Lambs were a better trade than anticipated, with an overall average of 214p/kg looking a nice result on the day. Commercial lambs with a bit more weight on board were keenly contested and would be 10p/kg dearer than the lighter commercial lambs (37kg-39kg).

Better lambs generally sold from 230-250p/kg, with the top price per kilo at 263.4p/kg for a pen of Beltex from Henry Atkinson, of Felliscliffe.

Father and son Joe and Trevor Stoney, of Pateley Bridge, reached the top price per head, of £118 with a pen of Texels sold to Countrystyle Meats Farm Shop in Lancaster, while Ellis Bros, of Addingham Moorside, sold another Beltex pen for £113.50 per head.

Other notable prices were 263.1p/kg for Texels from Rob Paisley, of Ilkley. Third prize in the Continental class was taken by D&A Livestock, of Haverah Park, their lambs selling for £90 a head to Vivers Scotlamb in Annan. The same vendors also came third in the Down-cross class, selling their lambs for £94.50 to Paul Watson, of Hellifield.

Mark Evans, of Steeton, took first and second prize in the Down-cross show class with two pens of Suffolks, selling the first prize winners to Skipton-based Swaledale Foods for £109 per head and the second prize pen to Keelham Farm Shop for £106 each. GR&SM Wearmouth reached top price per head for Suffolks, selling for £110 per head.

Joe and Nancy Throup, of Draughton, won first prize in the Mule show class, selling a pen of 39kg lambs for £78 apiece to Paul Watson. Mules averaged £77.64 per head, or 180.91p/kg, with top price per head reached by JM Daggett, of Burnsall, at £83.50, and top price per weight going to A Todd at 202.4p/kg.

Spring lambs sold to an overall average of £85.95 per head, or 214.64p/kg.

Cull ewes averaged £61.52 per head, with Draughton-based John Turner’s Texels selling to £103.50, while cast rams averaged £75.21, with top price from JGE Heseltine, of Bolton Abbey, for another Texel at £92.50.

New champion at Skipton prime cattle show ends Critchleys’ reign

Keelham Farm Shop swooped to buy the champion in a fine show of cattle at Skipton Auction Mart’s July prime show. (Mon, July 3)

Ben Townsend, of Laneshawbridge, emerged as champion with a 540kg British Blue-cross heifer, which sold for 264.5p/kg, or £1,428. The home-bred heifer, out of a three-quarters Blue cow, caught the eye of judge Martin Brown, of Leyburn, and gave the Red Rose breeder his first victory since January.

Reserve champion was a pure-bred Limousin heifer weighing 535kg, consigned by last month’s winners, the Critchley family, from Hutton, Preston, which sold to Jeff Burrow, of Kirkby Malham, for 279.5p/kg, or £1,495. They sold a second heifer for £1,401, or 259.5p/kg, again to Keelham for its Skipton and Thornton shops.

The Critchleys - father Richard and his three sons, Robert, John and Thomas - from Mercer Farm, had won the Skipton championship for four months in a row and this time also took second prize in the bullocks, selling a British Blue-cross to Countrystyle Meats Farm Shop in Lancaster for £1,448, or 258.5p/kg.

Top price per head was a 580kg British Blue-cross heifer sold by Jim Baines, of Trawden, which made £1,505, or 259.5p/kg, when claimed by D&A Gregory & Son Butchers in Bacup. Mr Baines also took third prize in the bullocks, selling a Limousin-cross to JR&A Blades, of Hawes, for £1,394, or 259.5p/kg.

Malcolm Metcalfe, of Balderby Park, took first prize in the bullocks, selling a British Blue-cross steer, again to Keelham, for £1,496, or 253.5p/kg.

Charles and Richard Kitching, of Threshfield, were also among the top prices, selling a Limousin-cross steer for £1,377, or 257.5p/kg, to Hamlet’s Butchers, of Garstang, and a Limousin-cross heifer for £1,356 or 253.5p/kg, again to Gregory’s Butchers.

The entry of 80 prime cattle included 43 cast cattle, with a better show of dairies and a higher percentage of heavy cows carrying finish. There was a slight improvement in trade on the week with particular interest in the young cows, Holstein Friesians selling to 165.5p/kg, and only four cows below 100p/kg.

Black and whites averaged 122.54p/kg, with the top price reached by DM Smith, of Poole-in-Wharfedale, selling for £1,233, or 165.5p/kg. J Caygill & Partners, of Rylstone, sold seven black and whites for prices ranging from £961 to £1,173.

P Fortune, of Tosside, headed the Continental prices with a Limousin-cross selling for £997, or 145.5p/kg, while A Thompson Farms Ltd sold a British Blue-cross for the same gross price and price by weight.

David Boothman, of Halton East, sold an Aberdeen Angus for £1,133, or 136.5p/kg, and J Shorrock, of Cliviger, Burnley, a Shorthorn for £1,008, or 133.5p/kg. The overall cull cow average was £855.22, or 124.55p/kg, well up on the previous sale.

Two mature bulls were also sold, a Blonde from TB Moorhouse, of Dacre, for £1,192, or 144.5p/kg, and a Limousin from JR&A Blades for £1,149,or 145.5p/kg.