THOMAS Boothman, of Linton Hall Farm, Linton, yet again proved the standout performer at Skipton Auction Mart’s opening show and sale of ewes with lambs at foot when landing a clean sweep of the prizes in the two show classes on Monday.
It was the fourth year in succession that the Yorkshire Dales sheep farmer had dominated the early season highlight with his annual consignment of home-bred Texel-cross shearlings and two-shear ewes with Beltex-cross lambs at foot, the majority again by Beltex rams acquired from Skipton breeder, Chris Windle.
Mr Boothman clinched both red rosettes with pens of shearlings – the fives show class and overall champions all with twin lambs at foot, the second show class with a brace of shearlings with single lambs.
His 2017 104-strong consignment again created keen interest at the ringside when selling to a day’s top of £240 for shearlings with twins, along with a further four pens at £230 per outfit, with the same price achieved by two pens of correct 2 shear ewes with twin lambs.
Mr Boothman’s Texel-cross shearlings with single lambs sold to a high of £170 twice, as did his correct two-shear ewes with singles. He was also responsible for the top price £178 per outfit Mule ewes with twin lambs.
The turnout of 679 breeding sheep – 249 ewes with 430 lambs – was the largest to date this year, with trade brisk and very similar to recent weeks.
Beltex correct ewes with single lambs topped at £175 for a pen from Andrew Bailey, of Masham, with Colin and Richard Shepherd, of Pateley Bridge, presenting the top price £150 pen of Suffolk correct ewes with twins.
Show classes were judged by Kevin Marshall, of Dacre.
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