A WELL-BRED trimmed pedigree ram lamb making its debut in the exhibition arena took the supreme championship at the 29th annual show & sale of The Northern Counties of England branch of The Suff Sheep Society at Skipton Auction Mart on Saturday.

The champion came from the Northumberland farm of Jonathon Hayward, of East Learmouth, Cornhill-on-Tweed, who was represented at the show by stock manager Ian Park.

The ram lamb is by the Glenisla Ivanhoe out of a home-bred ewe by the Glenhead Purely The Best. Grand dam Muiresk Moneymaker was champion at Edinburgh in 1995. Mr Hayward's Suff stronghold currently has 160 breeding ewes.

The champion later created interest in the sale ring, where keen bidding saw him top the sale at 2,100 guineas when bought by Graham Youdall, of Church Farm, Youlthorpe, York.

Second top call of the day came shortly after the sale of the champion, when Liam and Lorna Youdall sold one of their show lambs by Pankymoor Prelude, out of a Malton ewe by Bartlehill Dambuster, to Helen Kingswell, of Totnes, for 1,450 guineas.

The reserve champion, an untrimmed ram lamb from David Calvert's Southfield Farm at West Marton, near Skipton, is by Muiresk the Menace out of a dam by Glenhead Ginola (grand dam by Cairness Chairman).

The animal had won first prize in the untrimmed ram lambs section at this year's Great Yorkshire Show, where Mr Calvert also netted the gimmer shearlings championship. He currently has 35 Suffolk breeding ewes and is successfully re-establishing his stock after foot-and-mouth.

The champion female was a Howeburn Ace-sired ewe lamb from Len Clubley's Lairhill flock at Middleton-on-the-Wolds, Driffield, selling to John Hall, of Easingwold, for 260 guineas. The first place shearling ewe & reserve champion was from David Towell, of Upper Leys Farm, Glusburn, Keighley, a Muiresk Milan-sired gimmer out of a home-bred ewe by Fordafourie Dazzle, which sold for 380 guineas.

The top shearling ram came from Graham and Mandy Fort, of Brighton House Farm, Whitley Head, Steeton, Keighley.

Class winners were: Shearling ewe and reserve female champion - David Towell, Upper Leys Farm, Glusburn, Keighley. Ewe lamb and female champion - W.H. Clubley & Son, Lair Hill, Middleton-on-the-Wolds, Driffield. Shearling lamb - Graham Fort, Brighton House Farm, Whitley Head, Steeton, Keighley. Single ram lamb and show champion - J.M. Hayward, East Learmouth, Cornhill-on-Tweed. Untrimmed ram lamb and reserve champion - David Calvert, Southfield Farm, West Marton. Pair of ram lambs - Steven J. Buckley, Sittinglow Farm, Dove Holes, Buxton, Derbyshire.

Prices: Shearling ewes to 420gns av £273; ewe ambs to 260gns av £160; shearling rams to 550gns av £401; ram lambs to 2,100gns av £380.