THE Smearsett flock of WA&A Booth won the ten and 20 pen championship titles for the second year running at the opening ewe lamb show and sale for the North of England Mule Sheep Association at Skipton mart on Tuesday.
Father and son, David and Robin Booth, of Feizor, near Settle, saw their two first-prize pens go on to take the championships at the first major Mule lamb sale of the year.
Seven of the pen of ten were by their celebrated Blue-faced Leicester ram, D15 Smearsett, who was also responsible for half of their 2016 champion tens. Another was by their home-bred G11 tup “Ted”, the other two by one of his ram lambs.
They sold for the day’s top price of £230 per head to 18-year-old Katie Haynes, of Buckinghamshire. The Booths’ similarly bred pen of 20s fell for £155 each to co-judge Ross Sizmur, Devon, who bought their champion tens pen last year.
The annual highlight attracted 7,073 head, which sold to an overall average of £98.09 per head, an increase of £1.25 on last year’s fixture.
Ashley and Rachael Caton, of Otterburn Lodge, took the two reserve champion ten and 20s pens. Their tens sold for £185 per head and their 20s made the class-leading £180 each.
Skipton’s second annual NEMSA gimmer lamb show and sale is on 19.
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