Averages: Wednesday – 317 shearling rams forward, £2333. Thursday – 321 shearlings forward, £2050.

ON the back of some red hot sales at Kirkby Stephen, there was much anticipation for the two-day show and sale of Swaledale rams at Hawes, which saw the 638 shearlings forward average £2193 – down around £33 on the year.

Highlight of the event was the sale of the champion of the first day, from Stanley and Pat Brogden, Helbeck, Brough, which sold for the top price of £60,000. Their winner, Helbeck Unique, is a son of Swalehead Hippy, a tup bought as an aged ram three years ago for £7000 from Billing Shield, and out of a ewe by Limelight. From a 10,000 kick off bid, this popular winner was knocked down in a two-way split to Mark Nelson, Bull and Cave and Paul Hallam, Arnfield, with the Brogdens retained a small share.

Trade was steadier on the second day, but still scaled some heights, with the second prize large breeders tup from Steven and William Porter, Summers Lodge, achieving a personal best of £55,000. This was paid for Summers Lodge Grayrigg 1, known at home as 'The Hound' after the Game of Thrones character, such was his presence. He is by a £6500 Richard Harker sire and out of an old ewe whose twin was champion in Kirkby Stephen when sold as a shearling in 2006. Graham Pears from Sheffield was the last man in on this entry, with his new tup joining the £60,000 champion from Kirkby Stephen the previous week.

Late on the first day, Patrick Sowerby received £38,000 for his pen leader, Oakbank Defender, a son of the £20,000 Buttertubs tup, out of a Mossdale-bred ewe by the Mossdale Interceptor. He was knocked down to John Bland, Thwaite Bridge with Patrick retained a share.

Also selling at £38,000 was Bow Hill William from Andrew Dixon, Garnthwaite. This corker, by the £20,000 Lightfoot bought out of Kirkby Stephen with Long Green in 2015, was out of a ewe by a £28,000 Valley which sold in the flock’s top pen of drafts this year. He was bought by the trio of breeders to include Richard Harker, Grayrigg, David Harker, Overthwaite and Richard Harker, Barley.

Mark Ewbank also enjoyed a great trade with his first, Intake Bland, by the £40,000 John Bland tup bought two years ago, out of a ewe by the Mossdale Interceptor which the Ewbanks shared with Patrick Sowerby, making £30,000 to John Porter and Sons, Low Oxnop.

The champion on the second day, Ghyll House Hot Gossip, from John and Ben Richardson, Dufton made £25,000, late in the day. A son of the £24,000 Stephen Clarkson tup bought out of Hawes a couple of years since, out of a ewe by Kisdon Gorgeous, he sold in a three-way split to Peter Lightfoot; Anthony Hartley and Messrs Angus and Todd, all from the Lake District.

Aygill King Pin was reserve on the first day and made £24,000 to John Bradley, Penyghent and Johnny Cowperthwaite, Howith. This boy was by the Richard Hird up bought from Middleton two years back and out of a ewe with a John Bland-bred sire.

LEADINGprices

Wednesday – M/s Brogden, £60,000. PE and KA Sowerby, £38,000. MR Ewbank, £30,000, £16,000. AD Coates and Son, £24,000, £13,000, £8000. N Iveson, £20,000, £13,000, £7500. M/S Ridley, £19,000. M/S Folder, £17,000. P Ewbank, £16,000. M and S Sunter, £13,500, £13,000. MR and CJ Rukin, £13,000, £7500 x 2. J Allison and Sons, £9500. WM Hutchinson and Son, £9500. B Thornborrow, £8500. N Richardson, £8500. R Hutchinson and Son, £8000, £6000. KG Sowerby, £7500. S Emmott, £7000. RS Harker and Son, £7000.

Thursday – SW Porter, £55,000. AM Dixon, £38,000. W Richardson and Son, £25,000. P Hallam, £23,000, £10,000, £7000. GJ and JM Scarr, £22,000, £7200. M/S Lawson, £20,000. F Allinson and Son, £16,000, £14,000. AD Richardson, £11,000. MM and CL Whitehead, £10,000. S Reynoldson and Son, £10,000. JW Porter and Sons, £9000, £8000. T Metcalfe and Son, £8200. M Allinson, £8000. M Hallam, £8000. SL Pratt, £8000. JR Rukin, £8000, £7500. D and CE Marston, £7500. JE Thorpe, £7200. RS and BA Harker, £7000. J Dixon and Sons, £6000.

Averages: Wednesday – 317 shearling rams forward, £2333. Thursday – 321 shearlings forward, £2050.

Auctioneers: Hawes Farmers Auction Mart.