28/08/2026
LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT
FRIDAY 28TH AUGUST 2026
Show & Sale kindly sponsored by Ash Tree Insurance & Grass Fed Finance.
Total Forward: 3446
JUDGE: John & Susan Drinkwater, Lancaster
The third annual Show & Sale of Continental and Suffolk Gimmer Lambs at Hawes continues to go from strength to strength, with a wonderful entry of 630 gimmer lambs presented to a busy ringside of both local and travelled buyers.
A two-tier trade developed throughout the sale, with the best-quality, well-grown gimmer lambs in particularly strong demand as buyers competed keenly for quality. Trade for the second-quality lambs was more selective, whilst the smaller end was generally comparable to the store lamb trade. Buyers were clearly prepared to pay a premium for the best, well-grown gimmer lambs, with some excellent prices achieved.
Judging was in the capable hands of John & Sue Drinkwater, who awarded the Championship to the first prize pen of Suffolk gimmer lambs from D Alderson, Cockleberry.
Leading the sale at £215 was a cracking pen of Texel gimmer lambs from CT & JE Willoughby. First-cross Texel Mules from JC & N Throup sold to £208, with further pens of the same breeding reaching £192 from JA & CA Gibson, Kendal.
A lovely pen of Beltex-cross gimmer lambs from R Marwood & Son also made £208, with other smart pens of Beltex-cross gimmers selling to £192 from JG & PH Thompson & Sons, Kendal.
There was keen interest in the well-grown Suffolk gimmers, which sold to a top of £188 from D Alderson, Cockleberry, who also sold further pens to £174.
A run of Tex-Dale gimmer lambs from MR Ewbank attracted plenty of interest, selling to £130.
An excellent overall average of £150.86 was achieved for all gimmer lambs sold, underlining the continued strength and potential of this sale. Now in its third year, the Show & Sale of Continental and Suffolk Gimmer Lambs is going from strength to strength, with a strong buyer following and increasing confidence in the sale. The demand for quality breeding females was evident throughout, with the best lambs commanding an excellent premium.
A great day's trading at Hawes and a sale that continues to establish itself as an important fixture in the breeding sheep calendar.
SHOW & SALE OF GIMMER LAMBS
Forward: 507
Suffolk
1st &Champion D Alderson, Barnard Castle £188
2nd D Alderson, Barnard Castle £174
3rd L Bosomworth, Northallerton £165
Continental X
1st CT & JE Willoughby, Redmire £215
2nd D Alderson, Barnard Castle £180
3rd JC & N Throup, Draughton £208
Total Average: £150.86
Leading Prices:
Continental x: CT & JE Willoughby, £215, JC & N Throup, £208, 195, R Marwood & Son, £208, £190, JG & PH Thompson & Sons, £192, JA & C Gibosn, £192, DC & KL Hutchinson, £180, D Alderson, £180, JM & AM Morland, £180, £162. Av. £154.61
Suffolk: D Alderson, £188, £174, £156, L Bosomworth, £165, £142, £124, RF & RD Kettlewell, £130, SM Iveson, £126, J Middleton, £122, £120. Av. £137.15
BFL X: S & M Hallam, £128.
Mules: AD Coates & Son, £122, £107.
SHOW & SALE OF STORE LAMBS
Forward: 2939
A tremendous entry of just shy of 3,000 store lambs was forward at Hawes today for the August sale, with the trade maintaining the strong and competitive levels seen at the previous sale. With over 600 more lambs forward than at the corresponding sale last year, the additional numbers were easily absorbed by a strong and enthusiastic ring of buyers, with plenty of competition throughout the sale.
The recent rain was certainly welcomed by many, giving a much-needed boost to grass keep and helping to underpin confidence in the store lamb trade. Hawes once again enjoyed a very strong overall market average of £113.18 for all store lambs forward.
The sale also included the August Show of Store Lambs, which was exceptionally well supported, particularly in the Mule class. We were delighted to welcome Jonny Beresford, Kirkby-in-Furness, to cast his expert eye over a superb show of lambs. We thank Jonny for giving up his time and for judging the classes so thoroughly.
The first prize pen of Texel-cross lambs was awarded to D & SM Pratt, Northallerton, which went on to sell for £141. The first prize Mule pen, from a particularly strong class, was awarded to JW Porter & Sons, Richmond.
