The Lancaster hill fair show and sale was deemed a great success with a busy bustling ring throughout the sale with a bit of variety on offer with buyers to suit. The pre-sale show was judge by Trevor Sharp, Kendal who we thank for his time and expertise.
The sale commenced with breeding sheep and gimmer shearlings. The sale peaked at £165 for Mule Gimmer shearlings from M & YS Barker, Halton with cheviot mules selling to £150 from AJ Cardwell, Stalmine. Mule gimmer lambs saw plenty of demand and a strong trade throughout the sale selling to an overall market average of £105.61. The sale peaked at £132 for the first prize pen from A & L Huddleston, Wray with the second prize pen from the same home selling to £118. The third prize pen was awarded to T Ayrton & Son, Over Wyresdale selling to £118. The sale mainly made up of running lambs saw them selling over £100 regularly away. Texel gimmer lambs sold to £115 from B & M Salter, Chipping.
A buoyant trade throughout the sale for breeding rams saw the 1st prize shearling tup sell to the top price of the day of £700 for a Texel from T & CM Kelsall & Son, Chipping, whom enjoyed a successful day selling others to £580 and £480. Selling Texel shearlings to £480 was Daniel Pye, Abbeystead, Hazel Carter, Ellel and from PF Lee, Over Wyresdale. There were plenty more selling in the early four hundreds. B & M Slater, Chipping won the tup lamb class with a Texel selling to £380 with others from the same home selling to the same price.
There was an entry of just over 400 store lambs forward mainly consisting of longer term lambs selling very much in line with the current trade. Leading the way was a run of Texel x cheviot lambs from SE & J Gorst, Littledale selling to £82.50, £80.50 and £80. Strong lambs regularly sold in the mid-seventies with longer term lambs mid to late sixties.