A STRONG entry of Blackface gimmers was forward at Hexham and Northern Marts' annual special show and sale of hill breeding sheep, where the champion pen topped the trade at £174 per head.

With vendors reporting increases of £30 to £40 and the entire sale average up £17 on the year, sale leader and champion, judged by David Stanners, Chesterhope, West Woodburn, was a pen from A Murray and Sons, Sewingshields, The Roman Wall.

Buyers were selective throughout the lowland ewe and gimmer breeding classes, although strong and better sorts were still good to sell. Texel cross gimmers from Lough Green topped at £154, while Mules from Whiskershiel realised £129.

Among the draft ewes, buyers were more selective, as Blackfaces peaked at £62 for a pen of four-year-olds from South Chareheads, while Swaledales topped at £84 for three-crops from Wolf Hills. Champion in the Blackface section was a pen from RJ and J Raine, Townfoot, which realised £57 to AM Jones, Middle Farm, Montgomery, while a pen from Philip and Fiona Scott, Westburnhope, stood champion in the Swaledales and later sold for £60 to L and D Archer, Stone Stile.

LEADINGprices:

Blackface – Gimmers – £174, £172, £170 Sewingshields; £165 Horseholme; £155 Greenleas; £152 Townshields; £151 Horseholme; £140 Greenleas; £135 Grasslees; £134 East Wilkwood, The Dunns; £132 East Wilkwood; £130 East Wilkwood, Townshields; £128 Horseholme; £125 Toft House, Townshields; £124 Townshields, Bilsmoor Park; £122 Bilsmoor Park; £120 Toft House; £117, £116 East Wilkwood; £115 Holling Hill; £110 Grasslees; £108 The Dunns; £106 Brieredge. Draft ewes – 2yr – £56 South Chareheads; 3yr – £60 South Chareheads; 4yr – £62 South Chareheads; 5yr – £61 Fleehope; £56 Featherwood, £53 Fleehope. 5/6yr – £57 Townfoot Woodburn. 6yr – £66 Horseholme; £63 Hotbank; £62, £61 Troughend; £59 Toft House; £58 Hotbank; £57 Troughend; £50 Ridlees Craigshield.

Gimmers – Mule – £129 Whiskershiel; £120 Tenter House, Croft Cottage; £118 West Land Ends; £110 Whiskershiel, Greystone House; £109, £105 Colwell Demesne; £100 Newbiggin Farm, Greystone House; £98 Halton Red House

Tex X – £154 Lough Green; £136 Tone Hall; £130 West Wharmley; £128 Colwell Demesne; £125 Bellingham Demesne; £122 West Wharmley, Colwell Demesne; £120 Tenter House, West Wharmley; £118 West Wharmley; £112 East Cocklaw (x2)m Bellshiel; £103, £102 Bellingham Demesne; £100, £99 Colwell Demesne; £98 West Wharmley, Halton Red House.

Suff X – £116 Tenter House; £88 Houxty Bank Head. Belt X – £80 Field Head Longhorsley. Herd – £100 Comb Hills; £72, £70 Redesmouth

Ewes – Chev – 4/5yo – £67 Dudlees; 5yo – £72 Dudlees; 6yo – £65 Shilmoor; £60 Wholehope, Quickening Cote; £58 Shilmoor Backside; £50 Quickening Cote, Battleshiel. Mule – 1cr – £78 Loadman; 2sh – £78 Village Farm; 2cr – £69, £68, £66, £65 Bradley Hall. 3cr – £70 Blueburn. 4cr – £61, £58 Yatesfield. Tex X – 1cr – £67 Bradley Hall; 3cr – £96 Halton Red House; £88, £71 Spenside; 4cr – £70 Yatesfield; £60 Wolf Hills. Mixed ages – £78 Spenside. Swale draft ewes – 2/3 crop – £70, £60, £58 Fairfield; 3 crop – £84 Wolf Hills; 4yr – £58, £55 Lilswood Cottage; 5yo – £60 Westburnhope; £53 Sundaysight; £52 Low Bleakhope; £50 Sundaysight (x2); £46 Low Bleakhope; £44 Sundaysight. 6yo – £32 The Raw. Swaledale Gimmers – £84 Bolam Lake House.

Ewe lambs – BF – £86 Greenleighton; £78, £70 Featherwood; £66 Greenleighton; £63, £60 Featherwood; £50 Cottonshope. Swale – £54 Round Meadows. Tex X – £68 Barrasford Green; £66 Cross House; £65 Lilswood Cottage, Barrasford Green; £64 Newbiggin Farm and Lilswood Cottage. Belt X – £122, £100 Low Espley. Chev Mule – £89 Edlingham Demesne; £85 Low Espley. Mule – £92 Yatesfield; £88 Pitland Hills; £87 Hole Farm; £86 Harsondale; £85 Edlingham Demesne; £84 Redesmouth, Yatesfield; £83, £82 Pitland Hills; £81 Hole Farm, Houxty House; £80 Pitland Hills, North Cocklake, Camphill (x2); £78 Harsondale; £76 North Cocklake; £74 Low Espley; £73 Harsondale (x2); £72 North Cocklake; £70 Stone House, North Cocklake (x2), Amos Hill.