THE prime sheep trade at Skipton mart on Monday was described as unbelievable, with the 4,010 old season lambs recording an overall average of £104.63 per head (245.2p/kg).

Individual breed averages peaked at £118.94 (295p/kg), for 561 head of Beltex, with 1,781 Texel averaging £106.58 (250.29p/kg); 263 Suffolk and Down-cross £111 (249.15p/kg); 42 Charollais £113.86 (257.65p/kg); and 734 Mule and Masham £98.91 (233.73p/kg).

Heavy lambs were £120-£135, with hill lambs equally good to sell. The best Mules and Mashams made £110-£115.

There was also a solid entry of 628 Swaledale, Dalesbred, Lonk, Gritstone and Scottish Blackface.

The best horned lambs, 44kg Lonks from Jim Greenwood, Addingham, sold for £109 to Jim Holden, Woodhead Bros, who also judged the same day’s monthly prime lambs show.

He awarded the title to the first-prize Continental pen, five home-bred 39kg Beltex-cross lambs from Hayley Baines, Horton-in-Craven, which sold for £143 per head to Hamlets Butchers, Garstang.

She also had the third-prize 38kg Beltex-cross pen, which sold for £129 each to Paul Watson, Hellifield.

However, it was the reserve champion Continental pen, 45kg Beltex-cross from Andrew Phillips, Burton Leonard, that topped at £144 per head when claimed by Vivers Scotlamb, Annan.

Outside the show classes, 230 cast sheep saw cull ewes average £93.29 per head, peaking at £138 each for a Texel pen from Thomas Walmsley, Haverah Park. Cast rams averaged £77.83.

Also for sale were 157 store and breeding sheep, comprising 46 ewes with 81 lambs, and 30 store hoggs. Richard Umpleby, Killinghall, topped at £248 for Suffolk ewes with twins, and followed at £238 for Texel twins, these averaging £235.