Broughton

ALL classes of breeding sheep met a keen demand at Harrison and Hetherington, last week, where dry Mule gimmers from KW and A Todd, East Mount, Broughton, led the entry at £110.

Also on offer were store lambs which peaked at £59 for Suffolks from RD Holland and Co, Low Scales, Milton, with fell-bred lambs out of Herdwick ewes to £46.50 for Charollais crosses from R McCartney, Boon Crag, Coniston.

LEADING prices:

Breeding gimmers – GF – £110, £98, £95 East Mount.

Store lambs – Suff – £59 Low Scales. Tex – £58, £54 Blackhall; £53 Wha House. GF – £48, £44 Ghyll Farm. Char – £46.50, £44 Boon Crag.

Castle Douglas

Despite atrocious weather conditions, a good ringside of buyers was in attendance at Wallets Marts' sale of Blackface draft ewes and gimmers, where averages slipped in both sections due to a lack of cash and confidence in the sector.

Top price was £350 per head paid for a pen of five gimmers from A MacLarty, Springhill, Lanark, purchased by Brian Devine, Strabane, Northern Ireland.

Leading the ewe trade at £270 was a pen of six from Glen Farm, Gatehouse of Fleet, purchased by A Stewart, Ballynure.

By the end of the day, 2189 ewes averaged £64.15 down £4.59 on last year whilst 1534 gimmers cashed in at £111.39, down £10.69.

* The decision to move the company's multi-breed show and sale of rams to the Friday and the same day as the annual show and sale of pedigree Bluefaced Leicester rams, did nevertheless prove a great success with prices well ahead of expectations.

Suffolk averages improved on the year with shearlings cashing in at £300, up £52, while ram lambs increased by £75 to £302. Champion, selected by the pre-sale judge, A Marchant, Clonhie, Thornhill, was a ram lamb from J Harkness and Son, Netherhall, which went on to top the section at £550.

Reserve was a shearling ram from Ashley Bothwell, Smithston, that later sold for £420.

Young Fraser McTaggart, Glen, Gatehouse of Fleet, topped the Texel section when his shearling ram secured the championship and top price of £880, while the reserve, a ram lamb from Andrew Hiddleston, Park Farm, Shawhead, made £400.

Texel shearlings averaged £460 a drop of £56 whilst ram lambs levelled at £240, down £84 on the year.

Cross-bred tups met an animated demand peaking at £900 for a Beltex cross shearling from R Jardine and Son, Upper Hardland, with the section averaging £490.

LEADING prices:

BF ewes – £270, £104 Glen, Gatehouse; £138, £128 Little Larg; £135 Knockdon; £132 High Croach; £120, £102 Monkridge Hill; £106 Cuil.

BF gimmers – £350 Springhill; £270, £195 Little Larg; £195 Blackloch; £190 Garroch Cottage; £190 Drannandow; £180 Glen; £172 Miltonise; £165 Nunnerie; £162 Barlaes; £160 Craignell.

Rams – Suff – Shearlings – £500 High Drum; £480 Smithston; £380, £320, £300 Redcroft; £350, £320 Mossend; £320(x2) Spoutwells; £320 Larglea. Ram lambs – £550, £420, £350, £320 Netherhall; £400 Castlehill; £380, £350, £300 Burgh Head.

Tex – Shearling rams – £880 McTaggart, Glen; £850, £800 The Cottage, Nisbet; £750, £680, £600 Fineview; £720, £650, £620, £600 Douganhill; £680 West Glengyre; £620 Hillside. Ram lambs – £450 Low Arkland; £400 Park Farm; £400 Townfoot, Glencaple; £400 Kilncroft.

Cross-breds – £900, £700 (x2); £600 (x2) Upper Hardland.

Wigton

Ewe lambs met a better than expected trade at Hopes’ prize show and sale of 2500 Mule ewe lambs at Wigton, where the champion pen, from J Lee and Sons, Morley Hill, attracted the lead price of £280.

