The traditional two-day fixture – females were sold on the Thursday evening, males the following day, with online bidding also available - was further boosted with fast trade for the well fancied types, resulting in sizeable rises on the year in both shearling ram and shearling ewe averages, the former up from £740 to £852 per head, the latter from £363 to £512. 

The 3,000gns top price performer came from Procters Farm and was among an eye-catching pen of eight Tatham Hall shearling rams that all sold at four-figure prices.

The sale leader, the February-born Tatham Hall Calypso, by the Forkins Viagra son, Thrunton Younique, out of a dam by Strathbogie Ya Belter, found a new home in Wharfedale when joining father and son, David and Adam Ryder, of Lindley Hall Farm, Lindley, near Otley, who will use the ram for commercial breeding on their flock of 25 to 30 pure Texel ewes.

Procters Farm also achieved 2,000gns with two further February-born shearling rams, one another Younique son, Tatham Hall Chieftain, out of a Clydeside Oscar-sired dam, the other Tatham Hall Carling, by Smithy Ben, out of a Scrogtonhead U Stoater dam. Another two shearling rams from the same home, both again by the 9,000gns Younique, made 1,800gns and 1,600gns.

The flock, based at Moss House Farm, Wennington, close to the Lancashire-Yorkshire border, and managed by Jeff Aiken and his wife Jennifer, is no stranger success at the annual breed highlight, standing supreme champion last year with a ram lamb that also claimed 2,500gns top price. 

Jenny Aiken, who also runs her own Coniston flock, claimed 1,600gns with her shearling ram, Coniston Casino Royale, yet another Younique son, out of a dam by Whitehart Woody. The buyer was Simon Poulter, from Summerbridge.

Mrs Aiken also headed the ram lamb prices at 1,400gns with her February-born Coniston Delboy, by  the 70,000gnsTeiglum Young Gun, out of a ewe by the 8,000gns Procters Vagabond. It fell locally to Silsden Moor’s Simon Bennett.

A further four shearling rams each sold at 1,500gns, among them a brace from David’s Pawson’s Yellow Hill flock in Blackburn by two different tups – Halbeath YMCA and Loosebeare Yardstick – another from Geoff Riby’s Stonehill flock in Fraisthorpe, Bridlington, this by Crailloch Agassi, the fourth a Pant Wolf son from Ben Marsden’s Liley flock in Penistone, South Yorkshire.

In total, 136 of the 160 shearlings rams entered found new homes, of which 43 sold at four-figure prices, highlighting the premium quality again available at the annual fixture for both pedigree or other use.

Also worthy of note was the fact that a further 37 rams sold from 250gns to 500gns. “This clearly demonstrated the availability of rams to suit all uses and budgets, and buyers for everything at the club sale,” commented CCM Skipton’s sales manager Ted Ogden.

Of the ram lambs, commercial types found the going tougher than in recent years, which resulted in a slightly reduced section average of £384, compared to the previous year’s £388. However, 75 of the 113-strong entry were sold, with a few real breeders’ types hitting four figures.

One at 1,200gns was a New View Buster son consigned by local breeders John and Alison North, who run the Loxley flock in Giggleswick, while another at 1,100gns came from the Nesbitt family’s Alwent flock in Winston, Co. Durham, this a son of Strathbogie Yes Sir.

Females sold to almost 100% clearance, with just two of the 80 on parade retuning home. Top call of 1,400gns fell to Angela Nairey’s Meinspride flock, based at Bank Hey Farm, Liusey, near Blackburn, with a March-born shearling ewe by the home-bred Meinspride Wolf, himself by the 6,000gns Glenway Universe, out of a daughter of Brijon Vivaldi. 

The leading price female found a new home in the West Midlands with relatively new Texel breeders, Adam and Jessica Neachell, who established their Cromwell pedigree flock in Aldridge, near Walsall, last year. They have since been carefully expanding it with some well-bred acquisitions and it now comprises 25 breeding ewes.

The Neachells also went to 1,100gns to claim the second top price female, a February-born shearling ewe from the Teward family’s New View flock in Staindrop, Darlington. She is by the Ettrick Yom Hippur son, Teiglum Braveheart, out of a Knock Uragi-sired ewe.

A trio of shearling ewes also sold well at 900gns, among them the first into the sale ring and again from the Tewards, this also out of a Knock Uragi ewe by the renowned Sportsmans Tremendous 11. 

Jennifer Lodge, of the Heyworth Lodge flock in Moss, Doncaster, and David Houghton, who runs the Tophill flock in Bury, also sold shearling ewes at 900gns, the former by Milnbank AK Magic, out of a Haddo Vettel dam, the latter by Millar’s Aero Dynamic, out of a Claybury Yosemite ewe.