North West Auctions J36 Rural Auction Centre held its fortnightly sale of store lambs with the largest entry of the season to date with 3280 forward which were met with equally as much interest. All types of lambs were met by keen interest in which more could have been sold to the advantage of the vendor. The sale included the Westmoreland show and sale of pens of twenty Store Lambs. Thanks go to our sponsors today and our judge David Benbow of Stafford for his time and expertise. The champion rosette was awarded to the first prized Suffolks from J & R Bell of Crook which went onto sell for £62.50. The first prized pen of Continentals was awarded to Beltex lambs from Messrs Hodgson, High Borrans selling to £68 with the second prize pen coming from the same home selling to £65. A strong line up of Mule lambs forward saw 9 pens for the judge to cast his eye with the first prize being awarded to SJ & M Richardson of Lupton selling to £60, with the second prize being awarded to RI Dixon of Low Newton selling to £59.

There was an overall market average of £53.87 with over a third of the lambs forward being Mule and hill bred lambs. Those best short-term lambs were easily selling in excess of the sixty-pound mark with medium keep lambs mid to late fifties and long-term lambs in high demand. The market twice topped today at £72 for Texels from HE & M Henderson of Dent and also for Beltexs from Messrs Hodgson, High Borrans. Other Texel lambs sold to £69 from IE & MA Taylor of Whinfell. Biggest Mule lambs sold to a top of £68 and £66.50 from Alasdair Prickett of Farleton with plenty of other pens of best pens selling in the late fifties and sixties. All Mules forward averaged £53.66. Horned lambs topped at £47 for Rough Fells from J Graham of Wasdyke with plenty of pens selling in the mid-forties with an overall market average of £44.66.

Next sale of store lambs is Thursday 10th October, please enter to the office ASAP.