The show, judged by Andrew Geary and Henry Hutchinson, saw the prize winning pen of 10 sell to Haig Murray for £280.

Reserve pen of 10 came from W Ridley, Woodhall and made £135. The overall sale average was £79.37.

LEADING prices

Mule ewe lambs – £280 Morley Hill (Lee); £135, £116, £112, Woodhall (Ridley); £130, £112 Fellside House Farm (Pears); £106 Greystoke Castle; £103 High Crossgill (Carrick); £95 Burblethwaite (Noble).

LEADING averages

Messrs J Lee (145) £97.81

Messrs W Ridley (294) £88.03

T Carrick and Sons (144) £85.58

Messrs Pears (185) £83.72

Greystoke Castle (214) £80.32

Hexham

AN extra 2910 Mule gimmers were forward for Hexham and Northern Marts’ annual show and sale at Hexham, judged by Colin Boocock, Freebrough, N Yorkshire, who placed 22 pens.

He found his champion in a pen from of 10 from RW and K Telford, Branton East Side, which later sold for £168 per head. They were bred from Blackface ewes and sold to Garrowby Estates.

The reserve pen from Joe Vickers, South Rennington, were also out of Blackface ewes and realised £174 per head to David Johnson, Tuthill.

Overall averages slipped £15.50 on the year.

LEADING prices

Gimmers – Mule ex Bf – £178, £174, £172 (x2), £170 Rennington South; £168 Branton East Side; Lowes Fell and Tenter House; £162 Lowes Fell and Rennington South (x2); £160 Branton East Side, Claywalls, Whitechapel and Coatyards; £158 Whitechapel and Edlingham Demesne; £156 Newbiggin Farm; £154 Tenter House; £152 Branton East Side (x2) and Avenue Farm. Chev Mule –- £154 (x2) Flotterton. Suff and Suff X – £155, £153 Edlingham Newtown; £150 Flotterton; £148 Halton Red House (x2); £146 Tenter House; £145, £144 Flotterton; £140 East Cocklaw (x2), Edlingham Newtown and Flotterton (x2). Pure Tex – £400, £280, £260 Low Espley; £195 Hagdon Moor; £170, £160 Halton Red House; £130 Hagdon Moor (x2) and Halton Red House. Pure Bel – £350, £200, £150 Steeley Farm. Leic – £150, Halton Red House.

Zwartbles – £175, £152 Halton Red House.

Stirling (Cale)

Some 242 rams were cashed at Caledonian Marts’ multi-breed sale at Stirling which saw a 91% clearance and top prices of £900 and £880 paid for Bluefaced Leicester shearling rams from Carden.

Texel and continental shearlings were keenly bid for with Bluefaced Leicesters slightly easier.

All classes of Suffolk shearlings and all ram lambs of all breeds were short of buyer requirements.

By the end of the day Texel shearlings improved £25 on the year to level at £425 with ram lambs of the same breed at £232 (-£2).

Bluefaced Leicester shearlings fell £40 to average £450 with Suffolk shearlings at £362 (+£32). Beltex and Beltex crosses balanced out at £360 (-£5).

Texel judge, David Hamilton, Tippethill, found his champion in a shearling from Robert McNee, Woodend, which made £680, with the reserve, a ram lamb from David McKerrow, Nochnary, selling for £400.

The champion Bluefaced Leicester, selected by judge, John Owen, Muirpark, was a shearling from Mains of Burnbank, that later made £750. Cretlevane picked up the reserve with another shearling that sold for £560.

OTHERLEADING prices

Shearling rams – Tex – £720, £620 Torrax; £650 Woodend; £600, £580 Halbeath; £550 Chalmerston (x3). BFL – £900, £880 Carden; £560, £500 Cretlevane; £520 Thorn; £460, £450 (x3) Arnicle; £450, £420 Mains of Burnbank. Suff – £550, £360 Claylands. Suff X – £420 Chalmerston. Belt X – £550, £480 (x2) Woodend; £550, £500 Dalchirla; £500 Easter Ochtermuthill; £450, £420 Dumfin Mill. Berr – £180, Kirkton. Blue Tex – £360, Millside. Char – £300, Upper Auchenlay.

