notably for Suffolks and Texels, plus good clearance rates. Split over two days, with classes for both MVA and non-MVA sheep, a total of 815 head went under the hammer, 140 on the opening day, followed by 675 head on day two (Thurs & Fri, Sept 30/Oct 1)

TEXEL
Day two, reserved for MVA Texel and non-MVA Beltex shows and sales, produced many of the highlights. Texel tups sold to a wide audience, with purchasers seeking all shapes and sizes, best skinned types away at 850gns and more, with four selling into four figures.
Among them was the champion Texel, the first prize shearling ram from Chris Cornthwaite, who runs his Stumprcross pedigree flock at Closes Hall Farm, Bolton-by-Bowland, and maintains some 100 breeding ewes. By Smith A Star, used successfully for the past three years, out of a home-bred ewe by a Langside tup, the victor sold for 1,400gns top call in section to judge Richard Wilson, of Beckwithshaw. A second Cornthwaite shearling ram made 1,100gns.
The adjudicator remained in the same show class for his chosen reserve champion, the runner-up from Procters Farm in Wennington, who always do well with their Texels at Skipton. The flock is managed by Jeff and Jennifer Aiken, who left the showing in the capable hands of their 14-year-old daughter Katie.
By the 10,000gns Caerinion Bonus, which also served Procters Farm proud at the Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders’ annual highlight earlier the same month, their latest show principal sold for 1,050gns to P Lofthouse, of Thruscross, Harrogate, the third prize winner from the same home and with the same breeding doing better at 1,080gns when joining David and Robin Booth’s flock in Feizor, north of Settle.
Ram lambs were a nice trade, with 400-500gns seen for the best end. Another Richard Wilson, no relation to the judge, who runs Eden Valley Texels with his partner Lisa Timmis at Low Field Farm, Appleby, consigned the first prize ram lamb, by Craig Douglas Dancer, a 10,000gns ram lamb purchase last year and shared in partnership with the Bradley family’s Far Hey and Bradleys flocks in Salterforth.
The tup has sold sons to 70,000gns and his progeny also made a marked impression at this year’s Skipton Texel highlight. Out of a home-bred Anglezarke Uno-sired dam that was a Great Yorkshire Show third prize winner, the ram lamb sold for 400gns to Hellifield’s Nathan Dakin, the third prize ram lamb from the same home making the same price when also selling locally to Robert and Ellie Crisp in Calton.
However, it was a brace of ram lambs from Northern Ireland’s A Gault, of Newtonabbey in Co Antrim, that co-headed the section prices at 500gns, among the duo the third prize winner, which joined KG Stapleton in Skipton, the other going to Cononley’s Jimmy Naylor.
Texel females sold well. Angela Nairey’s Meinspride flock at Bank Hey Farm, Liusey, Blackburn, stood first and second with home-bred shearling ewes, the red rosette winner selling at 450gns to D&N Terry, of Fountains, Ripon.
Texel shearling rams averaged £601 (2020 £604), ram lambs £329 (£339), shearling ewes £258 (£344) and ewe lambs £165.

