JUST shy of £75,000 changed hands at Rhys Cooke's production sale of Blue Texels from the Nantyderri flock from Crossenny, Abergavenny, at Carlisle, last week, where a top price of 3000gns was achieved on two occasions.

Both of these were bought by D and K Thompson, Eastbury Livestock, Blandford, Dorset, with the first being an ET one-crop ewe bred from Pen-Y-Bec Vera, a Shearstone Titan daughter that was overall champion at the Royal Welsh in 2014 and champion at the Three Counties in 2013. She is by a Bishops sire.

Another ET bred from Vera made the same money, in the shape of Nantyderri Babe, a gimmer by Hackney Xtrovert.

Also heading home to Dorset on the same trailer load was the gimmer, Nantyderri Bella-Rose, which the Thompsons purchased for 2600gns. Another ET, this time bred from the Whatmore Wasp daughter, Hackney Yarra, she is sired by Whatmore Walnut and was shown as a ewe lamb.

Top priced ewe lamb at 2800gns was Nantyderri Carla, an ET bred from a Pistyll ewe by Turbo Blue Wonder Boy and sired by a Hackney son of Joe's Alvin. She sold up to Bathgate with new breeder, Lisa McCulloch, buying for her Overhillhouse flock at Armadale.

Back amongst the gimmers and Messrs Bowring, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, went to 2500gns for Nantyderri Beck's an ET bred from a Whatmore Wasp daughter and sired by Whatmore Walnut.

The same buyers also bought a one-crop ewe by Hackney Xtrovert out of an Ivanhoe ewe, for 2000gns.

David Gray, Lindean, Selkirk, also got in on the action forking out 2200gns and 2000gns for ewes. The dearest a one-crop ewe that was shown as a ewe lamb and a gimmer, is by Whatmore Walnut and out of a Pistyll ewe by Turbo Blue Wonder Boy. The 2000gns entry, another similarly aged ewe by Walnut, is bred from a Millend ewe by Mac.

Neil and Stuart Barclay were also splashing the cash, buying three to take home to Harestone, Banchory, Aberdeenshire. Top price for this father and son duo was 2200gns, paid for Nantyderri Corbin, a ewe lamb by Hackney Xtrovert out of a Millend ewe.

They also went to 1800gns for a one-crop ewe by Whatmore Wasp and 1700gns for the tup lamb, Nantyderri Carlos, by Whatmore Walnut.

Staffordshire breeders, Messrs Froggatt, Abbotts Bromley, bought two of the top priced lots at 2000gns and 1900gns, with the first being Nantyderri Beatriz, an ET-bred gimmer by Walnut, while the second was Nantyderri Cassie, a ewe lamb by a Hackney son of Joe's Alvin.

Averages: Eight ewes, £1732.50; 22 gimmers, £1295.80; 25 ewe lambs, £863.63; 12 ram lambs, £863.63. Overall, 67 head, £1106.42.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.