NINE year-old Foulridge schoolgirl Isabelle Thompson and her home-bred pure black Beltex lamb claimed the supreme championship at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual young handlers’ prime lamb showcase.

Watched by proud parents, Anthony Thompson and Emma Dalby, of Higher Broach Farm, Isabelle, enjoying the summer break from St Michael and All Angels School in Foulridge, saw her 45kg charge first tapped out as winner of the Under 10 years junior show class, before being awarded the title and with it the Champion Shield by show judge Michael Winchester, of Coniston Cold. The victor went on to sell for £158 to Ellison’s Butchers in Cullingworth.

The annual highlight again presented an ideal opportunity for farming’s future generations to gain valuable experience in both the show and sales arenas, encouraging the youngsters to come to the live market, supported as ever by generous ringside bidders. In total, 29 young farmers showed lambs, 16 of them in the junior class.

Bobby Crabtree, 11-year-old son of Richard and Sadie Crabtree, of Well Farm, Clifton, Otley, won the intermediate 10-16 years show class, going on to take the reserve championship and selling his pure-bred 39kg Beltex-x-Texel lamb, by a Scottish-bred Kingledores tup bought out of Skipton two years earlier, for £150 to Vivers Scot Lamb, the principal purchaser of prize-winning young handlers lambs with a six-strong haul.

Bobby’s 13-year-old brother, Jimmy, finished third in the same show class, his 39kg lamb making £128. He is a pupil at Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Otley, where he will be joined by his younger brother after the summer break.

The senior 16-26 years show class was won by 18-year-old Sam Phillipson, of Netherwood Farm, Brierfield, with a home-bred 40kg Beltex-x-Texel sold for £132. Sam has been participating in the young handlers show for many years, this year pipping his 17-year-old sister Molly, who finished runner-up, her 39kg lamb making £120.

Back with the juniors, Connor Robinson, of Tosside, was runner-up with a 42kg lamb sold at £130 to Keighley-based Yorkshire Halal Meats, though it was the third prize 39kg winner from 2021 young handlers champion Charlie Leach, nine-year-old son of Adrian and Kathryn Leach, of Owlers Farm, Hebden Bridge, that topped both the show and the day’s selling prices when claimed for £195 by local Suffolk breeder Mark Evans in Steeton. Izzy Newbould was placed fourth, her 40kg lamb from Ellis Bros on Addingham Moorside selling for £145 to regular purchaser Andrew Atkinson in Felliscliffe, Harrogate

Finishing runner-up in the intermediates for the second year running was 16-year-old Chrissie Lund, also from Hebden Bridge, her 46kg lamb making top price in class of £162, while fourth placed Thomas Marshall, of Dacre, sold his 42kg lamb for £142.

Other young handlers showing lambs were Georg-ira Sugden, Henry Sugden, Anne Gray, Kieran Robinson, Freya Newbould, Annie Wain, Oliver Marshall, Belle Middleton, Martha Middleton, Rafe Middleton, Thomas Thompson, Hannah Metcalfe, Jack Wain, Holly Wain, Jovi Wood, Richard Pickles, Henry Mellin, Jack Metcalfe and Poppy Throup.

Vendors and buyers from near and far flocked to Skipton’s latest Wednesday midweek store lambs fixture, with trade similar on the fortnight at an overall selling average of £81.98 for 4,187 head, on a par with the corresponding average the previous year. (Wed, Aug 12)

While vendors were chiefly local, others travelled up from as far south as Leicestershire and down from the West Highlands of Scotland, with local purchasers joined by others from Devon, Wales and the Welsh Borders, the north-east and eastern counties.

The annual show for pens of 20 or more Beltex-cross lambs was won by Tosside farming brothers Clive and Trevor Robinson, who topped the day’s trade at £125, closely followed at £124 per head by the second prize pen from B&R Lawson & Son, of Richmond, the third prize pen from Ian Moorhouse in Dacre selling for £111. Show sponsors were Laurence Pierce Wool Merchants and animal ID firm, Top Tags.

In the mix, good style-making lambs got away over £100, many either side of £110, with more long-term lambs selling at £88-£98, some strong Suffolks from D Pawson & Sons in Blackburn selling to £100.50. North of England Mules sold to £92 for tup lambs from Flasby Estates, while a run of Hampshire-cross lambs coming down from Stirling sold to £85.