North West Auctions Lancaster held its annual show and sale of Mule and Continental Gimmer Lambs on Wednesday 18th September. There was an increased entry of over 1600 forward for the sale which, once again, attracted a good following of local buyers as well as travelled buyers. There was an overall market average in line with other local centres with all lambs forward averaging £76.30 with NEMSA lambs averaging £77.80. Thank go to our pre-sale judge Mr M Barker, Halton for his time and expertise. There were 13 pens of ten and 6 pens of twenty out to show. The first prize pen of ten, and winning the Alf Burrow Cup, was T Ayrton & Son, Over Wyresdale. The prize of £50 for highest average for a run of 50 lambs, that were not including prize winning pens, was awarded to S Park, Aughton with an average of £89.24.
The top price of the day was £120 from AC & K Pye, Abbeystead with T Ayrton & Son and RH & C Ayrton, Abbeystead selling to £115 and the top pen from S Park, Aughton selling to £110. Plenty of other top pens sold around the £100 mark with demand for strong dark tupping lambs around the £90 mark. Stronger running lambs easily sold into the early seventies.
A consignment of Cheviot Mules and Scotch half-bred from P Gardner, Knott End sold to £80.