Hat-trick of wins for the Masham maestros

The Veritys of Bouthwaite, Ramsgill, retained the Kemp Spokes Trophy with a pen of 10 and went on to sell them for highest prices in both class and show – 180 a head to K Liddle, Stainburn. Mash-am lambs averaged 82.48.

The champion pen of Swaledales was exhibited by J & S Tennant, Bordley, and sold at 145 apiece to B Simpson, Pateley Bridge. Swaledale gimmers averaged 71.23.

Ashley and Rachel Caton of Otterburn picked up most of the prizes for Mule gimmers and sold their best for 138 each to WM Critchley, Kirkham. Mule gimmers averaged 82.54.

The Continentals class was won by Kenneth Gamble, Easingwold, with pure-bred Texels which he sold at 88 apiece to T Jackson, Goosnargh. Continental-x lambs averaged 64.04.

On Monday, at Bentham, the Dalesbred Sheep Breeders held their 79th Aged Ram & Shearling Show and Sale. Champion ram came from J & JE Bradley, Penyghent, and sold to RH Brown, Moody House, for 2400.

Nearly five thousand Swaledale ewes and gimmer shearlings came down from the hills for the seasonal breed show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart last Saturday. Strong demand was reflected in total clearance and an average price of 101.90.

Debbie and Stuart Robinson, Litton, presented the first-prize pen of ewes and overall show champions, bred by Debbie's recently-retired parents, Michael and Ruth Pearson, Horton-in-Ribblesdale. The champions headed the show prices at 190 a head when joining George Wainwright, of Bamford, Derbyshire.

In the Skipton Multi Breeds Show, of 1,350 pedigree and pure-bred rams and females, a Blue Faced Leicester shearling ram from James Dewhirst, Lothersdale, got highest price of the day – 1,750gns from Philip Metcalfe, Otterburn.

In the Texel classes, David Towell saw three rams from his Moor Top flock at Glusburn Moor, Keighley, produce four-figure prices, headed by a 1,200gns sale to Frankland Farms, Rathmell.

The champion and top-priced Suffolk was exhibited by Chris Newsham, of Walton-le-Dale, Preston. His home-bred shearling ram made 720gns from R Hall, Chopgate, Stokesley.

The Charollais title fell to the Foulrice flock of Charles and Valerie Marwood, of Whenby, York, with a home-bred ram lamb, sold to D Hardcastle & Sons, Killinghall, for 520gns. But best Charollais price was 620gns for the reserve champion, a two-shear ram from Robert Tindall, Wetherby, acquired by S Willis & Sons, Northallerton.

Stuart Beeforth of Stillington, York, made his mark in the Beltex classes by sending out both the champion and reserve champion ram lambs. Tracey Sutcliffe of Horton-in-Ribblesdale marked her debut in the show arena by securing the Zwartble championship with a ram lamb by a sire from Joan Barker at Airton.

Champion Hampshire Down was a ewe lamb presented by Mrs Eirlys Jones of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, and sold for 900gns to Thomas Dent, of Penrith. Isaac Barrow, of Dunnerdale, South Lakeland, paid 950gns for a shearling gimmer from TI & J Hunter, Fotheby, Louth.

A Hebrideans sale at York Auction Mart last Saturday saw 2010 ewe lambs averaging 62 gns and gimmer shearlings reaching 160. A top shearling ram sold for 450 guineas.

At the Lleyn Sheep Society's show and sale at Skipton, brother and sister Terry and Beverley Fort, of Whitley Head, Steeton, Keighley, saw their shearling ram crowned show champion and sold him for 1300gns to T Riley of Midgley, Hebden Bridge.

CW 9/10/10