averages:

Texels – 83 gimmers, £525.63; eight ewe lambs, £1056.56. Beltex – 30 gimmers, £555.80; 14 ewe lambs, £401.25. Blue Texels – 13 ewes, £932.88

The first pedigree sheep event of the decade at J36 Rural Auction Centre did not disappoint as a top price of 4000gns was achieved for the North West Texel Breeders Club sale staged alongside a society sale of Beltex females.

Leading the Texel trade was the ewe lamb, Kaker Mill Mollie, from James Robinson, Carnforth. This first prize winning entry by Knock Yankee and out of a Sportsmans Tremendous-sired dam, was knocked down to Barlow Bros, Preston.

Taking the breed championship was a Garngour Alabama daughter from Messrs Boden and Davies of the Mellor Vale flock, Stockport. This gimmer is out of a Knap Vicious Sid ewe and sold in lamb to the 65,000gns Garngour Craftsman. She headed home at 3200gns to the Crossfield Texels flock from Macclesfield.

Best for Peter Woof's Stainton flock from Kendal was a 1400gns sale for a gimmer by Eden Valley A1, out of a Sportsmans-bred ewe. She sold in lamb to Stainton Conrad, to W Napier, Coalville, Leicestershire.

Procters Farm enjoyed a strong trade also selling to 1400gns for a Procters Abracadabra daughter scanned with triplets to the 100,000gns Sportsmans Batman. Bryden Nicolson, Highfield Farming, Duns, forked out the cash for this entry.

Next up amongst the ewe lambs was the best from Myfyr Evans, Rhaeadr, which sold for 1100gns to N Hulse, Slindon. She is sired by Garngour Alabama and out of a Clinterty Yuga Khan daughter.

Scottish breeder, Andrew Morton, Stirling, topped the Beltex sale at 1300gns with a Kingledores Battleaxe daughter, purchased by Ian Reid, Methven, Perth.

And making it a straight one-two for Scotland, Aberdeenshire breeder Stuart Wood sold his Woodies Destinys Child ET by Adonis and due to Airyolland Chocco, for 1000gns to Jones Livestock, Bonvilston.

An added feature of the event was the dispersal sale of the adult portion of the Gentrys Blue Texel flock, which peaked at 1700gns for Gentrys Calantha a Bishops Xavier-sired gimmer. She sold carrying twins to Xana Dynamo, a Belgian import, to Graeme Jackson, High Bentham.

LEADING awards

Tex – In-lamb ewe – 1, Eden Valley, R Wilson. In-lamb gimmer – 1, Mellor Vale, Boden and Davies; 2, Fachell, I Morris; 3, Stainton, PK Woof; 4, Eden Valley, R Wilson; 5, Procters, Procters Farm. Ewe lamb – 1, Kaker Mill, J Robinson; 2, Rhaeadr, MA Evans; 3, Rhaeadr, MA Evans; 4, Procters, Procters Farm; 5, Kaker Mill, J Robinson.

Belt – In-lamb ewe – 1, Rathbone Cutie ET, MR and JE Davis; 2, Smart Ass Bananarama ET, DE Owen; 3, Smart Ass Awen, DE Owen. In-lamb gimmer – 1, Mortons Dazzle, A Morton; 2, Withy Trees Dixie Chick, AJ Wood; 3, Heber Park Delfie, KCB Shuttleworth; 4, Woodies Destiny Child, S Wood; 5, Sovereign Dora ET, R Braithwaite. Ewe lamb – 1, Woodies Extra Flash ET, S Wood; 2, Withy Trees Eve, AJ Wood; 3, Mortons Elspeth, A Morton; 4, Rathbone Ewe Two, MR and JE Davis; 5, Benndale Emma, E Benn.

Auctioneers: North West Auctions