averages:

23 aged ewes, £492.59; 90 shearling gimmers, £600.69; 32 ewe lambs, £680.86; two pregnancies, £315.

Beltex females met a buoyant trade at the breed society show and sale at Carlisle, last week, where the Buckles family from Barras, Kirkby Stephen, retained their title of producing the top priced female, selling their pen leader for 4400gns.

Their best came in the form of the gimmer Buckles Dream Come True – a full sister to the 6000gns Dragon Slayer which was champion when sold at Kelso, back in September. She is a daughter of Broxty Supreme and out of Buckles Annie Power. In-lamb to service sire, Gyffin Dexter, she was purchased by Rory Machray, Daviot, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.

Two made 1800gns, the first being Kenneth Preston’s ewe lamb, Glenpark Emmylou, selling to Jock McMillan, Carse of Clary, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire. This April-born lamb, from Dunbreen, Omagh, Northern Ireland, is sired by Clary Chief and out of Glenpark Batt.

The second to make 1800gns was the reserve overall champion, the ewe lamb, Woodies Elderflower, from Stuart Wood’s Woodies flock, Woolhillock Croft, Skene, Westhill, Aberdeenshire. Sired by the home-bred stock ram, Woodies Cookie Monster and out of Woodies Bramble, she was knocked down to Wade McCrabbe, Raphoe, Co Donegal, Eire.

Next best, at 1600gns, was another gimmer, Clary Dress To Kill, from Jock McMillan. She is a daughter of Henry V/H/Vrijbos and out of Clary Blossoming. Due to lamb at the beginning of March, she is in-lamb to Woodwick Chino, and was bought by Matthew Burleigh, Kinawley, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.

Matching the 1600gns pricetag was another from Stuart Wood, this time a ewe lamb, Woodies Ewe Belter, sired by Artnagullion Charlie Chaplin and out of the 7500gns Buckles Babybel. That pairing produced a full brother that sold for 12,000gns at the Carlisle Premier Sale, back in August. Forking out the money to purchase her was MT Davies and Son, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.

Next in the trade stakes, at 1500gns, was Matthew Burleigh’s third-prize ewe lamb. By the home-bred Matt’s Defender and out of Matt’s Avalanche, she was bought by CR and FL Swinnerton, Lipley, Market Drayton Shropshire.