Bumper prices for Swaledale rams

Top price was scored by Roy Nelson, who trades as C Nelson & Sons at Lainger House, Bordley, near Skipton. He sold a shearling sired by a Tennant Gill ram, out of a ewe by a Halfpenny House tup, for 1,700gns to Malcolm Handley, of Slaidburn.

Second top price in show was 1,400gns for an aged ram from Saddle End Farms at Chipping – purchased as a shearling from TW & K Hutchinson at Blunt House, Middleton-in-Teessdale, and now with John Blakey of Greenhow, Pateley Bridge.

Jeff Walker, of Dunsop Bridge, also sold well. His successes included a home-bred three-shear aged ram at 1,200gns to A Newbould & Son, Dallowgill.

Top performer in the show arena was a shearling ram from North Craven breeders David and Robin Booth, of W A & A Booth, Old Hall Farm, Feizor.

Their champion sold for 1,000gns to TM Nutter, of Nelson.

Aged rams averaged £449.70 (£304 last year) and shearling rams £348.38 (£308). Show judge was Jack Wade of Catchall, Grassington.

Harrison & Hetherington sold 3003 sheep at Kirkby Stephen Mart on Tuesday night, consisting of 2417 Prime Lambs, 457 Cast Ewes/Rams and 129 Store Lambs.

Topping the sale at £95 (218.4p/kg) were a pen of three smart Beltex-X lambs from Messrs Skidmore, Needless Hall, purchased by Vivers, Scotland, and two more, from Messrs Marston, Easegill Head, sold to the same buyer for the same price per kilo.

“Electric trade” for all types was reported and an SQQ of 174.3p/kg (up 22p on the week) was achieved.

Mule lambs were “fantastic to sell”, with pens regularly fetching well in excess of 165p/kg.

Swaledale lambs topped at 176.6p/kg.

On Wednesday, Harrison & Hetherington Ltd sold 9,135 Mule Gimmer Lambs at Lazonby Mart and averaged £90.73 (up £9.67 on the year). NEMSA lambs averaged £92.09 (+ £9.62). Other lambs averaged £90.05 (+ £9.66).

First Craven Dairy Auction of October, on Monday, saw newly-calven Holstein Friesian heifers from Robert Crisp, of Calton, going for £2,100 and £2,080 to Geoff Blezard of Ribchester.

Carter Jonas has reported a sale price of £1.49m for Manor Farm, Kearby, near Wetherby – 175 acres of arable and grassland with modern agriculturally-tied farmhouse and range of farm buildings. The successful bid came from Lincolnshire. Tom Whitehead, who handled the sale, said: “We knew there would be considerable interest in this prime commercial farm, as they are such a rarity for this area in today’s market.”