A cracking trade for Lleyns saw averages improve on the year with a top price of 7000gns paid for a shearling ram from Welsh breeders, Emrys, Dylan and Anwen Jones, from Lluest Wen, Machynlleth, Powys.

Their pen leader is sired by Brightonhouse Gold Card, which was bought at the Ross-on-Wye Society sale, in 2018 and has already bred sons to top four breed sales, this year. He is bred from a home-bred ewe and sold to Michael Cursiter of Laga Farms, in Orkney.

The Jones family then sold another at 2200gns to Messrs Latimer, Girgadis, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland. This shearling ram, a son of Whitscastle Enigma, is out of a home-bred ewe.

On the flip side, the Jones went to 2800gns for Tacho Ideal, from Will Williams, from Bodtacho Ddu, Pwllheli. He is by Macaroni Grenade, and again bred from a home-bred Tacho ewe.

Second top price was 5000gns paid for a shearling ram from John and Racheal Geldard, and sons Charles and Richard, of the Wray Castle flock, based at Low Foulshaw, in Kendal. Their best, a son of Netherton Fearless, a tup purchased here in 2017, is out of a 6000gns Goldies-sired dam. He headed home with Messrs Moffat, Biggar, Lanarkshire.

The Geldard family also sold another by a Nelless ram at 3200gns to H and M Dugdale and Sons, of the Borrins flock, at Settle, North Yorkshire.

John Blakey, Netherton Northside, Thropton, was next in the ring and sold his best, Netherton Invincible, for 4000gns to AW Davies, Pwllheli. A new bloodline from the flock, Invincible is sired by the 2200gns Whitlaw Flippin Good – bought here in 2017 – and is out of a home-bred ewe.

Mr Blakey also sold another two Whitlaw Flippin Good sons at 2500gns and 2200gns. At 2500gns was Netherton Injector which was knocked down to Graham and Mandy Fort, of the Brightonhouse flock, based at Whitley Head, Steeton, while the 2200gns ram, Netherton Iron Man sold to Ian and Tom Walling of Farmstock Genetics, Over Whitlaw, Selkirk.

Matching that 2500gns bid was Goldies Inspiration, from Hamish Goldie, South Bowerhouses, Dumfries, purchased by Graham and Mandy Fort, Whitley Head. He is by a Laga sire and out of a daughter of the 18,000gns Lluest Nobleman.

Next at 2200gns, Terry and Beverley Fort, Whitley Head, Steeton, sold Brightonhouse Ideal in a two-way split to Messrs Geldard, Wray Castle and Messrs Kavanagh, Draughton, Skipton. The breeding behind this shearling includes the sire Fort Grand Prix, which bred sons to 5000gns at Ruthin onto a home-bred ewe.

The Geldards also went to 2000gns for a shearling ram from Derek and Cindy Steen of the Ballylinney flock from Coxhill, Moffat. He boasts home-bred genetics on both sides.

Females also met a buoyant trade selling to £250 per head for a pen of 10 gimmers from Jim Goldie, Ruthwell, purchased by D Mullan, Coleraine.

Top priced ewe lambs came from Ian and Tom Walling, of Farmstock Genetics, Selkirk, whose pen also sold across the Irish Sea at £290 per head to C McConville, Newry.

OTHER LEADING prices

Ewe lambs – £135, £130 Farmstock Genetics; £160 Bank Hall; £145, £130 Greenshields; £135 Pentre; £130 Netherton Northside; £128 Twose Farms Ltd; £128 Felindre; £125 (x2) Bodtacho Ddu.

Gimmers – £240, £205, £200 (x2) South Bowerhouses; £228, £205 Iluest Wen; £215, £202, £200 Coxhill; £212 Whingill; £210 Low Foulshaw; £206 North Drummoddie; £200 Bensfield; £200 Laga Farms; £200 Bodtacho Ddu; £200 Netherton Northside; £200 Orchard Cottage.

Rams – 1800gns Brynowen; 1600gns Lluest Wen; 1600gns (x3) Netherton Northside; 1500gns The Bungalow; 1500gns Mileview.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

averages: 85 rams, £1162.97 (+£270 for 16 fewer sold); 609 gimmers, £191.45 (+£29.50 for 345 fewer sold); 477 ewe lambs, £126.83 (+£30 for 34 more sold).