Richard's lambs are just champion

Prior to the sale the show was expertly judged by local buyer Chris Siswick, who worked swiftly and professionally through the preliminary classes to award the overall championship and the Ian Mitchell Memorial Trophy to Cornhill’s Richard Thornton.

Mr Thornton received the award for a super pen of well bred Texel lambs, which were purchased for £94 per head by regular buyer Jeff Dunn for Bellingham butcher Hugh Thompson.

The reserve champion rosette was awarded to a pen of Suffolk cross lambs from Texel mothers, which weighed 47kg. It was brought by weekly consignor Dave Brodie, The Chesters, and sold for £85 to the judge.

From a great show of 14 pairs of YFC consigned lambs the judge selected a shapely, well bred pair of Texel crosses at 41kg as his champion pair from Lucy Walby, East House, a member of Stamfordham YFC. The pair realised £86 and the leading price of 209.8ppkg being purchased by West Mill Hills Farm Fresh Meats, Haydon Bridge.

The YFC Challenge Tankard was presented by the The Ox Inn’s Peter Edmondson and Heather Keenlyside, who had generously supported the class.

A select show of cast sheep was dominated by the Walby family, who took both first and second prizes in the lowland classes with Suffolk cross and Mule ewes respectively.

Prize List Lambs Champion: R Thornton, Cornhills. Reserve: D Brodie, The Chesters.

1 Beltex x R Thornton, Cornhills; 2 Beltex x Messrs Walby, East House; 2 Texel x R Thornton, Cornhills; 2 Suffolk Messrs Johnson, Tuthill.

YFC Pairs 1 Lucy Walby, East House (Stamfordham); 2 Claire Thompson, The Fawns (Cambo); 3 Frances Johnson, Tuthill (Cambo).

Ewes Lowland 1 Suffolk cross Messrs Walby, East House; 2 Mule Messrs Walby, East House Hill; 1 Blackface Lord Max Percy, Blueburn; 2 Cheviot Hooper & Greenwood, Harwood.

Trade for all classes was sharper on the week and the sale averaged 180.9ppkg/£78.97 per head. The sale of non show sheep peaked at £94 for super heavies from Percy Robson, Dene House, and 205.1ppkg for 32 Texel crosses from Messrs Walby. Cast sheep peaked at £121 for a big fit Texel ram from Messrs Milburn, Holling Hill. John Sanders, Bavington Hill Head, sold a Leicester Ram to £105 and a Cheviot ewe to £100.

Leading Prices Prime Lambs Texel x: £94 Cornhills, £94 Dene House, £94 East Newham, £91 Coltpark, £90 Girsonfield, £88 Broomhall, £87 Girsonfield, £86 East House, £86 Causey Burn, £85.50 Coltpark, £85 Barrasford Green, £85 East House, £85 Cornhills, £85 East Newham, £84 Broomhall, £84 Rugley Walls 209.8p & 205.1p East House, 202.6p Black Callerton, 202.6p Cornhills, 200.0p East House, 200.0p Ewesley, 197.7p East House, 195.8p Cornhills, 195.4p Broomhall, 194.7p Bridgeford, 192.7p Cornhills, 191.5p East House, 190.5p & 190.2p (x2) The Fawns, 190.0p East House Suffolk x – £90 East Newham.