The Continental trade remained very strong, with the best Continental lambs regularly selling in excess of £130, whilst plenty of good-quality lambs were comfortably in the £120s. Long-keep Continental lambs were trading around the £100 mark, demonstrating plenty of confidence across all types.
Once again, Hawes declared itself the home of the Mule lamb, with an outstanding 1,940 Mule store lambs forward selling to an impressive average of £112.70. Mule lambs topped at £136 from JL & JA Sunter, Downholme, with plenty of the best pens selling in the £120s and the next stage of lambs easily achieving prices in the £110s. The strength and depth of the Mule trade was a real highlight of the day.
A few more horned lambs are now starting to make an appearance, with Swaledale lambs topping at £91 from TW & GM Hartley, Dent, followed by £84 from J Thompson & S Tulley. All Swaledale lambs averaged a very respectable £73.76.
A thoroughly successful August sale, with 2,939 lambs easily absorbed into a very competitive ring of buyers. The strength of the trade, coupled with the increased numbers forward, once again demonstrates the confidence in Hawes as a major centre for store lambs.
Don’t delay in entering your store lambs for our next sale on Friday 11th September.
Continental X
1st D & SM Pratt, Leeming £141
2nd JW Porter & Sons, Gunnerside £130.5
3rd D Hogson, Askrigg £133
Mules
1st JW Porter & Sons, Gunnerside £129.50
2nd J & SD Cloughton, Bainbridge £124
3rd SJ Pedley, Little Musgrave £125.50
Continental x to £141 D & SM Pratt, Leeming Av. £116.5
Mules to £136 JL & JA Sunter, Downholme Av. £112.70
Suffolk to £124 T & G Farrow, Richmond Av. £116.41
Beltex x to £147 MC & AE Staley, Kaber Av. £105
Total Average £113.18
Leading Prices: Texel x- D & SM Pratt, £141, JW Porter & Sons, £136, £131, £130.50, £122.50, PJ Broughton, £134, D Hodgson, £133, R & D Waggett, £130.50, £122.50, S & RD Parker, £130, T Metcalfe, £130, £121, DC & KL Hutchinson, £128.50, R & Y Willison, £128, T & G Farrow, £128, ed Bousfield, £126, AD Coates & Son, £125, JR Calvert, £125, AT Lambert & Son, £124, MC & AE Staley, £124, RJ Cloughton, £123.50, JA & E Metcalfe, £122, JC Fawcett, £122, Booth Brothers, £122, G Alderson, £121.
Beltex- MC & AE Staley, £147, £130, £118, K Calvert Ltd, £130, T &G Farrow, £121, RW Ridley, £105.
Mules- JL & JA Sunter, £136, JW Porter & Sons, £129.50, £120, £118, £115.50, S Pedley, £125.50, £118, J & JH Whaley, £124.50, JS & D Cloughton & Son, £124, £120, S Alderson, £123.50, JW & ME Taylor & Sons, £123, £116, P Hallam, £121.50, £117, £115, MC & AE Staley, £121, JL & JA Sunter, £120, RJ Cloughton, £119.50, MJ & JD Handley, £119.50, £116.50, PJ Broughton, £118.50, J Dixon & Sons, £118, J & SJ Bland, £118, R & J Myers, £118, £116.50, AL Dawes, £118, JC Fawcett, £117.50, WM & JE Shuttleworth, £117, A Lambert, £116.50, JR Calvert, £116, G Alderson, £116, JL & JA Sunter, £115, T & G Farrow, £115.
Suffolk- T & G Farrow, £124, MC & AE Staley, £120, J Thompson & S Tully, £120, JW Dixon, £118.50, Woodend Farms, £117, SM Iveson, £114.50, £110, A Lambert, £111.
Dutchspot x- FJ Willison, £111.50, £98.50.
Masham- A Lambert, £106.50.
Cheviot- S & M Hallam, £104, £102.50.
Teeswater- I Tyson, £100, £93.
Dorset x- FJ Willison, £98.
Border Leicester- T & C Norton, £94.
Horned- TW & GM Hartley, £91, J Thomspon & S Tully, £84, BE Hall, £70, M Kearton, £70.
