day when selling for £155 per head to Angus Dean, of Threshfield, so confirming the choice of co-judges, brothers Frank and Jack Kitching, who also hail from Threshfield.

An increased entry of Swaledale lambs met a good trade, with 21 pens selling in excess of £100 per head, indicating the growing importance of this fixture in the Swaledale calendar. They sold to an overall average up £1.85 per head on the year at £79.16, with the leading runs receiving considerable interest from buyers, buoyed up by the season’s strong demand for Mule ewe lambs and Swaledale draft ewes.

There was a hat-trick of show successes for Yorkshire Dales farmers when Richard and Matthew Close, of Calfhalls Farm, Starbotton, repeated last year’s win with their pen of ten Dales Mules, similarly bred by a mix of Tan House Blue Faced Leicester and home-bred rams

“We are running four Tan House tups and they are doing very well for us,” said Richard Close, who retained the Josephine Bartlett Memorial Trophy, donated by her family in memory of the late local magistrate from Kettlewell. It was presented this year by her grandson Arran Wright, of Skipton.

The class victors sold for a joint top of £120 per head to Giggleswick’s John and Jean Bradley, a price equalled by the third prize pen from Kevin Willson, of Blubberhouses, These were bought by CG Cook, of Adel, Leeds. Close behind at £118 each were the second prize winners from the Verity family in Middlesmoor, Nidderdale.

Dales Mules averaged £85.13 per head overall. Craven Cattle Marts’ Ted Ogden noted: “There was a great entry this year, complemented by sharper trade. This new cross is becoming more popular year on year and worthy of buyers’ attention.”

The Masham gimmers show class, again sponsored by Masham Sheep Breeders’ Association – it was their final sale of the season - was won by a strong pen of ten lambs from Allan and Susan Throup, of Higher House Farm, Silsden, all by the family’s own pedigree Teeswater tups.

Allan’s father, the late Kenneth Throup, first started showing and selling Masham ewes at Skipton way back in 1939 and the family has maintained that tradition ever since.

Judged by Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders Association treasurer Mark Elliott, of Ferrensby – he also adjudicated in the Dales Mule show - the Masham frontrunners, recipients of the Kemp Spokes Trophy, sold for £95 each to Lincoln’s ME&MB Crowder.

Standing second in class and achieving top price of £97 per head were RW&MJ Wallis & Sons, of Maske, with a pen of very good skinned lambs, which sold to Gloucestershire’s Mike Credland. The Verity family, who had won the show class for the previous eight years, finished third at the latest renewal with their £89 pen.

The182 Masham lambs forward sold to an overall average of £85.90 per head (+£4.30 on 2015).
 
The show was sponsored by McClarrons and W Jameson & Son, represented by sales manager David Lewis.