THE fortnightly sale of store lambs saw an increased entry of 6,828 head at Skipton sell for an overall average of £55.69 per head, up £1.27 on last year’s fixture.

The sale included 1,480 Mule wethers.

The stronger Mules sold for £52 to £58, averaging £51.91 per head overall.

At the show, for pens of 50 Mule wether lambs, Alan Barnes of Cowden, Great Harwood, sent out the first-prize pen and he and his shepherd, Michael Burnop, collected the Stephen Foster Memorial Trophy on what was their debut appearance at the show, but decided to retain the winning pen.

The second-place Mule wethers pen, from 2013 show victors John and Claire Mason, of Oddacres Farm, Embsay, went for £54.50 per head, with third-prize winners from J Garth & Son, of Keasden, selling at £58 each.

Also forward were the first of this year’s Swaledale wether lambs, which averaged £36.66 each. In the gimmer lamb classes, Mules from Martin and Val Brown, of Newton-le-Willows, reached £70 per head.

The next fortnightly sale is on Wednesday.