PEDIGREE Suffolk sheep farmer David Calvert maintained his domination of the show circuit at the 30th annual show and sale for members of the Northern Counties of England Branch of the Suffolk Sheep Society at Skipton Auction Mart on Friday and Saturday last week.

Mr Calvert, of Southfield Farm, West Marton, Skipton, landed the show title for the third time with a newcomer to the exhibition arena, a seven-month-old ram lamb sired by the renowned Perrinpit High Peak, standing with Michael Weaver and Son, Gloucestershire

The champion will stay in the area, being sold for 3,800gns - a record for a society sale at Skipton - to F Reeday and Son, of Manor Farm, Hetton, Skipton.

Judge Bill Borthwick, of Lockerbie, a Suffolk man for three decades, said the 140 entries. "would stand up anywhere in the country".

"The champion had style - good skin, colours, top and gigot," he said.

Mr Calvert won the supreme sheep championship at this year's Great Yorkshire Show with a Suffolk shearling ewe and, at the recent Edinburgh show and sale, another ram lamb by the same sire as his Skipton champion sold for 6,200gns.

The reserve Skipton champion was a ram lamb also making its show ring dbut. Sired by the Scottish-bred Cairness Copello, it was shown by Adrian Leach, of Hebden Bridge, and sold to Graham Fort, of Keighley, for 600gns.

The champion female was a shearling ewe shown by Norfolk breeder Janice Broughton, of Melton Constable, and sold for 300gns to Richard Winn, of Whixley. The top-priced shearling ewe, from Pamela Lupton, of Greenholme Farm, Galphay, sold for 360gns, with the same breeder also selling a ram lamb at 2,200gns.

The top-priced ewe lamb and reserve female champion from Graham Fort made 600gns, as did the top-priced shearling from Jonathan Hayward, of Cornhill-on-Tweed.

Trade in general was up on last year.

Averages: ram lambs £514 (£380 last year); shearling rams £528 (£401;) ewe lambs £234 (£160); shearling ewes £253 (£273).