Averages: Harestone – six gimmers, £805.00; Usk Vale – five gimmers, £2336.00; Ettrick and Tima – six gimmers, £950.00; Knock – five gimmers, £1606.50. Overall, 22 gimmers, £1414.16.

Gimmers from Willy Davis' Usk Vale flock ruled supreme at the Spring Fling sale of Texel females at Carlisle, producing the top price of 4800gns and the lead average of £2336.00 for five.

Topping the trade was an ET-bred entry and the result of a flush from a Roundacre-bred dam by Forkins Won and Only that stood champion at the Three Counties and is maternal sister to Silvermere Baltic – sire of the 65,000gns Garngour Craftsman. Northern Ireland breeder, Gary Beacom, buying for his Lakeview flock was the final bidder of this Hexel Born to be Wild-sired entry.

Second top price for the Usk Vale flock from Monmouthshire was 2500gns paid for another ET-bred gimmer by Hexel Born to be Wild, but bred from a Glenside ewe bought in 2019, by the 130,000gns Sportsmans A Star. She headed home with John Howard, Battersby, Middlesbrough, Cleveland. Her full sister made 1900gns selling to Mark Radcliffe, Glossop, Derbyshire.

Just behind, on 1800gns Mr Davis, sold a Hope Valley C The Stars daughter, out of a home-bred Hexel Born To Be Wild daughter that is maternal sister to the 20,000gns Usk Vale Corker and the 15,000gns Usk Vale Champagne Charlie, to Daniel Clarke, Houghton on the Hill, Leicester.

The same buyer was back in action, going to the same price for the dearest from Gordon and David Gray's Ettrick and Tima flock from Sunnycroft, Selkirk. The breeding behind this transaction includes Brackenridge Commander onto a Llyfni Usain Bolt-sired Ettrick ewe, making her a maternal sister to the 10,500gns Ettrick Rainbow Warrior and the 26,000gns Rihanna.

Aberdeenshire breeders George Howie and his father Albert's Knock flock from West Knock, Peterhead, produced the second highest price of 3000gns for the final lot through the ring, a gimmer bred from a Rhaeadr female by Rhaeadr Ace, bought as a ewe lamb from Myfyr Evans for 2400gns. She is by Sportsmans Chieftain and sold back up to Aberdeenshire with David and William Moir of Moir Livestock, Fraserburgh.

The pen leader from Knock, an ET-bred gimmer and the result of a flush from a home-bred ewe by the 32,000gns Arkle Yingyang, made 2000gns selling to Ali Jackson, Cummertrees, Annan. She is by the £30,000 privately sold, Knock Crackerjack.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.