LLEYN rams from the Lluest flock finished off a fantastic selling season for the Jones family when they secured their fifth top price of the year at the society sale at Carlisle, where rams averages fell on the year but still saw 20 sell for 1000gns or above.

Females met a more positive trade as both ewes and gimmers improved on the year while only the strongest ewe lambs sold to new homes.

Leading the way at 6000gns for father and son team, Emrys and Dylan Jones, together with Dylan’s wife Anwen, from Comins Coch, Machynlleth, Powys, was a shearling by a Derek Steen-bred ram bought at the Ross on Wye sale for 1200gns two years previously. Bred from a ewe by Wray Castle Warrior, he sold to the Fort family for their Fort and Brightonhouse flocks near Keighley, West Yorkshire.

The Jones family also received 4500gns when R Millen, Coleraine, and Derek and Cindy Steen, Moffat, joined forces to buy a shearling son of Wray Castle Edwaldo – a 2000gns purchase from the same Ross on Wye sale that has proved to be a consistent breeder. This lad is out of a ewe by the home-bred Abracadabra tup.

Completing a good day for the Goldie family, who run the Lochar, Goldies and Orchard Cottage flocks, near Ruthwell, Dumfries, Hamish Goldie’s champion from the pre-sale show, Lochar Gladiator, realised 5500gns.

He is by the same sire as last year’s champion, Plasucha Chief, and out of a ewe by the equal breed record holder at £18,000, Lluest Nobleman. Gladiator sits in the top 5% of the breed as a good all-rounder, and sold to the judge, John Dugdale, and his son, James, for their Borrins flock near Settle.

This ram added to the Goldie family’s already successful day as their individual female champion made £1000. This gimmer is by a new stock sire named Explosion, and sold to Messrs Long, Ireland.

In addition, the family’s first prize pen of five gimmers made £280 per head to HM Wells, Cardigan.

Christine Lewis and her son, Ffloyd, from Trefeglwys, Caersws, Powys, welcomed bids of 4200gns and 3700gns for their top two shearlings, with the first of these, Brynowen Gold Dust, selling to Charles and Andrew Kennedy for their Mileview flock near Skilganaban, Ballyclare, Northern Ireland.

By the 11,000gns Plasucha Dependable, of which a share was bought at Ruthin and since sired the 2017 and 2018 champions at the Royal Welsh Show, Gold Dust is out of the home-bred Churchhill ram that won his class at the Welsh back in 2014.

Making 3700gns when sold to the team at Laga Farms, Orkney, was another by the same sire, this time called Brynowen Governor. This reserve male at this year’s Royal Welsh, is out of a ewe bred by Dr Dy Morris.

The Dugdales saw their dearest, Borrins Giggle, sell for 2700gns to HM Wells, Glaneri, Ferwig, Cardigan. He is by a Knowles ram bought for 6000gns whose grand-son sold for 9000gns last year, as well as sons to 5000gns.

The first lot in the ring, Mileview Gleneagles, from father and son team, Charles and Andrew Kennedy, realised 2100gns when knocked down to Mrs Lorna Scanlon, Burghmuir, Biggar. His sire is a Lluest ram whose sons have sold well at home, while his mother also features Lluest breeding.

Two sold for 2000gns apiece with the first of these being a Ballylinney shearling from Derek and Cindy Steen. Bred from a Lleyn gold-classified ewe, he is by a 4500gns Goldies ram and heads to a new home with P and S Eckett, Minster House, Lyndlinch, Dorset.

The Steens, from Whitcastles Farm, Corrie, Lockerbie, also headed up the gimmer trade with a pen of five that sold to A Trainor, Newry, County Down, for £300 apiece.

Matching the 2000gns sale, Martin Mullan, Craigmore Road, Ringsend, Coleraine, bought Brightonhouse Godfather from brother and sister duo, Terry and Beverley Fort, Whitley Head, Steeton, Keighley. His sire is the 8000gns top Signet ram, Lochar Clansman, while his mother bred the reserve champion here two years ago.

Ewe lambs peaked at £140 per head for the first prize pen from Tom and Ian Walling, Over Whitlaw, Selkirk, purchased by PE Dixon, Kirkby Stephen.

A highlight of the female sale was the flock reduction from CC and C Crawford, Forth, which reached £120 for two pens of two-year-olds bought by AT Mair, Courance, and R Wilson, Penrith.

Averages: 136 ewes, £104.57 (+£2.85 for 530 fewer sold); 901 gimmers, £155.15 (+£6.77 for 373 fewer); 614 ewe lambs, £82.81 (no comparison); 84 rams, £969.38 (-£159.42 for 21 fewer).