Breeding sheep sales have taken a bit of a knock in the north of England, so it came as no surprise that the two-day Swaledale shearling ram sale at Kirkby Stephen, followed suit, with overall averages down more than £500 per head.

In all, this massive two-day sale saw an 83% clearance with 646 tups sold over the two days balancing out at a penny shy of £1781, which is down some £523 on the 2017 event.

The first day’s trading bore the brunt of the down turn with an average of only £1343, but still saw seven lots hit five figures. Friday saw double that number, with six tups hitting £10,000 or more with the several of those selling within the first 45 minutes of the day.

The sale topper at £55,000 was the pre-sale champion on the Friday from Patrick and Kirsty Sowerby, Oak Bank, Kirkby Stephen. One of the best they have ever bred, their Oak Bank Endeavour, is by a £7000 Bull and Cave tup he bought out of Kirkby two years back and out of a ewe by a Paul Ewbank sire that was out of their show ewe. Final bidders on this cracker were Derbyshire breeder, Paul Hallam, Arnfield and John and Ben Richardson buying for their Ghyll House flock from Appleby.

The highlight of the day however was the first pen of tups offered that day which saw Mark Nelson's Bull and Cave flock from Clapham, Lancs average a whopping £13,994 for nine shearlings.

His first, Bull and Cave Ingot, was the day’s reserve champion and sold for £18,000 to Fred Raine, Stanhope Gate. This smart boy is by the £50,000 Grayrigg Hall champion bought at Hawes four years ago, and out of a ewe with a Helbeck sire.

Mark's trade picked up when his second tup, Bull and Cave Icon, realised £20,000 in a three-way split to Richard Harker, Richard Hargreaves and Robert Hutchinson who joined forces to land this son of the home-bred tup, Defender.

Going better than that, Bull and Cave Impress lived up to his name to sell for £38,000. This was the first son of the £43,000 Stainton tup offered for sale, out of another ewe by the same Helbeck ram and sold in another three-way split, to Alan Coates, Aygill, Jack Lawson, Hundith and Richard Hird, Gillfield.

Trade slipped back to a mere £22,000 for another son of the Grayrigg tup, when Bull and Cave Impact, bred out of an old ewe by the home-bred White Heather, was knocked down to Robin Booth, Feizor, with Bull and Cave retaining a share. Not to be outdone, Bull and Cave Invincible also made £18,000.

Matt and Craig Ridley's Haltcliffe also enjoyed a great day prior to another big event for them at Carlisle, selling Limousin bulls. The father and son duo picked up a commended ticket and also won the award for the best pair of tups, with the former, Haltcliffe President making £26,000 to S Bell, Gillgate, I Brown, Lummas and J Tully, Burncroft. This was a son of the £40,000 Cockbain tup bought out of Kirkby Stephen two years ago, out of a ewe by the same Harker tup as the Bull and Cave tups. The other half of the pairing which was the exactly the same way bred made £9000 to Ghyll House with Haltcliffe retaining a part share.

The highlight of the first day came late in the day when Thomas Brogden's reserve champion, Brownber Polo, from Helbeck, a son of a Christine Whitehead-bred tup purchased as a five shear, four years ago, sold for £25,000. Final bidder was James Harker, Murton Hall, Appleby-In-Westmorland, who popped in a late sneaky bid just before the hammer fell.

Swalehead Powerhouse, the fifth prize winner sold late on the Friday, lived up to his name selling for £21,000, to a quartet of breeders to include the Rukins, Stonesdale; Tom Metcalfe, Ron Metcalfe and Thomas Brogden. This lad was by the old Bull and Cave tup that is still going strong and will be going out for a nineth time at Brownber.

Even later on the Friday, the first prize small breeder's ram from Tom and Kay Hutchinson, made £18,000 in another four-way split selling to A Marston, Easegill Head; C Hutchinson, Spital; S Bland, Cotegill, and Tom and Kay retaining a share. Producing a personal best for the Hutchinsons was a twin brother to their show gimmer this year, by the Long Green-bred tup that the Bail Hill flock bought as a lamb for £2000 two years ago.

