Texel gimmers to £158 at Skipton

Pure-bred Texel gimmer lambs from David Towell, of Upper Leys Farm, Glusburn, proved the pick of the Continental show entries at the annual mid-September store lamb fixture at CCM Skipton.

Mr Towell’s red rosette-winning pen of ten received the Chris Hagar Trophy, before selling for £158 per head, top call of the day, to ME Wannop & Son, of Morecambe.

Ken Gamble, of Brickyard Farm, Easingwold, narrowly failed to land a hat-trick of first prize wins in consecutive years at the same fixture when his pen of Texels earned the runners-up slot, joining Ron Horsley in Malton for £130 each.

Judge was Skipton’s Chris Windle, who runs the Cavendish Beltex flock, which will next be represented with shearling rams at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual multi-bred show and sale of breeding rams on Friday, October 4.

The show, sponsored by JACS Trade & DIY Warehouse, JG Animal Health and Top Tags Animal ID, formed part of Skipton Auction Mart’s fortnightly sale of store lambs, when over 6,500 head passed through the sale ring, achieving an overall average of £56.54 per head.

CCM’s livestock sales manager Ted Odgen said: “There was a good attendance of travelled buyers seeking to purchase lambs for longer-term keep and this helped to maintain the trade for Suffolk, Continental and Cheviot lambs seen at the previous fortnightly sale, though smarter types were a shade dearer.

“Mule and hill-bred lambs met with a mixed trade, though strong lambs were good to sell, with smaller lambs for long-term keep representing value for money.”

Another robust turnout of between 8,000 and 10,000 store lambs is anticipated for the next fortnightly sale on Wednesday, October 2, which also incorporates show classes for Swaledale and Dalesbred wethers.