51AVÊÓƵ

At Hexham's anniversary show and sale, the average for 3,285 store lambs was £2 up on the year, topping at £143/head for nine Dutch Texel crosses from C.A. and J.G. Skidmore, Toronto.

The champion pen was 20 Beltex crosses from P. and E.B. Robson, Middle Horsleyhope, which sold for £120/head.

A pen of five Beltex crosses from R.E. Wilkinson, Littleburn, sold at £141/head. Suffolk crosses sold to £120/head for 20 from B.N. and S. Urwin, Lynnshield, and Mules topped at £106.50 for H. and L. Morsehead, Harsondale.

The 4,068 store lambs at Skipton averaged £87.61, up £6 on the fortnight and an increase of £6.63 on the year. Top price was £132/head for the winning pen of 20 Beltex crosses from Clive and Trevor Robinson, Tosside.

Texels sold to £110 for Chris and Tom Heseltine, Bolton Abbey, with the section averaging £88.02 and Beltex averaging £112.85.

First-crossed continental lambs with weight regularly made £92-£108 and longer term first crosses £82-£88.

Suffolks averaged £87.61, topping at £97 for 50 from S.L. and S.D. Lund, Litton, and North of England Mules topped at £93 for a pen of 40 from Rosemary Berry, Cowling, with the section averaging £76.51.

At Lazonby's second sale, 1,320 lambs averaged £83.50. Topping the sale at £130 was a single Dorset lamb from John Clark, Penny Hill.

Texel lambs topped at £126 for 12 from Willlie Lee, Lintley, who sold 91 to average £112.27.

Suffolks topped at £114 from J.J. Hope, Branthwaite, and the 600 Mules averaged £78.77, topping at £93.50 for 23 from Robert and Val Edmondson, Manesty.

At Longtown on Tuesday, trade was stronger on the week, topping at £120/head for a Beltex from T.R. Hodgson, Moorside. Texels and Suffolks both sold to £115/head, with Charollais to £100/head and Cheviot Mules to £114/head.