AN AUCTION mart is looking forward to a successful 2020 pedigree sheep sales season.

CCM Skipton says that while shows will not take place in their recognised format, some will be allowed with safe distancing judging in place.

Additionally, a number of live sales will again be enhanced by an online remote bidding facility, which has proved increasingly popular since first introduced post-lockdown.

The action starts on Saturday, September 5, with a trio of annual breed highlights, one of which is the keynote Beltex pedigree fixture again being staged under the auspices of The Beltex Sheep Society.

It has attracted a solid entry of 349 head, comprising 193 shearling rams, 90 shearling ewes, 15 ewe lambs, six aged rams and a single aged ewe. A total of 37 individual vendors are due to be represented, among them some renowned Beltex breeders from across the north and midlands, up into Scotland and over to Ireland.

Returning will be some familiar faces from previous years, including past champions, regular prize winners and leading price achievers.

A live preview video will be available via Facebook tonight, along with buyer viewing periods right up to the sale, which is scheduled to begin at 10am. Online bidding will be available.

Also on the same day’s agenda are annual fixtures for both the Jacob Sheep Society and Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Breeders Association.

The former, the 45th annual Northern Area sale only, has attracted an entry of 144 registered Jacob sheep from some 30 members across many parts of the country, again including leading breeders, show and sale principals and familiar faces from past years. The sale is scheduled to start at noon.

The 129th Wensleydale highlight has attracted an entry of 79 rams, ram lambs and females from association stalwarts and will feature all the usual show classes from 9.30am, with safe distancing judging in place, followed by the sale at 12.30pm.

Turning to breeding sheep, keenly anticipated is the opening sale of North of England Mule gimmer lambs on Tuesday, September 8, which remains one of the leading fixtures of its kind and one of the earliest to be staged in NEMSA’s annual high profile members-only autumn ewe lamb sale season. There is an entry of more than 7,300 head from leading breeders and prize shows will be staged. As usual, the second gimmer lamb sale follows a fortnight later. Both will feature live internet bidding.

CCM is also due to launch its first-ever podcast in which Skipton NEMSA branch chairman Frank Kitching looks ahead to the high-profile launch fixture. A link is being posted at www.ccmauctions.com.

On Saturday, September 12, there is a special one-off double dispersal sale of Texel females on behalf of two renowned multi award-winning pedigree holdings – Richard Wilson and family’s Crimple Head flock in Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, and the Meifod flock from Gareth Jones and family in the Vale of Clwyd, North Wales.

Between them, they are offering for sale a total of 121 quality females – shearling ewes, aged ewes and ewe lambs, many from top bloodlines.

The two-day sale of pedigree rams and females on behalf of Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders is on Thursday and Friday, September 18 and 19, with an entry of 422 sheep representing 51 different breeders.