The annual Ambleside fair show and sale of gimmer lambs had an entry in excess of 3000 forward. The pre-sale show was judged by James Dickinson of Milnthorpe and Josh Geary of Milton Keynes. A strong line up of sheep were forward for them to cast their expert eye over and thanks go our show sponsors Tony Sharp and Peter Horn Mobile Sheep Dipping. The championship rosette was awarded to R Lawrence, Grange-over-Sands with his North of England Mules with the Reserve Championship awarded to the Cheviot Mules from AR & BJ Thompson of Selside.

The sale commenced with the North of England Mule gimmer lambs and saw a busy ring of buyers wanting to purchase stronger gimmer lambs with good potential of growing into shearlings. There was an overall market average of £61.80 with the majority of lambs forward for the sale being made up of running lambs.

Leading the way was the overall Champion pen from R Lawrence selling to £155 with others from this good consignment selling to £95. Also achieving £95 was Fishwick Brothers of Longsleddale and selling to £92 was SJ & M Richardson & Son, Lupton. Plenty of other higher pens selling around the £80 mark.

The annual show and sale of Rough Fell Mule Gimmer Lambs had an entry of just short of 500 forward selling to a slightly easier trade than the previous year with an overall market average of £66.86. Strong powerful tupping lambs were still meeting demand. Leading the way was the Champion pen from TLB & J Knowles, Selside selling to £140 with their third prize pen selling to £105. Achieving £85 was MJ & JD Handley, Sedbergh with I & J Mallinson, Selside achieving the same price. Selling to £83 was FB Dunning & Son, Orton and £80 from M & G German, Middleton.

The was the largest entry of Cheviot Mule Gimmer lambs to date which created an abundance of interest where more could have easily of been sold. There was an overall market average of £85.70 which was strongly up on the year. Leading the way was the first prize pen from AR & BJ Thomspon, Selside selling to £115 purchased by the judge Mr Josh Geary, with others from the same good home selling to £98. D Slone of Barrow-in-Furness saw his consignment top at £109 with S Crawford, Staveley selling to £98 and JE Atkinson, Ulverston selling to £96.

Continental Gimmer lambs saw interest in the best types, twice topping at £92 from B & AC Barnes, Middleton and others to £90 from P & TL Edmondson, Kirkby-in-Furness.

There was a smaller entry of Store Lambs forward for this fortnightly sale of just over 1200 selling to a sharper trade, which was good to see especially with the current prime lamb trade, with many fresh faces ringside looking to purchase lambs. Leading the way was Beltex Store Lambs from N Cooper & Sons, Torver selling to £65 with Texel lambs selling to £68 from RH Redmayne, Windermere and other Texel lambs to £63 from P Wilson, Newbiggin on Lune. Cheviot Store lambs sold to a top of £60.50 from JE Swan, Cartmel Fell with Suffolk lambs twice selling to £60 from GM Redmayne, Ings and J & R Bell, Crook. Plenty of pens of strong store lambs easily sold around the £60 mark. Mule lambs sold to a top of £55 from Forest Hall Farm Partnership, Selside with others to £54.50 from N Cooper & Sons. Horned lambs sold to a top of £46 for Rough Fells from L Potter, Orton.