Cautious showing at Skipton

John Fawcett, of Dalehead Farm in Barden, Wharfedale, presented the champion pen of ten lambs at the event at Skipton Auction Mart on Tuesday.

He then saw his title-winning charges, all by home-bred rams and ram lambs, sell for £165 per head to Grindleton’s James Towler, the class co-judge.

Defending champions Ashley and Rachael Caton, of Otterburn Lodge Farm in Northumberland again triumphed in the 20’s pen, the fourth time they have secured the title at the second seasonal sale and their 20th NEMSA championship success overall with pens of both ten and 20 Mule gimmer lambs.

The Catons’ 2013 victors, by both their well regarded sire Middleton Hall D2 and home-bred ram lambs, sold for £148 each to the other co-judge in the ten’s class, Silsden’s Simon Bennett.

The day’s leading price of £170 per head was achieved by the third prize pen of ten from Patrick Walker, of WP & B Walker & Son in Appletreewick. The buyer was Lothersdales’ Geoff Booth, who also acquired the Walkers’ top price pen at the corresponding fixture last year.

The family also sold a second pen of ten at £135 per head at the latest renewal to R Wilkinson, of Whitby.

A turnout of 7,803 Mules, predominantly running lambs, sold to an overall average of £88.67 per head, down £17.38 on the year.

Craven Cattle Marts’ livestock sales manager Ted Ogden said: “While trade was cheaper than the opening sale a fortnight earlier, stronger lambs found a decent following, though numbers were not as plentiful as usually seen, an obvious hangover from the poor spring weather conditions.

“Running lambs generally sold from £70 to £95 per head, with the smartest end making £90 to £100 each. However, customers were definitely more cautious than usual.”

At Northallerton Auctions’ sale at Applegarth Mart this week, 154 cattle were presented, with the top price per head achieved by TWH Farming which sold heavy heifers to Bowland Foods at £1,646.47.

Some 1,125 sheep were also entered into the rings and the top price per head was achieved by JF & PMC Milner at £95 to JR & J Catering.