Skipton store lambs up £8/head on year

Craven Cattle Marts' chairman Michael McKenzie and his wife Carol landed a back-to-back double when exhibiting the champions for the second year running at Skipton Auction Mart's second big annual seasonal store lamb show and sale today.  

The McKenzies, of Blue Scar Farm, Arncliffe, again lifted the Robert Morphet Memorial Trophy for the best pen of 50 Suffolk-cross lambs, knocked down for £61.50 a head, top price in class, to show judge Warwick Gill, of Melton Mowbray, a regular purchaser of both store and Mule gimmer lambs at Skipton.

The McKenzies, who sell virtually all the lambs on their farm at the annual fixture, were also responsible for the second prize pen of Suffolks, acquired at £55 each by Shropshire purchaser Robert Pritchard.

The third prize pen from father-and-son Alan and Robert Metcalfe, of Brearton, Harrogate, made £51 each.

The average selling price of the 4500-plus lambs forward was £47.54 a head, compared to £39.60 at last year's corresponding fixture.

Averages; 1336 Suffolk lambs averaged £49.43, 2675 Texels £47.39, 148 Charollais £47.04 and 383 Mule wethers £42.13 (Craven Cattle Marts).