Growing demand for Blue Texels ensured a buoyant trade throughout at a breed show and sale at Carlisle, where the reserve overall champion, Beili Blues Dragon, proved the star attraction, selling for the top price of 5200gns.

The ram lamb from Welsh breeders, DL and BWH Jones, Beili Bedw, Llanllwni, is backed by home-bred genetics on both sides being sired by the Pistyll Yolo son, Beili Blues Cymro, and out of Beili Blues ewe, by Jonsland Wifi. He sold to Paul and Christine Tippetts, buying for their Hackney flock from Shifnal, Shropshire.

The same buyers also went to 5000gns for Hunters Dizzy Rascal, a ram lamb from Aberdeenshire breeders, Stuart and Wendy Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Insch. A son of Caryl's Blues Captain, a tup bought privately for 2500gns at Worcester, he is out of a Millside ewe that has bred females to 1500gns.

Top price amongst the shearling rams at 4600gns was R Williams' Dragon Chris, from Tynllyn, Lampeter. Sired by the Millend Allrounder son, Dragon Buster, and out of an imported Turbo Blue ewe, he stood third in his class at the pre-sale show and headed back down to Wales with Messrs Davies, buying for the Severn View flock from Caersws, Powys.

The overall champion, Caryl's Blues Dancer ET, from Caryl Howells, Nantgwynne, Llanddeusant, Llangadog, sold next at 3000gns to Lesley Weatherburn, of the Yeat flock from Aylesbury, Bucks. This tup lamb is by a Hackney sire by Joe's Alvin and bred from an imported Caryl's Blues ewe.

Selkirk-based breeder, David Gray, Lindean, bought the pen leading ram lamb from GA and HM Francis' Pistyll flock from Abergorlech, Carmarthen, at 2000gns. Pistyll Dynamite ET, is bred from a Pistyll ewe by Whatmore Worcester that was also the dam of the 2017 champion here, Pistyll Buckshot which made 4000gns, and sired by an imported tup.

Females also met a buoyant trade selling to 4500gns for the first prize ewe lamb purchased by Dumfriesshire breeder, Kevin Watret buying back some of his own genetics for the Solway View flock from Maulscastle, Annan. This was Cleenagh Disney Queen, an ET bred from the Whatmore Siren daughter, Cleenagh Bambino ET and sired by Solway View Bullet, a tup sold here for 3900gns. Disney Queen was first at Balmoral and Omagh Shows and was consigned by Northern Ireland breeders, A and C Richardson, Maguiresbridge.

Her full sister, Cleenagh Dirty Dancer ET, the second prize ewe lamb from the same home made 3800gns selling to Messrs Higgins, Chirleville, Co Cork, Eire.

Matching that bid was the top priced gimmer, Saltire Blue Chic, from Aberdeenshire breeder Stasa Moyse, Woolhillock, Skene, Aberdeenshire. Second in her class at the pre-sale show, this entry purchased by Messrs Bowring, Nether Langwith, Mansfield, Notts, is by the 3300gns Hackney Your Joking and out of an imported show ewe.

Just behind, on 3500gns, Saltire Blue Charlies Angel, by the same sire but out of a home-bred ewe with a Kreuze sire, was bought by Giles Hardman, Lowbands, Glos.

The female champion, Hackey Cara, a gimmer by a Turbo Blue son of Turbo Blue Welsh Boy, realised 3000gns for Paul and Christine Tippetts' Hackney flock from Shifnal. She is bred from a home-bred ewe by Beli Blues Peter and headed home with Abram Farms, Beetley, Dereham, Norfolk.

The Tippetts also bred the reserve female in Hackney Yoko ET, consigned by Mathew Jones, Glan-Y-More, Gwynedd, which made 2900gns to Henry Jewitt, Romaldskirk, Barnard Castle, Co Durham. His purchase, a four-year-old ewe is by Whatmore Siren and out of an imported Hackney dam.

OTHERLEADING prices

Gimmers – 2000gns – M Jones' Glan-y-Mor Cranberry ET, by a Turbo Blue sire to Page Farm Partnership, Rookwith, Ripon; S Moyse' Saltire Blue Calypso, by Hackney Your Joking, to Messrs Hardman, Lowbands; P Troup's Nantyderri Carley ET, by Whatmore Walnut, to R Cook, Llantilio, Abergavenny.

Ewe lambs – 2000gns – M, G, T and C Sivill's Glanrafon Blues, by Cairnrock Yabadabadoo, to Messrs Cormack, Jedburgh.

averages – four aged rams, £853.13; 51 shearling rams, £840 (+£23.65 for 23 more); 55 ram lambs, £896.41 (-£22.62 for 18 more); six aged ewes, £843.50; 89 gimmers, £798.83 (+£53.94 for 37 more); 47 ewe lambs, £688.53 (+£5.80 for 24 more).