Bluefaced Leicesters from John and Mandy Smith-Jackson's Shafthill flock proved the star attraction at the Lockdown Ladies sale at Carlisle, on Monday, securing several of the top prices to include the top two at 8000gns and 6500gns.

The sale which had been brought forward to enable sheep to travel to Ireland before the December 31 deadline, benefitted hugely from such breeders with most of the lead priced lots purchased by breeders in the province.

This included the sale leader from the Smith-Jacksons who were selling the adult portion of their Shafthill flock from High Town, Hexham. Their 8000gns best was paid for a gimmer daughter of the £9000 Blarnavaid tup bought in 2018, bred from a bought-in Carry House ewe by Midlock G34. She sold carrying two lambs to the E1 Hewgill, to Co Tyrone breeder, Eamonn Harkin, buying for his Moneygran flock from Strabane.

Mr Harkin also went to 5000gns for a one-crop ewe by the Bailey Mill tup and bred from a home-bred ewe that sold for £4000 by the C2 Shafthill. She changed hands scanned for a pair of lambs by the Blarnavaid tup.

Second top price was 6500gns paid for a another Shafthill gimmer by the £9000 Blarnavaid tup but bred from a home-bred ewe by that same C2 Shafthill – a three times champion winner at the Penrith Progeny Show and great crossing sire. Welsh breeders, Messrs Bennett, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire were the final bidders on this entry which sold carrying triplets to the E1 Hewgill.

A four-year-old daughter of the C2 Shafthill, that bred the flock's best ram lamb this year, N010 Shafthill retained for breeding, realised 4500gns to Messrs Teasdale, Haydon Bridge, Hexham. Her dam, is a home-bred ewe by the C4 Shafthill, while the service sire of the three lambs she was carrying was the N27 Kirkby Redgate.

Top price for Allan and Ben Wight's Midlock flock from Crawford, was 6000gns paid for their pen leader, an ET gimmer by the K4 Marriforth. She is the result of a flush from a home-bred ewe by the E1 Barf House that was the dam of the £12,000 Midlock Dynamite and the L27 Midlock retained as a crossing sire. Messrs Pye, Lancaster, forked out the cash for this big girl which sold served to the N2 Midlock.

The flock's No 2, by the same sire, made 4500gns selling to Raymond Baynes, Croy, Inverness-shire. Her dam, a daughter of the G3 Midlock, is a former first prize winner at Abington Show and the full sister to the £8500 Midlock ram sold to Robert McInnes, at Hawes in 2015. She sold due to the L31 Midlock.

Just behind, on 4200gns, Alison Bastian, Auldgirth, Dumfries, bought another ET gimmer by the K4 Marriforth, bred from a ewe by Midlock Mustang that has produced ram lambs to £9000 and shearlings to £5500. The service sire this time was the M2 Asby Hall.

Two Midlock gimmers made 4000gns each, with the first purchased by Messrs Wilson, Ballymena, Co Antrim, and the second by Messrs Wells and Sons, Monyash, Bakewell, Derbyshire

The top four highest priced lots from Jamie Pirie's Blarnavaid flock from Drymen also sold across the Irish Sea, with the dearest at 5800gns being purchased by Messrs Montgomery, Ballymena, Co Antrim. This was a gimmer daughter of the £37,000 K20 Midlock, bred from a Shafthill ewe by the E28 Midlock and due to Temain The Gambler N1.

Minutes earlier, Graham and Julie Loughery of the Temain flock from Limavady, Co Londonderry, went to 4500gns for another gimmer daughter of the K20 Midlock, out of a Cottage ewe by the C8 Highberries. The service sire this time was the Hewgill M2.

Mr Pirie, who produced the lead average at just short of £5000, also sold two ET sisters at 4200gns each. Both are bred from the same Cottage ewe as the 4500gns gimmer, but sired by the L12 Shafthill. The first and No 2 sold to Messrs McCrystal, Drummuck, Maghera and due to the M2 Hewgill

Co Derry breeders, Messrs McLaughlin, Coleraine, bought the second which changed hands in lamb to the K20 Midlock.

Top prices for Derek Hall and Michael James' Firth and Duhonw flocks respectively were 1500gns and 3200gns.

Averages: Shafthill flock – 28 ewes and gimmers, £2300.63; Blarnavaid – four gimmers, £4908.75; Firth – four gimmers, £861.00; Duhonw – six ewes and gimmers, £2205.00; Midlock – 14 gimmers, £3555.00.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.