Averages: 18 ewes, £975.92 (+£349.29 for 10 fewer); 60 gimmers, £1011.68 (-£503.82 for three fewer); 50 ewe hoggs, £1775.97 (+£291.33 for 16 fewer).

Pre-sale judge, Gary Beacom, certainly made his presence felt at the Classy Lassies Bluefaced Leicester female show and sale at Carlisle, on Monday, buying three of the top five highest priced lots to include his choice of champion and reserve.

Mr Beacom, who runs the Lakeview flock in partnership with his brother Lee just outside Fivemiletown, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, first went to 8500gns for his champion winner, a ewe hogg from Martin Allan’s Greenhow flock from Dufton, Appleby. A daughter of the £23,000 K1 Riddings sold at Hawes in 2017, she is bred from a home-bred ewe by an E1 Otterburn Lodge.

Also heading home on the same trailer to Fivemiletown at 8500gns and 5000gns were the second and third prize ewe hoggs both of which were from the Hutchinson family’s Kirkby Redgate flock from Kirkby Stephen. The dearest and reserve champion, brought out by Richard Hutchinson, is by the £14,000 H1 Skeughdale and out of a home-bred ewe by a D17 Hewgill, with the 5000gns ewe hogg being the exact same way bred.

Ewe hoggs attracted the best of the bidding throughout with the top price of 9000gns paid by Lanarkshire vet and breeder, Neil Laing who owns the Garscube flock from Thankerton, Biggar, for a similarly aged female. His purchase, consigned by Andrew and Mark Brown of the Asby Hall flock from Asby Hall Mews, Appleby, is a daughter of the K1 Smearsett, a £24,000 joint purchase at Hawes, out of home-bred ewe by a G1 Smearsett.

Matching the 5000gns bid was a recipient ewe carrying twin embryos from Neil Marston’s Highberries flock from Millstone Moor, Cockermouth. The embryos which were implanted on October 12, will be bred from a Swathburn ewe by a C2 Hundith and sired by the Z4 Hundith. Having sold the second top priced lot at 8500gns, Martin Allan was the final bidder on this lot in partnership with neighbouring breeder, Geoff Taylor of the Swathburn flock from Great Asby.

A cracking line up of ewe hoggs saw the fourth prize winner at the pre-sale show, sell next at 4000gns, to Northern Ireland breeders, Messrs Harkin, Dunamanagh, Strabane, Co Tyrone. Home-bred genetics are behind this entry from Messrs Lord’s Hewgill flock from West Dowgill, North Stainmore, Kirkby Stephen, with the sire by an H45 Hewgill, which in turn was sired by a G49 Hewgill, while the dam, is bred from a B41 Hewgill.

Three sold at 3000gns to include two gimmers from Allan Wight and son Ben’s Midlock flock from Crawford, Abington. First was the pen leader, a daughter of the J6 Hewgill out of a ewe by the C2 Hewgill that stood champion at Peebles in 2016 and has bred rams to £8500. Bred from the same family as the £16,000 L37 Midlock, she sold carrying a single lamb by the £20,000 L3 Steel, to Andrew and Caroline Hunter, buying back some of their own genetics for the Steel flock based at Bellingham, Hexham.

The second, and first prize gimmer at the pre-sale show, is equally well bred being sired by the H1 Kirkby Redgate and out of another home-bred ewe by the C2 Hewgill that is a full sister to the dam of the £6000 G37 Midlock Big Ben. Messrs Teasdale, Haydon Bridge, Hexham, forked out the cash for this entry carrying twins to the K1 Shafthill.

On the debit side, Midlock went to 2800gns for the pen leader from Jimmy and Wendy Bell’s Cottage flock from Highfield, Auchengray, Carnwath. Another backed by home-bred genetics, this ewe hogg is by a K2 Cottage, a son of a J2 Lunesdale, while the dam, a Cottage ewe is by a C18 Highberries.

Martyn Archer’s Carry House flock from Hexham, also enjoyed a good day with ewe hogg sales at 3000gns and 2800gns. The former, which was the last entry in the pen, is by Carry House Jackpot and bred from a ewe by the F1 Oak House. She headed home with Messrs Smith, Slaggyford, Brampton.

Messrs Christie, Ballymoney, Northern Ireland bought the latter, a ewe hogg by Highberries Highlander out of a ewe by G34 Midlock that is a full sister to the Carry House Jackpot.

Also selling at 2800gns was another ewe hogg from the Greenhow flock. Bred the same way as the champion, she was knocked down to Messrs Buckle, Barras, Kirkby Stephen.

OTHERLEADING prices

Ewes – 2600gns – Highberries’ 2015-born, by an F1 Oak House and due to Highberries J64 to Messrs White, Horton in Ribblesdale, Settle. 2500gns – Highberries’ 2015-born, by a G31 Midlock and due to J64 Highberries to Ellis Bros, Addingham, Ilkley, West Yorkshire.

Gimmers – 2600gns – Midlock by a J6 Hewgill, and due L1 Hundith to Messrs Harvey and Son, Waxham, Norwich. 2500gns – MR Thornborrow, by H1 Carry House, due to L1 Riddings to Firm of Shawhead, Douglas, Lanark.

Ewe hoggs – 2500gns – Kirkby Redgate, by J1 Sealhouses, to Messrs Blaney, Ballymena, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.