Calderdale school chums land the spoils at young handlers’ prime lamb show

Celebrations for the young handlers.
Charlie Leach, left, and Daniel Lund.Charlie Leach, left, and Daniel Lund.
Charlie Leach, left, and Daniel Lund.

Two best mates at Old Town Primary School in Hebden Bridge, eight-year-old Charlie Leach and nine-year-old Daniel Lund, were over the moon when becoming joint supreme champions at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual young handlers’ prime lamb show and sale.

The dynamic duo first saw their Beltex-cross gimmer lamb, home-bred by Charlie’s parents, Adrian and Kathryn Leach at Owlers Farm, Hebden Bridge, and by a tup from Anthony Thompson of Foulridge, first chosen as winner of the U10s show class, before being tapped out as overall show champion by Threshfield show judge Angus Dean. Weighing in at 34kg, it went on to sell for top price in both class and show of £200 to Brayton Farm Shop, near Selby.

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Up and coming young handlers.Up and coming young handlers.
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Young Daniel is the son of Richard and Emma Lund, and grandson of Brian and Linda Lund, of Walshaw Farm, Walshaw The two families are farming near neighbours in Calderdale and both are familiar faces at Skipton

It proved a good day for the Lunds, with 21-year-old Chloe Lund, who helps out on the farm and also works as a self-employed sheep handler, picking up the red rosette in the 17-26 years show class with a home-bred Beltex-cross wether lamb by a tup bred locally by Luddenden Foot’s John Midgley.

Tipping the scales at 45kg, it sold for a class-topping £160, again to Brayton Farm Shop

There was a further Lund family success when 15-year-old Chrissie Lund finished runner-up in the 10-16 years show class, her 47kg lamb selling for £154 and yet again to Brayton Farm Shop, which further supported the sterling efforts of the youngsters when also purchasing two further rosette winners in the same show class from, respectively, Thomas Marshall, of Dacre, at £155, and Whalley’s Lilly Ireland for £162 top call in class and second top in show.

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The show formed part of Skipton’s weekly Monday sale of over 3,000 prime sheep, the 2,344 Spring lambs among them exhibiting quality and trade stepping up a gear on the week when they sold to an overall average of £103.22 per head, or 240.4p/kg.