Sportsmans flock retains supreme championship and 3600gns top
Date: Sat 1st November 2025
A 98% clearance rate of 86 head, much improved selling averages on the year across all classes, plus a repeat supreme championship and top price coup for the Cheshire-based Sportsmans flock, were among multiple highlights at CCM Skipton’s annual winter show and sale of pedigree Suffolk females. (Sat, Nov 1)
Sportsmans, run by father and son, Charlie and Tom Boden, Mellor, Stockport, was once more at the top of its game when retaining the title and again claiming top call of 3600gns (£3780). The victor is a January, 2024-born shearling ewe and the first female sold by Sportsmans sired by Lakeview 1 Up, bred in Scotland by Stuart Craft, Glenrothes, and a 52000gns purchase as a ram lamb at Lanark in 2023 in partnership with Paul and Georgia Delves, Bridgeview flock, Churchstoke. The sire, himself by Salopian Stradale, the 2023 Suffolk Sheep Society Sire of the Year, has sold tups to 10000gns.
Out of a Frongoy Firenzy-sired Bridgeview dam purchased for 9500gns, the first prize shearling, scanned carrying twins to the 15000gns Howgillfoot Rocky, was tapped out as overall champion by judge Harry Lyons, Cloudside flock, Congleton, then promptly purchased by him for the day’s leading price.
“She stood out as a brilliant gimmer, big, good bodied, very correct of leg and with plenty of spark,” enthused the adjudicator, who established his flock nine years ago and has himself claimed multiple high profile show successes, among them male champion at last year’s Great Yorkshire.
The Bodens, reserve champions at Skipton in 2023, also stood third in the same show class with a second January-born single by the same sire, this out of a Crewelands Captain Crusader Howgillfoot ewe that has bred lambs to 8000gns. Also scanned carrying twins to Rocky, she found a new home in Weardale at 2400gns with first-time buyer JM Lonsdale, Rookhope.
A further Sportsmans sale was a third Lakeview 1 Up daughter from a Mullinvale Munro Lakeview ewe who has bred gimmers to 5000gns. Once more due twins to Rocky, she made 2000gns, heading to Standish, Wigan, with A&R Gollidge, also purchasing at Skipton for the first time.
Returning from Wales, the 2022 Skipton champion, Myfyr Evans, Rhaeadr flock, Llanrhaeadr, Denbighshire, was again to the fore when standing reserve supreme champion with his first prize ewe lamb, repeating his class-winning success the previous year.
The January-born single by the multi championship-winning breed stalwart’s own Rhaeadr Northern Champ, the 2024 Lanark champion who has this year bred sons to 18000gns, is out of a home-bred Dunfell Dynamite-sired dam and full sister to last year’s Royal Highland Show champion.
Described by the judge as a “lovely sweet ewe lamb with a lively air,” she made a class-leading 3000gns and joint second top call when going to Andrew Cross, Barnacre, Preston. Mr Evans, who established his Rhaeadr flock in 1979 at the 125-acre Tan-yr-accar, also sold a second ewe lamb at 1100gns.
One local breeder who always does well at this important sale in the Suffolk calendar is Stephen Bolland, Wharfe flock, Bolton Abbey, and this year was no exception when he again picked up tickets in all three show classes.
Taking principal honours was his first prize ewe lamb, a January, 2022, daughter of Solwaybank Cracker, a 5500gns privately purchased tup responsible for past Skipton prize winners. The red rosette ewe lamb – a full sister sold to Sportsmans for 8000gns – is out of a Limestone Black Beauty dam and was scanned carrying a single to Kings Superior, a 3200gns acquisition at the National sale and the sire of all other Wharfe in-lamb entries
She headed the in-lamb section at 3000gns joint second top when travelling a short distance across the border into Lancashire with the Gregson family, Briercliffe. The Wharfe flock also sold a 2023-born Bridgeview Maximus daughter, from a Strathbogie Supershot ewe. Carrying a single, it made 2500gns to the same purchasers.
The two other Wharfe flock ticket winners both finished runners-up in their show classes. A shearling ewe, a February, 2024, single by Fronjoy Fire Power, again out of a Limestone dam and scanned carrying twins, made 1800gns, the second prize ewe lamb, a January-born single by Superior out of a home-bred Bridgeview Maximus ewe and sister to a 4000gns ewe lamb, claimed 1450gns, with Wharfe’s ewe lamb consignment peaking at 1500gns for a Superior daughter from a Strathbogie Supershot ewe, joining L Walton, Preston, plus another ewe lamb at 1200gns.
Mr Bolland also hit 2000gns with a January, 2024, shearling ewe, a single also by Lakeview 1 Up, out of a Salopian Scuderia Bridgeview ewe. Again scanned carrying twins, she found a new home in Lincolnshire with Clive Goulsbra, Authorpe, a second shearling from the same home away at 1600gns.
From Aberdeenshire, Jimmy Douglas, Cairness flock, near Fraserburgh, arrived with his regular annual consignment, selling a Cairnton King-sired January, 2023, 2-shear ewe from a Maverick Marksman home-bred ewe. Scanned with twins to Cairnton Five Star, bred by nephew John Gibb in nearby Techmuiry, it went to Wales at 1600gns with RG&AM Ashton, Powys.
A second in-lamb ewe from the same home, a January, 2023, single again by Cairnton King, out of a Burnview One For Arthur-sired Blackwater dam, scanned carrying twins to Annakisha Bright Eye, did better at 2000gns, joining R&A Earnshaw, Killinghall, Harrogate.
Mr Gibb, overall reserve champion last year, himself stood runner-up in the ewe class with a March, 2021, Knockem entry bred in Berwickshire by Bryden Nicolson and daughter of Howgillfoot Sniper. She made 1100gns, bettered at 1500gns by a shearling ewe from the same home, a February, 2024, twin by JALEX Power House, out of a home-bred dam, scanned carrying twins to Strathbogie Showman, whose own dam is a full sister to the 40000gns Stallone. She also joined the Ashtons in Wales.
The remaining two prize winners both made 1400gns. One was the third prize ewe lamb from local breeder and mart regular Mark Evans, Jubilee flock, Steeton, His January-born single by Glanmarton Gun Runner, out of a Cranorskie Capone dam, fell to RA Batty, Kendal, another Jubilee gimmer lamb away at 1200gns.
The second at 1400gns was the third prize ewe from Pendle’s Katie Bachelor, Stoneyraikes flock, Briercliffe, with a December, 2022, twin by Sullom Big Lad, out of a Crewelands Charger-sired Cellarhead dam. One of a pair of ewe lambs that won the Interbreed Championship at Bury Show in 2023, the sale opener sold to I Spedding, Wolsingham, Weardale.
With a packed ringside, the in-lamb ewe section opened the sale and easily set the tone for the rest of the day, with prices from 350gns upwards and 48 head averaging £1286, a hefty rise on the previous year’s £663. Shearling ewes sold from 550gns upwards, with complete clearance of 28 head and a section average of £1290, compared to 2024’s £948. Ewe lambs sold from 250gns upwards, 36 of the 38 forward finding new homes to level at £823, again a tidy rise on the previous year’s £747.
Pics Adrian Legge Photography
Further info: Robin Moule 07976 559961.
