Skipton Beltex set centre record at 3700gns

Saturday’s Beltex sale at Skipton saw a new centre record for the breed set when the overall champion from the pre-sale show, a shearling ewe from George Cropper, and son also George, sold at 3700gns.Their sale leader was Hudhey Petal 3, a daughter of Clary M11 and out of Hudhey Kit Kat, a Longley Homer daughter. Buying this one were Jim and Diane Wood, buying for their daughter Hannah’s fledgling flock at Horton in Ribblesdale.

The first prize shearling ram, male champion and reserve supreme champion from Cumbrian breeder Anne Story then took the second best price of the day when selling at 1250gns.This was Borderesk President, a Headlind Megalad son out of Borderesk Leaping Lady, an Airyolland Galliano daughter. He sold to Michael Robinson, Staindrop, Barnard Castle.

And at 850gns was the best of the aged rams was from Michael Davis’ Rathbone flock.  This was Tewitt Hall Monarch, a February, 2008-born son of Headlind Ee By Gum, bred by Bernard Staveley, Clapham, which sold to C R Green, Halifax.

The Croppers also exhibited the first prize aged ewe, the March, 2008-born Hudhey Mistique, by Beachy Jack The Lad, sold at 450gns to P Brown, Castleford.

Averages; aged rams averaged £546, shearling rams £492.32, ram lambs £335.05, aged ewes £321, shearling ewes £360.13 and ewe lambs £213.04 (Craven Cattle Marts).