Mule shearlings sell to £178 at Skipton

Mule shearlings sold to a high of £178/head at Skipton last week, with this price paid for a pen from Jerry Horn, Kelbrook.

Second best was a £175/head bid for the champion pen on the day from David Coates, Coniston Cold. This was Mr Coates third successive win at the sale, and other pens from the same home sold at £172 and £171 twice.

A pen from J C and I Walton, Hellifield, then sold at £174, with a pen from J S and K M Wilson, selling at £172.

The third prize pen from David Pighills, representing J E Thwaite, Barden, then sold at £170, with the second prize pen from Margaret Wilkinson, Sessay, making £168.

Best of the Continentals was a pen of ten pure-bred Texels from Peter Longdin, Wellingley Grange, Tickhill, Doncaster. Mr Longdin was making his first appearance in the Skipton show and saw his charges sell at £200 each, a price equalled by Messrs B and A Myers and Daughters, Winksley, Ripon.

With a number of new buyers at the ringside, shearling trade was buoyant, with Continentals also meeting much improved trade.

Mule shearlings averaged nigh on £152 per head (+ £26 on 2010) and Texels £138 (+ £20) (Craven Cattle Marts).