The Marwoods – Charles and Valerie, and son Stephen – victors when the show was last staged in 2019 and again top price achievers both that and the previous year, secured another in a long line of championship coups at the North Yorkshire venue with a December, 2019, twin daughter of Foulrice Prelude, herself by Rhaeadr Nock, a tup acquired from Welsh breeder Myfyr Evans and a multiple champion and unbeaten interbreed winner when shown by Foulrice.

Out of one of the best ewes in the flock by the Dalby Mount Aloe son, Foulrice Osprey, still in use aged seven, the title winner, who has herself shone in the show arena this year, was available carrying twins to the high index Foulrice Vunipola, a Sheldon Supreme grandson, whose own dam is a Dalby Sherman daughter.

Lincolnshire show judge Oliver Chapman, who farms on the Marsh on the East Coast of Lincolnshire at Saltfleetby, Louth, described his chosen champion as an “absolute block of meat who will make a tremendous ewe,” then promptly backed his judgement in the sale ring by claiming her for the day’s top call for his own Soloby pedigree flock.

With the usual exemplary bloodlines seen in all Foulrice sheep, the Marwoods, who also picked up a further ticket in the shearling ewe show class, plus another with an ewe lamb, sold four other sheep at 500gns-plus, among them one at 600gns.

The adjudicator, who, as well as working as an auctioneer at Louth Livestock Market, also serves as Secretary of the British Charollais Sheep Society’s East of England region, nominated the first prize ewe lamb as his overall reserve champion.

The late 2020-born lamb was consigned by Cyril Dougherty’s Shamrock flock at Kirby Misperton, Malton. Shown by 16-year-old daughter, Molly, she is by a John Barker Oakdene tup acquired when standing NSA shearling champion at Exeter some three years ago.

While unsold, Mr Dougherty did claim 450gns with another ewe lamb, a January-born single by Lodgehill Vernie, which joined TB Moorhouse & Son in Dacre, while the fourth prize ewe lamb from the same home, another Lodgehill Vernie daughter, made 380gns to M&J Dewhurst in Spenbrook, Burnley.

Another fixture regular, Kenton Foster, who runs the Fosters flock in Garriston, Leyburn, had a nice run of shearling ewes, which topped at 680gns for a daughter of a tup from the Wales family’s Thackwood flock in Carlisle and scanned carrying twins to a Loanhead sire. She headed home with Cyril Dougherty. A second Foster shearling ewe made 500gns.

Also catching the eye was Chris Crowther’s Shropshire-based Dudston flock, which was making its second appearance at the Skipton breed highlight when again travelling from Chirbury in the Vale of Montgomery, close to the Welsh border.

Mr Crowther stood runner-up in the shearling ewe show class with a January, 2020, daughter of Knockin Umptuous, out of a home-bred Dudston Percy ewe served by Mortimer Ulysses and sold for 580gns when also joining the Shamrock flock. Another shearling ewe from the same home achieved 500gns, a brace of Dudston ewe lambs also making 450gns and 400gns.

However, it was the third prize ewe lamb from Cumbrian-based David Norman’s Kirkhouse flock in Setmurthy, Cockermouth, that headed the section prices at 480gns. One of March-born triplets by a Hillside tup, himself by Foulrice Supreme, out of a home-bred dam, she became another acquisition by the judge. Mr Norman sold two further ewe lambs at 420gns and 400gns, a price matched by another from David Dennis’s Silton flock on Over Silton, Thirsk.

Heading south of the border from Strathdon in Aberdeenshire, the Tullynessle flock of Messrs Spence, Spence & Wilson was among the prizes, finishing first and second in the adult ewes show class with 2016-born daughters of Logie Dumo Abama, both run with Cannahars Vive Le Mouton and sold at 380gns section top and 320gns respectively, plus another at 300gns. The partnership also finished fourth in the shearling ewe show class with a home-bred April, 2020, daughter of Padest Ulysses which made 300gns.

The sale, which achieved a good clearance rate, saw plenty of interest for in-lamb shearling ewes in the region of 350gns-500gns, producing an overall section average of £540 (2020 £579), with ewe lambs also finding a very strong following from 350gns-450gns, averaging £396 (£431). The trio of adult ewes averaged £350.