RIBBLE Valley farming brothers Peter, Edward and Robert Fox, of Withgill, Clitheroe, presented the champion pen of ten Mules at Skipton Mart’s opening annual gimmer shearling show and sale.

The victors, bought in as gimmer lambs, with some sourced at Skipton, sold for the day’s leading price of £220 per head to brothers Angus and John Dean, Threshfield. The Fox family consigned 44 Mules in total, selling a second pen at £180 each.

One of the largest sales of its type in the North of England, the event attracted a quality turnout of 5,043 sheep, compared to 4,109 the previous year.

As a result, the overall sale average was £27 down on the year to stand at £122.95 per head. Mules averaged £123.76, Charollais £141, Beltex £138, Masham £124.48, Texel £119.73, Suffolk £114 and Lleyn £106.

Norfolk breeders Henry Harvey & Son, Waxham, won the Texel show class for the fourth year in succession with a pen of ten twice-crossed home-breds, all by Texel rams sourced at Skipton. Their winning pen sold for £162 per head to Richard and Thomas Ogg, of Scunthorpe.

First and second prizes in the show class for ten Masham gimmer shearlings fell to local vendors, brothers James and Thomas Hall, from Darnbrook, and made £135 per head.

Of the other breeds, Beltex gimmer shearlings topped at £150 per head for two pens from Martin and Val Brown, of Newton-le-Willows.