Top call of 1,500gns fell to the first prize aged ram and reserve champion from Kevin Huck, of Knowle Bank Farm, Bordley, who always does well at the breed highlight. Recipient of the Stephen HK Butcher Trophy, the 4 shear, bred by Stephen and Karen Emmott at Whitelees in Weardale, and himself the son of a tup from the McLoughlin family in Middleton-in-Teesdale, had been used successfully for four breeding seasons by Mr Huck.

Out of a ewe sired by a ram from Glenridding’s Peter Lightfoot, the top price performer found a new home high on the hills in the Yorkshire Dales National Park with Ribblehead’s Jeff Pickles. From his four-strong pen, Mr Huck also sold shearling rams at 900gns and 700gns, along with a second aged ram at 850gns.

Show champion and recipient of the M&J Spensley Trophy, presented by Joan Spensley, was the first prize shearling ram from Andrew Haggas, of Grove Farm, Otterburn. Got by a 4,800gns tup bred in Hawes by Martin Sunter, and used on the Haggas flock for the past three years, the title winner, out of a ewe by a well utilised home-bred ram, achieved the second top price of 1,300gns when heading north to Cumbria with Alan Birbeck of Nateby, Kirkby Stephen.

Another four-figure performer at 1,000gns was a 2 shear aged ram from Cumbria’s Wilf Buckle, of Kirkby Stephen. By a Tailbert tup, it sold locally to Anthony Hewetson, of Bank Newton, who took home four rams in total.

The third prize shearling ram, also chosen as the best confirmation ram by the show judges, brothers James and Robert Fawcett, from Bishopdale, came from John and Jean Bradley’s Penyghent flock in Giggleswick

Shown by shepherd Jonathan Cowperthwaite, the ram is by a Shap-based Harrison family tup, out of a ewe sired by a ram from Clive Dent in Barnard Castle. It sold for 800gns, again to Mr Hewetson. The Bradleys also sold another shearling ram at 500gns.

Pateley Bridge’s Bernard Simpson claimed third spot in the aged ram show class with a 3 shear by a Penyghent tup, out of a ewe by a ram from the Booth family in Feizor, north of Settle. This, too, joined Mr Hewetson, at 550gns.

The runner-up in the aged ram show class came from father and son, David and Matthew Airey, of Sutton-in-Craven, with a 3 shear by a Seal Houses tup from Arkengarthdale’s Malcolm Allinson, knocked down for 250gns.

The same selling price also fell to the second prize shearling ram from Austwick’s Neil Cowperthwaite. It was got by a Dent tup, out of a Bull and Cave-sired ewe.

Other prices of note were: Aged rams – 850gns and 750gns, Roy Nelson, Bordley; 700gns WP&B Walker & Son, Appletreewick; 650gns Saddle End Farms, Chipping. Shearling rams - 700gns Roy Nelson; 600gns and 550gns Robert Crisp, Calton; 400gns W Mason & Sons, Appletreewick.

While rams were generally just not as strong as seen in previous years, anything with that little bit of extra quality generally got away nicely. The sale produced solid selling averages that were both up on the year at £490.50 (2016 £435) for aged rams and £308.44 (£304) for shearling rams.