FATHER and daughter Charollais sheep breeders, Charles Marwood and Deborah Whitcher, who both farm near York, once again dominated the annual show and sale of commercial rams at Skipton Auction Mart.

Staged by the British Charollais Sheep Society, it is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Mr Marwood, who runs the Foulrice flock in Whenby, was crowned supreme champion for the second year in succession with his first-prize home-bred ram lamb, like his 2016 victor by Dalby Mount Aloe, purchased as a ram lamb at the Worcester Premier Sale in 2012.

The well-regarded sire, himself a son of Dalby Kracked-It, is now into his fifth breeding season on the Foulrice flock, which numbers 500 breeding ewes.

The Skipton title winner, one of December 2016 triplets, which also won the ram lamb class at this year’s Kilnsey Show, went on to sell locally for top price in class of 450gns to Philip Ormerod, of West Marton.

Deborah Whitcher, who runs the Galtres flock in Skewsby, was responsible for the first-prize shearling ram and reserve champion, one of January 2016 twins by the Logie Durno Maverick son, Kelby Paddy, another Worcester acquisition in 2015, out of a home-bred ewe by Netherton Highland Prince.

The overall runner-up sold for the day’s joint top price of 650gns to J Richardson & Son, of Southwick, Peterborough.

Kenton Foster, who runs his Fosters flock in Garrison, Leyburn, and represents the North of England region three on the British Charollais Sheep Society’s Council of Management, did well at 420gns with a ram lamb out of a home-bred ewe by Banwy Othello.

Its sire was purchased at Skipton last year from the late Peter Sedgwick’s flock and the December 2016 lamb sold to new pedigree breeder Nick Morgan, from Thirsk.

Shearling rams averaged £523.25 per head for 100 per cent clearance, with ram lambs also a nice trade to an average of £330.17.

The show judge was Harold Keast, from Devon.