AVERAGES were well up on the year at Craven Cattle Marts’ recent sale of Beltex females at Skipton, where gimmers averaged £574, a rise of £301, while ewes levelled at £451 against £253.
Trade hit a top of 950gns for the reserve champion from the pre-sale show from Elizabeth and William McAllister’s Artnagullion flock, Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
This gimmer, Artnagullion Azure, is a daughter of the Graham’s Ringo tup which has sired gimmers to 3200gns, and she sold to S Millman, Appleby, having been scanned with twins to The Bare Boy, a Belgian import.
The McAllisters sold a further two gimmers served by The Bare Boy at 550gns, to RM Cornforth and Sons, Tadcaster, and WG Beckwith, Gargrave.
Selling for the second top of 600gns was Borderesk Anastasia, an Airyolland Galliano-sired gimmer from Anne Story, Hobbiesburn, Longtown. She ran with Borderesk Brigadier, the reserve male champion at the Penrith Progeny Show, and sold to CH and OF Hammond, Glasshouses, Pateley Bridge.
The champion was next in the trade stakes when Cecil and Stephen Hutchinson’s Wiskers Ballet Dancer sold to Mark and Ellie Jennings for their Hallcrake flock at Crake Hall, Selside, for 500gns. This January-born ewe lamb is by Dooley Ruthin.
Two more hit 500gns with the first, the 2011-born Quarrymount Sexy U from B Mathews, Co Offaly, Ireland, selling to J Bosworth, Rossendale. She is by Quarrymount Nemesis and was served by Smartass Sensational.
Another from the same home made 500gns when sold to DW Roberts, Wales. That was the three-year-old Ayside Toyah which has Belgian breeding on her sire’s side and was again served by Smartass Sensational.
An offering of cross-bred sheep met a similarly strong trade to average £246 and top at 600gns from Val Brown and again from Procters Farm.