WITH a packed ringside of buyers from Caithness to Cornwall as well as a large contingent of Welsh buyers and the usual local trade, Cheviot Mule ewe lambs and gimmers met a highly satisfactory trade at C and D Auction Marts’ Longtown centre on Tuesday.
Judging the pens of 20 at the pre-sale show was I Smith, West Bolton, Alnwick, who picked out a pen from Messrs Cockburn, Kingside, as his champion North Country Cheviot Mule ewe lambs. 
They went on to sell for £148 to NF Hodges and Sons, Buttermilk, Buckinghamshire. However, it was the third prize pen from Messrs Hedley, Swinside Townfoot, that topped the section at £155 when selling to JM Sutherland, Sibmister, Caithness. 
NCC Mule ewe lambs met the most improved trade of £106.45 for the 4251 sold, a rise of £6.78 on the year for 1031 more. 
Cheviot Mule gimmers met a mixed trade, with the champion pen from IHG Warden, Skelfhill, selling to Messrs Wilson, West Barmoffity, Kirkpatrick Durham, for £152. Top priced gimmers in this section at £192 twice were two pens from Robert McNee, Over Finlarg, Tealing, purchased by J Hyslop and Sons, Netherton, and A Campbell, Strawfrank. 
Overall, the 1917 gimmers levelled at £138.94, a drop of £10.10. 
Also forward were 1067 Texel cross Cheviot Mule ewe lambs which averaged £90.66 (+£3.66) and peaked at £112 from both West Bolton and Philiphaugh, as well as 169 South Country Cheviot Mule ewe lambs which were topped at £95 for a pen from Granton.