As usual, the sheep section was extremely popular, offering a wide variety of breeds and producing a sale high of 350gns for a Kerry Hill shearling ram from R Fitzgerald and L Barritt in Keighley. Known as White Skye Erik, the February, 2019, son of Youldon Gwynfor, breed champion at the 2018 Westmorland Show, sold to the Countess of Swinton’s estate in Masham.

Grey Faced Dartmoors were out in considerable numbers, peaking at 230gns for a five-year-old ram from local breeder Shelly Penny, of Winterburn. By the sire, Tegla, the ram had achieved multiple show successes, standing best male and reserve champion ram lamb at Shropshire County Show in 2015, and runner-up in the shearling show class at the Three Counties Show a year later. The ram found a new home north of the border with Moffat’s G Dunbar& Son.

Of the remaining sheep breeds, Ryeland entries sold to 210gns, Shetland to 170gns, Whitefaced Woodland to 140gns, both Badger Face and Valais to 110gns and Clun Forest to 75gns.

Doing best in the cattle section by some considerable margin at 820gns was a Calderdale-bred Highland cow and calf from MD Kaye in Luddendenfoot, claimed locally by Hellifield’s Andy Lambert, while next best at 500gns was a two-year-old Belted Galloway bull by Cairnsmore Cominator from Briercliffe’s Lee Gregson.

A standalone annual sale for easy care sheep was again staged, shearlings selling to £126 at an average of £103 per head, and rams to 170gns.

Also on the same day’s agenda was the third annual sale of pedigree and pure-bred goats, when an increased entry of 175 head went under the hammer, with all breeds on offer, though the large majority were Boer or Boer X. In total, 21 goats made 200gns-plus.

Penrith’s Chris Dickinson, champion in the show classes staged at the first two annual sales, returned to claim 300gns with a Boar buck, though it was an Anglo-Nubian nanny and her two kids that claimed top call of 360gns for E Dixon, travelling down from Lockerbie in Scotland, another outfit from the same home making 280gns. Both sold to the same Cumbrian buyer, Wigton’s Daniel Pearson.

Nanny goats of all ages with plenty of size and frame were the most popular sellers, attracting buyers from a wide area, those from Derbyshire and the north particularly well represented. Nannies with kids at foot also sold to a wide audience ranging from £110 an outfit, with £280 for the better bred goats. A trio of Golden Guernsey nannies sold at 260gns per head, while smart boar bucks made from around the late 100gns up to 300gns. 

A busy schedule also featured Skipton’s monthly Saturday livestock collective sale of 112 head of stirks, weaned calves and young store cattle, plus 50 sheep.

British Blue bulls sold to a high of £750 at an average of £630 per head, followed by Galloways, which averaged £489 and peaked at £525. Blues also topped the steer prices at £600, followed by Limousin to £590, with £500-plus top calls also seen for Simmental, Aberdeen-Angus, Blonde and Sussex cattle. Heifers sold to £660 for another Blue, with a breed average of £517, while Simmental sold to £600 and Angus to £590.

Breeding and store sheep saw rough fell lambs trade to £68, Charollais lambs to £66 and Texel lambs to £57.The next monthly collective is on Saturday, October 10.