SKIPTON Auction Mart has hit the ground running at the start of 2021 and our farming pages return with reports and pictures on this week’s opening New Year rearing calf show and sale, and first of the monthly prime shows.

Despite the latest lockdown, no let up was planned for the rest of the week, with yesterday (Wednesday) featuring the annual Great New Year sale of 850 head of feeding and breeding cattle.

Planned for today (Thursday) is the first pedigree fixture of the year, the 28th annual open winter show and sale of 36 Texel females for members of Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders, comprising 32 shearling ewes and four ewe lambs.

Seven leading pedigree breeders are due to be represented, among them Cumbria’s Peter Woof, from Stainton, Kendal, who would be bidding for his fifth consecutive supreme championship success.

Socially distanced show judging is scheduled to begin at 4pm, with the evening sale due to start at 6pm.

It is due to be followed by the inaugural ‘Blue Diamonds’ winter sale of 23 pedigree in-lamb Blue Texel females, again from seven well-known breeders. Catalogues for both Texel fixtures are posted online at the Sale Day page at www.ccmauctions.com

Also on this week’s busy agenda was a new online two-day crop and produce sale.

All will be featured on our farming pages next week.

Looking to the following week, Craven Dairy Auctions return on Monday, January 11.

Entries will have closed by then for 2021’s first online two-day working sheep dog sale on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 19 and 20.

Here again catalogues will be posted online.

CCM Auctions reminds vendors and buyers that Covid-19 restrictions continue to apply at the mart, stressing that on-site security will continue to enforce them and appealing to all customers to continue to comply.

Any updates governing future fixtures will be posted on the mart’s website.