Growing demand for Kerry Hills ensured the breed secured the best of the bids amongst the larger sections of sheep – Jacobs, Ryelands and Shetlands – sold as part of Harrison and Hetherington's annual sale of rare breeds at Carlisle.

Leading the Kerrys at £1200 was a shearling ram from D Knowles' Wrotham flock from West Marton, North Yorkshire, purchased by Kinbroon Farming Co, Inverurie. The tup, which stood second in his class at the pre-sale show, is by a Marlbrook ram.

Two Kerry Hill shearlings from well-known Jacob breeder, Robert Price, Pentrenant, Churchstoke, sold next at £900 each to Messrs Sutherland, Linlithgow and Messrs Thompson, Bishop Auckland, respectively. The former and pre-sale champion is by a Woodhouse ram, while the latter is sired by a Hilltop tup.

David Morrison, Dalwyne, Barr, bought the top priced ram lamb amongst the Kerrys at £892, a Hilltop ram by a Pentranent sire from RJ Stott, Corby Hill, Carlisle.

Leading the females at £620 was a gimmer from Derek Steen's Whitcastles flock from Lockerbie, purchased by Messrs Anderson, Carrutherstown, Dumfries. She is by a Woodhouse sire.

Ryelands peaked at £850 for the ewe lamb, Bryn Caffo from Welsh breeders, A and EC Parry, Bryn Hendre, Llangaffo, purchased by Messrs McKnight, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire. She is a daughter of Ashgrove Widget and out of Bryn Caffo.

The reserve male champion at the pre-sale show, a tup lamb bred the same way as the sale leader realised £450 for the same home selling to Messrs Brownrigg, Hesket Newmarket, Wigton.

Coloured Ryelands sold to £600 for a shearling from Philippa Barnes, Boreland, Dunscore, Dumfries. Glen Cairn Yule is a son of Welsh Vivacious, out of a Barony dam and headed home with Messrs Jackson and Son, Ugthorpe, Whitby.

Best from C Smyth, Urrall, Kirkcowan, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, was a home-bred gimmer purchased by Messrs Burton, Bassenthwaite, for £500. She is a daughter of Carsfad Usher.

Shetland sheep sold to £400 from A and F Hipwell, Wester Cockairney, Kinross, to Messrs King and Son, Norwich. Lomond of Cockairney, is a previous show star by Koko of Cockairney.

The overall champion, a shearling ram from B and J Watson, Field Croft, Carleton, Holmrook, Cumbria, was purchased by David Alcorn, Biggar, Lanarkshire, for £200. Muncaster Felix has been shown successfully and is a son of Island Hjaltland.

The sale of 158 Jacobs was topped by a shearling ram from Gordon Connor and Scott Dalrymple, Dun-Mor, Linlithgow, hit a top of £250 selling to Messrs Strang-Steel, Galashiels.

averages – Ryeland – 17 gimmers, £188.82; six ewe lambs, £245.83; four ram lambs, £245. Coloured Ryeland ­– Six gimmers, £331.67; 17 ewe lambs, £223.53; six shearling rams, £286.67; five ram lambs, £123. Shetland – 11 shearling rams, £129.36; three ram lambs, £105; five aged rams, £29.40; 42 gimmers, £69.95; 35 ewe lambs, £56.57; 13 aged ewes, £54.46. Jacob – 33 gimmers, £103.03; 11 ewe lambs, £108.63; four shearling lambs, £120; eight ram lambs, £77.50; 26 unregistered ewes and gimmers, £46.15; 39 unregistered ewe lambs, £44.74; four unregistered rams, £43.75. Kerry Hill – 62 gimmers, £257.42; 28 ewe lambs, £212.50; three aged ewes, £81.67; four aged rams, £325.00; 15 shearling rams, £519.33; 15 ram lambs, £323.50.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.