THERE was an early wedding present for farming partners Ian Moorhouse and Laura Hammond when they secured first prize in the annual Beltex-cross lambs show at Skipton Auction Mart.

The couple, of Fouldshaw Farm, Dacre, who are due to marry today won with a pen of 25 lambs, which show judge Andrew Phillips, of Burton Leonard, then bought for £81.50 per head, top price on the day.

Andrew Haggas, of Grove Farm, Otterburn, who won last year, was runner-up. His entry sold for £79.50 each, while the third-prize pen of lambs from Derbyshire vendor MJ Wells made £67 per head.

On the whole, Beltex lambs saw an improved trade, with numerous pens selling between £68-£79.

The show classes formed part of the mart’s third major fortnightly Wednesday store lamb sale of the season. It attracted a solid turnout of 4,788 head and made an overall average of £60.26 per head.

First-cross Continentals and Suffolks met an honest trade. Chris Harker, of Nesfield, sold 137 Texel-cross lambs at £67.50 per head, while a pen of 94 from E&AM Simpson, of Pateley Bridge, each made £66.50. Long-keep lambs ranged from £47-£54, Mule wethers made an average of £52.55 and fleshy wether lambs £53-£58.

Almost 200 breeding sheep, saw a run of Continental 3-crop ewes from Peter Houseman, of Padside, Harrogate, make £114 to £120 for the best and £90-£100 for more commercial types. Further three-crop Suffolks from the same vendor sold for £108.