NON MV CONTINENTAL
A large entry of 480 head saw this section produce the day’s top call of 2,200gns for a strong correct shearling ram among the regular annual solid consignment of Texel and Charollais-cross rams, said to be one of the best in recent years, from Geoff and Anne Robinson, of Pannal, Harrogate. The buyer was AR Sutcliffe, of Carlton in Cleveland, Hambleton, with the Robinsons selling a total of nine rams at four-figure prices, including another at 1,500gns.
The champion non-MV ram came from the show class for cross-bred Beltex tups, won by Anthony and Emma Thompson, of Foulridge, with a home-bred Beltex-x-Texel shearling ram sold for 1,400gns to C&A Howe, of Sheffield.
The young couple, who established their Tommos flock two years ago and now run some 20 pedigree Beltex ewes, plus a commercial flock, also sold a second Beltex shearling ram not out for judging at 1,900gns to George Sunderland in Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge, plus others at 1,500gns and 1,200gns, along with a total of 18 ram lambs to a top of 550gns.
The Heseltine family in Bolton Abbey stood second in class with a shearling ram sold for 1,100gns to the Burnsall-based Stockdales, the third prize winner from the Priestley family in Kirkambeck, Cumbria, away at 600gns, again to N Sutcliffe.
Purchasers were leaning more towards rams with power and length, producing a better trade for three-quarters Texel types with an outcross of Charollais or Beltex, rather than pure and three-quarters Beltex. In total, 30 rams in the section sold a four-figure prices and it was no surprise to see the average for Texel shearling rams up £73 on the year at £586 per head, while Beltex shearling rams averaged £596, down £29.
Beltex ram lambs averaged £339, Charollais shearling rams topping at 700gns with an average of £412, while Suffolk-cross shearling rams peaked at 600gns, averaging £469.

SUFFOLKS
it was the Suffolks that stood out on day one, with quality in abundance and eye-catching trade to match, the section achieving 100% clearance. Top call of 1,200gns fell to the second prize stylish, tight skinned shearling ram from John and Alison North in Giggleswick. By a Welsh-bred tup bought out of Skipton as a ram lamb last year, it joined Alan Middleton, of the Beamsley-based Hartley farming partnership.
Show champion was a shearling ram from regular exhibitors, the Lawn family of None Go Bye Farm, Skipton, tapped out by judge John Mellin, of Black Lane Ends, then snapped up by him for 1,000gns, the same selling price as the reserve champion, a ram lamb by Solwaybank Cracker from Bolton Abbey’s Stephen Bolland. In fact, the first three ram lambs shown by Mr Bolland all made 1,000gns, all selling to near neighbour James Foster. Shearling rams averaged £621 and ram lambs £559.

BELTEX
Stuart Calvert, of Squirrel Park, Burghwallis, Doncaster, presented the first prize shearling ram, a home-bred by Brickrow Excellence, acquired from breeder John Curran, with Samantha Asquith, of Otley, standing runner-up, both principals selling at 520gns joint top to show judge Neil Pratt on behalf of Heslaker’s John Howard. A second Calvert shearling ram made 480gns, the section averaging £332.

CHAROLLAIS
Charles Marwood’s Foulrice flock at Whenby, near York, dominated the section, winning both show classes, then heading their respective selling prices. The first prize shearling ram, a registered pedigree by a Loosebeare tup, made 600gns when joining JM Hallam in Derbyshire’s High Peaks, the first prize ram lamb by the flock’s home-bred top index tup, Foulrice Vicerory, achieving 400gns and going to Gargrave with John Beckwith. Shearling rams - strong tups sold from 420gns upwards. - averaged £446, with ram lambs averaging £372.

HAMPSHIRE DOWN
The annual sale-only Association fixture on behalf of the North-East Region produced mixed trade, with females and some best end tups selling well, but crossing type tups harder to place. Females sold to 400gns twice from JR Craig, of Rathmell, tups to 350gns from CM Brant & Son, of Market Rasen. Shearling ewes averaged £420 and shearling rams £301.

BLUE TEXEL
C Cochran, of Darwen, topped the section when selling rams at 320gns and 300gns, with shearling rams averaging £212 and ram lambs £315, while shearling ewes levelled at £199.

ZWARTBLE
Male class victor was a shearling ram from Philip and Tracey Horsley, of High House Farm, Greenhow, sold for 120gns, every other rosette falling in both the male and female classes to Blackburn vet Dr Sam (Samantha) Hird, who runs her Rawlinshaw Zwartble flock in Austwick. Her red rosette-winning home-bred shearling ewe by Rawlinshaw Clyde, also section champion, topped the selling prices at 230gns when claimed by AJ Rooke, of Harome. Ewes averaged £220 and rams £105
Show classes were sponsored by British Wool and Top Tags Animal ID