Pre-sale prize winners went on to top the Classy Lassies sale of crossing Bluefaced Leicester females at Carlisle on Monday, where the reserve champion went on to sell for a breed female record price of 14,500gns.
Selling at this mark was a ewe hogg from Messrs Lord, Hewgill, West Dowgill, Kirkby Stephen. Backed by home-bred genetics, she is from the first crop of lambs by Hewgill M22, and out of the flushing ewe, Hewgill P64. The hammer fell to Robbie Hallam, Settle, North Yorkshire.
Her full triplet sister realised 2000gns when selling to Perthshire breeders, Jim and Muriel Forbes, Clunebeg, Pitlochry.
Judge, Shaun Procter of the Spurrigg flock, awarded his championship to the first prize ewe hogg from Jack Buckle, Buckles, Barras, Kirkby Stephen, who runs a flock of 20 ewes.
“She is the best sheep in the market, being very correct, with a good presence and nice bright colours,” said Mr. Procter.
This March-born hogg is a daughter of the £40,000 Hawes purchase, Midlock Commander, that has bred tup lambs to 5000gns, with the home-bred dam going back to the £11,000 Smearsett M1. She sold to Graeme Jackson, High Bentham, Lancaster.
The next best at 4000gns was a Macqueston ewe hogg from Alec and Anders Brown, Thornhill, Dumfries. She is from the first crop from the £15,000 Hawes purchase, Hewgill R2, and out of a home-bred gimmer that goes back to Highberries M1. Jimmy and Graeme Sinclair, Crookston, Heriot, were the final bidders.
The best from Finlay Robertson of the Beeches flock, Crosswoodhill, West Calder, made 3200gns when receiving a final bid from RJ Fallows and Son, Cockrig, Lanark. This was paid for an in-lamb gimmer, sired by Farden N1 – a £12,000 purchase from Hawes – out of a home-bred ewe that goes back to Midlock G34. She sold carrying a pair of lambs to the new stock ram lamb, S1 Mistyburn, bought out of Ballymena for £6000.
New breeders, Dan Burrow and Jordan Rutter Armstrong of Burrow and Rutter-Armstrong Engineering, Langwathby Hall, Penrith, sold to a top of 3000gns for a ewe hogg.
Having just started their flock in 2020 with purchases from John-Smith Jackson, Shafthill, who lent them the Shafthill C2 sire to run with the ewes they bought, it was a resultant ewe hogg that made the money.
She is out a ewe by Oak House P20 and sold to Martin Allan, Greenhow, Appleby, Cumbria.
On the debit side, Dan Burrow and Jordan Rutter Armstrong gave 2800gns for a recipient carrying a single pregnancy from Martin Allan, Greenhow, which changed hands in lamb to Lunesdale R1Q1.
Declan McKillop of the Giants Causeway flock, Cushendall, Co Antrim, took 2600gns for his third prize ewe hogg from the judge, Shaun Procter. A substitute entry, she is a daughter of Highberries Haaland, a tup that has bred lambs to £35,000, and out of a home-bred ewe.
The fourth prize gimmer from Neil Marston, Highberries, Cockermouth, achieved 2400gns when selling to Aaron Troughton, Sedbergh, Cumbria. She is sired by the private purchase, Clennell Hill N1, out of a home-bred ewe that has sold progeny to 8000gns and sold scanned with a single lamb to S5 Highberries Handsome.
On the same money was a Cottage ewe hogg from Jimmy Bell, Birniehall, Carluke, purchased by Sarah Emmott, Cockermouth, who got for her money a daughter of Holmview Riverdance R1 that was purchased out of Ballymena for 2500gns, and has bred sons to 8000gns. The dam goes back to Smearsett D15.
Andrew and Caroline Hunter, The Steel, Bellingham, Hexham, took 2000gns on two occasions for gimmers which headed home together with Messrs Armstrong, Penrith.
First was a Midlock-bred gimmer by Midlock G34 that was bought out of Hawes for £10,000, out of a ewe that goes back to Hewgill J6. She changed hands carrying a pair to the £3000 Hawes purchase, Nunscleugh P18.
Second, was a gimmer by 12,000gns Carlisle purchase West Biggins N2, out of a home-bred ewe by Carry House Flash L8. She also sold scanned with two lambs, this time to the 25,000gns Midlock R27.
Jamie Pirie, Blarnavaid, Drymen, took 2000gns for a gimmer, scanned a pair to Carryhouse S37. Sired by Highberries P2, she is out of Highberries H1-sired daughter and sold to Messrs Wood, Dutton, Lancashire.
Averages: Five aged ewes, £1186.50 (+£828.19 for three fewer sold); 38 gimmers, £1155.00 (-£54 for three more); 35 ewe hoggs, £1683.90 (-£421.42 for three fewer)
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