Near 5500 turnout at CCM May bank holiday sheep bonanza
AN early May bank holiday sheep bonanza at CCM Skipton produced a bumper entry approaching 5500 head, with multiple show classes and a packed ringside for all classes on offer.
Among the turnout were 1475 breeding sheep. Chalking up yet another success, one of many in recent years in the Continental hoggs with lambs show were Skipton brothers John and George Stapleton, High Skibeden Farm, with their usual pens of five home-bred Texel-x hoggs with single Beltex lambs, making £450 per outfit top – £90 per family more than their 2024 victors - again standing runners-up with a same way bred pen sold for £400, plus others at £405 and £390.
Third spot, once more Texel-x hoggs with single Beltex lambs, went to Calton father and daughter, Robert and Ellie Crisp, also hitting £400, plus another again at £390, the same price achieved by further pens from Michael Daggett, Burnsall, and Sam and Jennifer Bradley, Addingham, both also selling extra pens of five at £370-plus, this the norm for the best Continental outfits.
Picking up the red rosette in the pen of five North of England Mule hoggs with lambs show were the Johnson family, Felliscliffe, their outfits, all with Texel lambs at foot, selling at £350 top, plus others at £320, the second prize pen from CM&EM Gratton, Warshill, Ripon, £305, the third prize winners from Calderdale's John Harry Hitchen, Luddendenfoot, better at £320. Mules with singles averaged £282, Mules with twins £293.
Judge James Mellin, Black Lane Ends, had earlier cast his eye over the two geld gimmer hoggs show classes for pens of ten, both falling to first-time victors. Winning with Mules was second generation Dales farmer Geoffrey Wilson, Gordale Farm, Malham, who runs a flock of 250 Swaledale ewes, with his first prize winners by a brace of Bluefaced Leicester rams – one from John Stott, Laund flock, Chipping, the other from Richard Mawson, Addingham. They became the second recipients of the DW Sunderland Trophy awarded in memory of late Halton East farmer, Donald, selling at £192 each.
The second prize pen from C Smith & Sons, Sutton-in-Craven, made £172, with John Harry Hitchen returning to top the section at £222 with a pen of six. A selling average for Mules of £169 was seen as a tidy outcome.
The Swaledale geld hoggs class winners originated from the Derbyshire High Peaks and Dale Hallam, Tintswhistle, some by a tup from his father Paul, now farming locally in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, the others by a ram from fellow Derbyshire breeder John Bland. They made £165. Overall, a nice trade was seen for a sharp entry of 380 geld hoggs.
A standalone show class for shearling ewes and lambs was won by 2-shear Texel-x with same way bred lambs from Richard Wilson, Beckwithshaw, away at £400 per outfit. Topping the shearling trade for the second year running were Anthony and Emma Thompson, Foulridge, with a black Beltex with pair of tup lambs at £465, other twin outfits from the same home selling in excess of £400, plus singles to £390 for a strong crossed ewe with tup lamb at foot.
Stephen Entwistle, Darwen, continued his run of 3-crop Cheviot Mules, twins selling to £410 and £400, singles to £325. Single Continentals again proved good to sell, many breaking that £300 barrier. Mules peaked at £325 for a pen of shearlings from JR Fothergill, Hawes, broken-mouthed Mules with twins from Robert Metcalfe, Brearton, trading to £295, his singles to £220.
The near 4000 prime sheep entry saw an explosion of Spring lamb numbers, with 322 head forward and PB Fox & Sons, Elvington, York – father David and sons, Richard and Howard - taking the May championship with the first prize Continentals.
Their 44kg pair topped at £340 each when returning to near their place of origin with buyers Knavesmire Butchers, York, the runners-up from the same home one of two 45kg pens making £230 to the same buyers, the third prize 50kg pen from new Lincolnshire vendor RE Hewerdine, Louth, making £178 to Halifax wholesalers, the Medcalf family.
Mark Evans, Steeton, won the Down-x pairs show class with 54kg Suffolk-x brace, the runners-up and third prize winners both weighing 42kg from B&M Craven & Son, Kexby, York, both making £151, all three pens falling to Andrew Atkinson, Felliscliffe.
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