Our Tuesday night prime sheep and cast sheep sales attract regularly between three and five thousand sheep a week. All have been very well supported throughout the year, with upwards of 15 active buyers competing for all classes. Trade for quality lambs on a Tuesday has stood the test of time. Our vendors are improving stock year-on-year so farmers really need to be congratulated - it really is a credit to them.”

The September Mule Gimmer Lambs Sale, with 11,250 lamb stopped to a price of £600 each for a pen of ten with the average almost £94, for 700 more lambs sold than the same sale last year. With over 90 active buyers from Lanark to Devon, the two day sale of Swaledale Ewes and Gimmer Lambs saw nearly 4000 ewes with the champion pen selling for £600 each for a pen of ten, and the overall average of £124. There were almost 2000 Swaledale Gimmer Lambs with the average of £82.50 up over £12 on the year before.

The same day saw a sale that continues to grow from strength to strength, the annual Blue-Faced Leicester Lamb Ram and Female Sales. With top quality consignments from noted flocks it attracted many buyers, a better trade and hopefully even more entries for next year.

This was “one of the best and largest turnouts of Blue faced Leicesters that we have seen at KS for some time?” said Mark, as the sales topped at £2400 for a Ram Lamb. With over 100 Ram Lambs sold, the average was £541 - one of the very best achievements for many years.

The annual three-day Swaledale Ram Sales, held on behalf of the Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association C District, featured on the first day, the aged rams and ram lambs. The aged rams averaged £767, up £1044 for the year, to a top price of £5200 for a five shear ram. Ram lambs on the same day averaged £918, up £141. They topped at £8500.

The Shearling Rams averaged £1759, up £159 on the year, and there were only 11 not finding homes - another huge achievement. The Top on this day was £42,000 - the most expensive Swaledale Ram sold this year at any sale. The final day saw an average for Shearlings of £1591, up £185 on the year, and the top price of £30,000 was achieved - twice, by two different vendors.

A total of 732 Shearlings were sold, averaging £1674 up £167 on the year - a tremendous outcome and far greater than anyone expected.

The finale of the year was the annual Luke Fair, a sale of all classes and breeds of females and breeding ewes and rams which saw nearly 5000 on offer. It brought in a packed ringside of buyers from all over the UK and a very strong trade throughout.

Kirkby Stephen’s fortnightly sales of cast and OTM cattle also saw both good trades and numbers, with the top price for a cast bull, a nine year old British Blue, £1728 - £147.5 per kilo. The top cow, a pure bred British Blue selling at £1645.

The May Day Sale attracted 80 active buyers from 16 different counties keen to purchase their share of the 726 Store Cattle including many 12 month-old and younger stores. Steers averaged £1007, up £58 and Heifers £968 up £98 on the previous year. The top price was £2300 for a Limousin Cross Steer.

The Luke Fair probably one of the best shows of in the country, featured 816 head of spring store cattle. The day topped at £1560 for a British Blue Steer with steers averaging £1123 - up £58. Heifers averaged £1018 - up £20.

One consignment of 70 cattle, in a tremendous day all round, achieved an average of £1334.

The November Suckler sale of 580 on offer topped at £1650 with the Champion a 7 months old British Blue Cross Steer. Steers Averaged £879 and Heifers £812.

The final November beef breeding cattle sales saw 611 beef breeding head sold to a top of £3600 for a British Blue Cross Heifer with a Limousin Bull Calf at foot. This was another exceptional sale with tremendous quality. Heifers and calves at foot averaged £2,095 – up over £85. In calf Heifers averaged £1684, which was up £98 on the year.