Averages: Six aged ewes, £322.08 (+£178.58 for three more); 53 gimmers, £516.50 (+£120.79 for two more); 55 ewe lambs, £385.25 (-£2.05 for five fewer); seven aged rams, £885.00 (+£430.00 for four more); 17 shearling rams, £540.81 (-£63.92 for one more); 42 ram lambs, £631.33 (+£141.33 for three more).

PRICES peaked at 4000gns for the male champion and supreme overall at a breed show and sale of Zwartbles sheep at Carlisle, when Heather Hourston's shearling ram all the way from Orkney was bought by Messrs Davies, Brecon, Powys.

Her tup, Didcot Ferrari, by the Hedgefield Bonny Lad son, Cernyw Dynameit, is out of a home-bred ewe by East Middle Ben Nevis – the top priced ram lamb at Carlisle in 2014.

Ms Hourston also received 1800gns for Didcot Fjord, a direct son of East Middle Ben Nevis, out of a Didcot ewe that is a full sister to Didcot Benji. This tup lamb, which stood second in his class, was knocked down to Messrs Wilkie, Westhill, Aberdeenshire.

On the other side of the coin, the Didcot flock forked out the same money for the show tup, Pistyll Charmer, a three-shear ram from GA and HM Francis' Pistyll flock from Abergorlech, Carmarthen. He is by Pendle Wide Load and out of an Abbots Grove ewe.

Co Durham breeders, P and S Addison, Hayberries, Mickleton, sold the second top priced lot at 3800gns, in Hayberries Full Tilt, a ram lamb by Beech Hay Chancellor, to Messrs Preston, Bingley, West Yorkshire. His dam, Cynefin Cain, by Cynefin Ben, was champion at the National, in 2016.

Selling across to Northern Ireland at 2000gns, Messrs Hutchinson, Downpatrick, bought the reserve male champion, The Fort Del Boy, a two-shear ram that was reserve male champion at the Great Yorkshire and male champion at the Highland, this year. Bred by Messrs Heigh, Preston and Ingleby, Brook House Farm, Bentham, he was bred by C and L and Mrs D Cromie, and is out of a Marton ewe.

The same buyers bought four of the top five top priced females including Castle Hill Eccles, a Brickfield Cecil-sired gimmer that attracted the equal lead bid of 2100gns. Placed fourth in her class at the pre-sale show, this entry from Sam Inns' Castlehill flock from Upper Brailes, Banbury, was second at Bath and West and the Three Counties and third at the Great Yorkshire. Her sire, Brickfield Cecil, is also a show winner having stood reserve male at the Great Yorkshire in 2016 and male champion at the Royal Welsh the same year. The dam is Castle Hill Carly, by Castle Hill Black Wood.

The Hutchinsons also bought the third and fifth prize gimmers from Joyce and Neil Millar's Joyfield flock from Woodhouse Mains, Lockerbie, and A and R Megarrell's Killymallaght unit from Cullion, Co Londonderry, respectively at 2000gns each.

The former, Joyfield Eye Catcher, is by Millburn Sam and bred from a home-bred ewe with a Blacklee sire, while the latter, Killymallaght Elegant, is by the show tup, Smiddy Hill Caeser and out of the East Middle Rip Van Winkle daughter, Killmallaght Waltz.

Also heading on the same trailer load to Northern Ireland, Messrs Hutchinson forked out 1800gns for the female champion and reserve overall from Sam Inns. This was Castle Hill Elena, the breed champion winner at the Three Counties and second prize winner at the Great Yorkshire. She is also by the show winning tup, Brickfield Cecil and out of Castle Hill Ember.

The reserve female champion, another gimmer from A and R Megarrell's Killmallaght flock, matched the 2100gns top price selling to Messrs Brisbane, Castle Kennedy, Stranraer. Killmallaght Enchant, is another by Smiddy Hill Caeser, but bred from the Blacklee Black Diamond-sired Blacklee Twilight that was purchased for 1400gns and went on to stand reserve champion at Balmoral and Lurgan Shows in 2014.

Top priced ewe lamb at 1600gns was S Smyth's February-born entry from the Bessiebell flock from Newtonstewart, Co Tyrone, purchased by Messrs Henderson, Touch, Stirling. First in her class, she is by Didcot Dolomite and out of Bessiebell Alisha, by Glencoy Whiskey.

Just behind on 1500gns, Messrs Duffy, Dunragit, Stranraer, bought the last ewe lamb from Ally Baird's Greystone flock from Dunblane. Greystone Flighty is by Olbre Enzo and out of Greystone Diva.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.