THERE was a total clearance of the 8,188 store lambs at Skipton mart's latest fortnightly sale on Wednesday of last week (21st).

They sold to an overall average of £58.30 per head, an increase of £3 to £4 each on the 6,357 lambs sold last year.

Short keep lowland lambs were keenly contested with Suffolk and Continental crosses making from the mid £60s to early £70s, with the smaller Beltex sorts selling from £70 to £80.

Medium keep lambs were generally in the early £60s and long keep lambs in the £50s. Almost 6,000 Suffolk and Continental lambs levelled at £60.19 each.

A few pens of drawn gimmer lambs saw Chris Ryder, of Blubberhouses, lead the field performer when selling three quality Texel pens at £107 £106 and £100. The Texel gimmer lamb average was £88.56.

A solid turnout of 2,228 North of England Mule wether lambs saw the best sorts selling from £58 to £65, medium lambs £53 to £57 and smaller long keep types £48-£52. They averaged £54.61.

The annual show for pens of 50 Mule wethers was won for the third year in succession by Michael and Elaine Dugdale, from Close House Farm, Giggleswick. Their latest victors went on to achieve top price in class of £65 per head.

Runners-up, Stuart and Debbie Robinson, from Ribblesdale, sold their pen at £57.50, with third prize winner Mark Harrison, of V Verity & Son in West End, making £62.50.

An annual show for pens of 50 Down-cross lambs was won by brothers Stephen and Stuart Lund, of West Farm, Litton. Their winners made £65 each.

The second prize pen from Brearton’s Robert Metcalfe, sold for £69 whose third prize winners made £63.50. The overall Suffolk average was £60.87, with a section high of £73 for a pen from J Bracewell of Burnley.

A few batches of Cheviot and Cheviot-cross lambs sold to a top of £60, averaging £56.53. Other breed averages were: Beltex £66.55, Texel £59.06, Charollais £53.04.