Kieran, three, takes top prize at Skipton young farmers’ highlight
A three-year-old lad from Barnoldswick emerged as supreme champion at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual young handlers’ prime lamb show and sale on Monday. (JULY 25)
Kieran Robinson, son of Scott and Laura, won with a well-presented Beltex cross lamb and the three-year-old was smart himself in a shirt, tie and white coat.
Laura, who has won the supreme champion award herself twice before, said: “He’s very keen. He loves spending time with his granddad on the farm.”
The champion lamb, weighing 41kg, later made £135 or 329.3p/kg when purchased by Nick Dalby purchasing on behalf of Keelham Farm Shop in Thornton and Skipton. Reserve champion was Jonathan Frankland from Rathmell, who won the 17-26yrs category with a 40kg Beltex and sold for £91 to Vivers Scot Lamb.
Ted Ogden, Craven Cattle Marts’ livestock sales manager, said: “This is always a warmly received competition and is aimed at the future farmers experiencing showing livestock in an auction market and then presenting the lamb for sale in the ring.”
Ronan Frankland, of Rathmell, came second in the under-10s category, with a 38kg Beltex, selling for £81 to Vivers Scot Lamb, while Bobby Crabtree, of Clifton, was third, selling his 41kg Beltex for £94 to Keelham Farm Shop, and brother Jimmy Crabtree was fourth, selling his 42kg Beltex for £98 to A Atkinson.
In the 10-16yrs class, Sam Phillipson, of Briercliffe, was first with a 43kg Beltex lamb and sister Molly was second with a 47kg Beltex, both selling for £108 and £118 respectively to T Shepherdson.
Zara Pratt, of Gargrave, took third prize with her 43kg Texel and sold for £90 to Keelham Farm Shop, which also bought the fourth-place 47kg Texel, sold by Annie Cher-Smith, of Coleby, for £92.
In the 17-26yrs class, Robert Ellis, of Addingham Moorside, was second with his 37kg Beltex, and Robert Capstick, of Bolton-by-Bowland, was third with a 42kg Texel, both selling to Vivers Scot Lamb for £83 and £95 respectively, while Tom Walmsley, of Haverah Park, was fourth, selling his 42kg Texel for £84 to T Shepherdson.
Also showing lambs were Dan Ellis, Mel Pickard, Alice Throup, George Throup, Josh Lawn, Edward and Harry Preston.
The show formed part of Skipton’s weekly Monday sale of 3,175 prime lambs, which saw a good trade on the day. Anything well fleshed was well bid for with 41kg to 44kg nice sorts generally 190p to 200p, and the smart Beltex types at more. There were more lighter weights about than usual (36kg-38kg) and generally they are short of meat compared to the heavier goods and making 5p-10p/kg less; this was the same for all breeds. The 46kg to 52kg weight range lambs were also a solid trade, averaging virtually the same as the 36kg to 45kg lambs.
There was an overall selling average of £75.18 per head or 184.4p/kg. Cull ewes averaged £59.04, and cast rams averaged £56.95.