Robin Moule

At the early-August Craven Dairy Auction at CCM Skipton, debut judge Jacob Wellock selected the champion and reserve champion, which sold for £2,900 and £2,700 respectively. Wellock’s family also bought another Mark Smith heifer for £2,750. The accompanying July livestock sale attracted 435 stirks, calves and young store cattle, with prices generally stronger than the previous month and top prices reaching £1,910 for a Simmental steer, £1,800 for a Limousin bull and £1,840 for an Angus heifer. The next dairy auction was scheduled for August 24, followed by the next collective livestock sale on September 5.

CCM Skipton’s second fortnightly store lamb sale attracted 3,356 lambs and achieved an average of £122.79 per head, exceeding the previous year’s equivalent average of £115.96. Beltex lambs topped at £165, while Robert Metcalfe’s Suffolk-cross pen won the show trophy and sold for £150 per head; his wider consignment averaged £141.52. Mule wethers, Charollais, Texel and Dutch Spotted lambs also recorded strong prices, with buyers from Wales and the border counties active in the market. Further store lamb and pedigree sheep sales are scheduled in August and September.

Demand for breeding sheep at CCM Skipton was strong, with 382 head forward and top prices reaching £305 for Beltex shearlings. Ewes sold to £305 and prime sheep trade remained firm, with 2,425 spring lambs averaging £168.58 per head and a top of 515p/kg. Cast ewes averaged £172 with a high of £348. Prime cattle entries were all purchased by Robertshaw’s Farm Shops, with leading prices achieved by Limousin-cross steers from Hargreaves Farms.

Market sales at Craven Cattle Mart recorded strong trade across spring lambs, cull ewes, prime cattle and rearing calves, with several weight categories showing weekly improvements. Top prices included £244 for heavy lambs, £318 for Texel cull ewes, and over £2,700 for under‑30‑month clean cattle. Calf trading remained robust, led by high‑value Blue‑cross and Charolais entries, with expectations of an increased turnout for the upcoming summer show and sale.

Cattle sales at CCM Skipton’s midweek fixture reached an overall average of £1982 per head, with strong demand across young feeding bulls, steers, heifers and feeding cows. Top prices included £2650 for steers, £2560 for young bulls and £2430 for heifers, while feeding cows peaked at £2080. Continental-cross cattle generally achieved the highest averages, and strong store cattle, including Limousin and Angus types, sold well. Heifer trade remained steady with an average of £1837, and similar numbers are expected at the next sale on July 28.

A strong seasonal turnout of 2,569 spring lambs at CCM Skipton’s Monday market achieved a selling average of £178.41 per head, with top prices reached by Texel and Beltex pens. Ellis Bros secured the spring lambs championship, while Richard Crabtree took the reserve title. Heavy lambs, cull ewes, cast rams and prime cattle all traded at firm levels, with notable highs across categories. Calves met exceptional demand, led by strong Charolais and British Blue entries. The Craven Dairy Auction saw Mark Smith’s five‑week‑calved heifer top proceedings at £2,900, followed by a £2,550 reserve from Margaret Goldie.