Despite some good prices at this sale, the main story once again was the underlying trade which was pretty much non existent, unless there were some strong sheep with good, crossing bloodlines on offer. For all that however, the sale is getting some increasingly better types of sheep through its ring, and on another year things would be very different.

The champion of the day was a massive tup lamb from M/ss Lord, Hewgill, which towered above the opposition and caught the eye of judge, Herbert Hutchinson. Again this lamb was the ever so successful cross from the Lords with the V45 Hewgill over an M8 Hewgill ewe. He sold in the ring, which John Wharton was presiding over for the first time at Penrith for £3000 to Dennis Strong, Well House

Geoff Taylor from Swarthburn also enjoyed a good day out, selling a T6 Keer sired aged ram of his own breeding, which had sired some show lambs destined for this year's circuit, which never actually took place. M/s Alderson of Howgill Grange were the final bidders, the hammer again dropping at £3000.

M/s G & C Neve & Son, Haining House had a well bred tup shearling on offer, by a V17 Hewgill and out of a homebred ewe. When tried on 10 ewes last year it left 8 gimmer lams, one which was in the top pen at Penrith, another in the second pen. The hammer came down at £2600, selling to Paul Brown, Ravenstonedale.

The Reserve Champion was a gimmer lamb from 83 year old John Bowman who was selling his Midscales flock, who was one of the breeds founding members, with Flock No. 22, established in 1952 when he bought his first Leicester off a neighbour. Over the years he has had many successes, and his top sale was a lamb selling at Lazonby for £3600 some years ago. This smart lamb, full of Gordon Rawsthorne breeding sold to Whalley Corn-Wills, Clitheroe.