The champion on the Thursday from Messrs Ewbank, Intake, Middlesmoor, Harrogate, realised £10,000 to Alan Alderson, Barras Farm, Kirkby Stephen.

Averages: Thursday – 320 shearling rams, £1373.63 (-£346.03). Friday – 326 shearling rams, £2180.86 (-£725.02).

LEADING prices

Thursday – Shearling rams – £25,000 Helbeck Farm (T Brogden); £16,000, £5000, £2800 Arnfield Farm; £16,000, £8000, £3000, £2500 West Briscoe; £15,000 Nova Farm; £12,000, £2000 Hareden Hall Farm; £10,000, £2200, £2000 Ghyll House; £10,000 Intake Farm; £8500, £5000, £4500, £2000 Howe Green; £8000 S Tully and R Hutchinson; £7500, £4000, £3500, £2000 New Hall; £7000, £3000 (x2), £2200 Rigg Farm; £6000, £5500, £5000, £3500, £2200, £2000 Meadow Bank; £5500, £2200 Shepherds Lodge; £5000, £2000 Old Spital Farm; £4500, £3000, £2000 Helbeck Farm; £4000 West Stoney Keld; £4000 Ravenseat; £4000, £2500 West Stonesdale; £3500 Lanehead Farm; £3500, £2000 Garnthwaite; £3400 High Lane; £3100, £2000 Buddle House; £3000 Punchard House; £2800 Naby View Farm; £2600 Wythes Hill; £2500, £2000 Stoneriggs; £2200 Red House Farm; £2200 Bell Farm; £2200 Argill House; £2000 Wescoe; £2000 (x2) Redgate; £2000 East Unthank Farm; £2000 Field Head.

Friday – £55,000, £7000 Oakbank; £38,000, £22,000, £20,000, £18,000 (x2), £6000, £2000 Bull & Cave Farm; £26,000, £9000, £4500, £3000, £2800 Haltcliffe; £21,000 Low Whita Farm; £18,000 Bail Hill; £14,000 Bridge End; £14,000, £4500, £2500, £2000 Catlow Farm; £12,000 Ash Dub; £10,000 (x2), £4500, £2500, £2200 Grayrigg Hall; £9000, £7500, £4500, £3200 (x2), £3000, £2000 Gillside Farm; £9000, £2200 High Stennerskeugh; £8000, £4500, £4000, £2000 Valley Farm; £8000, £4200, £3000 (x2) South Wellhope; £7000, £3500 Overthwaite; £6500, £2200 Low Oxnop Farm; £6200 Whicham Hall Farm; £6000 Wythop Hall Farm; £5500 Ellerbeck; £5000, £4000 (x2), £3000, £2500, £2000 Tennant Gill Farm; £5000 (x2) Murton Hall; £5000, £3000, £2000 Frith Holme; £5000 Kisdon; £4500 Sanders Close; £4500, £4200, £4000, £3200, £2200 Stanhope Gate Farm; £4500 East House; £4500 Hoggarths; £4200 Easegill Head; £4000 Ash Dub (RC Bainbridge); £4000, £2800 Setmabanning; £3500, £2000 Gill Gate; £3500 High Blackton Farm; £3200, £3000 Lummas House; £3200 Thwaite Bridge; £3000 High Birk Hatt; £2800 Knowle Bank; £2500, £2000 Bleathgill (S Buckle); £2500, £2400 Hartley Castle; £2500, £2000 Billing Shield Farm; £2500 Hartley Castle (A Dixon); £2200 Summer Lodge; £2200 Stockdale Farm; £2200, £2000 Arngill House; £2000 (x2) Round Meadows Farm; £2000 Barras Farm.

Auctioneers: Hawes Auction Mart