Ram lambs – Tex – £350 Duncairnie; £320, £300 Allanview; £280 (x2), £250 Nochnary. BFL – £200, Menteith Crescent. Belt – £400, £320, Cuiltburn.

Longtown

MORE than 5300 Greyface Mule ewe lambs were forward for C and D Auction Marts’ annual show and sale at Longtown, where averages fell £8 on the year to £78.25.

Top price was £140 paid for a pen bred from Swaledale cross ewes from Tristain Davidson, Bellmount, Irthington, purchased by TA Foster, Ryehill, Sebergham, with others to £128 from Morley Hill.

Those bred from Blackface ewes peaked at £135 for a pen from A Carruthers and Son, Peela Hill, Bewcastle, with others from the same home making £132 and £130. Lawston also sold at £130.

Also forward were 1260 Cheviot Mule and 433 Continental ewe lambs, which sold dearer on the fortnight.

Top was £108 paid for Texels from Aimshaugh, and £104 from Hill Brae with Cheviot Mules to £102 from Ranbeck and Marwhirn and £100 from Linbrig and Ranbeck. Suffolk crosses peaked at £96 Townfoot.

Cheviot Mules also sold well amongst the entry of 1695 although second class sorts were harder to shift.

The small entry of 150 breeding tups peaked at £750 for a Texel lamb from Matthew Watson, Four O Boot, while Tony Gribbon, Waterside, topped the shearling rams at £600 for a Texel cross Beltex.

LEADING prices

Gimmers – Tex – £190 Dormansteads; £140 Howard House; £132 Dormansteads; £130 Howard House; £130, £128 Howford. Chev Mule – £155 Upper Mains; £152 Dunnabie; £150, £138 Upper Mains; £130 The Side. Dutch Tex – £128, £120 Dormansteads. Cross – £118 Barron House; £114 The Square; £112 Skelfhill.

Dispersal sale ewes – Tex – £102, £90 Capelfoot. Chev Mule – £94, £92, £87, £85, £81 Ardnacross; £82 Borthwickshiels. Suff – £88, £85 Borthwickshiels. Half-Bred – £85, £78, £77 Annefield. NCC – £84, £80 Chapelfoot. Lleyn – £78, £77 Borthwickshiels.

Ewes – Tex – £135 The Square, £96, £83 Aldery Terrace. Mule – £90, £80, £77, £76 The Flatt, £76 Greystone House. Chev Mule – £90 Newbank, £88 Branxholm Braes, £86 West Bolton, £84 Newbank.

Ram lambs – Tex – £750, £420, £400, £300 (x2), £280 (x2) Four O Boot, £280 Dashwellgreen. Tex x Belt – £340 Waterside. Suff – £280 Mid Upper Priestside.

Shearling rams – Tex x Belt – £600 Waterside; £420, £360, £320 Beck. Belt – £560 Waterside, £400, £380, £320 Seymour, £300 Jollybody. Tex – £520, £500, £400, £380, £360 Parkview, £500, £380 Beck. Suff – £380, £320 Shaw Cottage South, £300 Fowrass. Char x Belt – £320 (x2) Inch, £300 (x2) Thackwood, Fowrass and Inch, £280 Inch, £250 Thackwood. Char x Tex – £320 Fowrass. BFL – £300, £260 Whintingstown.

Aged rams – Tex – £270 (two-shear) Triermain. Belt – £250 (two-shear) Inch. BFL – £220 (two-shear) Barkbeth; £200 (two-shear) Redburn View.

Dingwall

SOME 2125 breeding and store sheep were forward for Dingwall and Highland Marts’ sale at Dingwall where

gimmers averaged £105.23 having sold to £162 for Texel crosses from Bunchrew Farm, Inverness.

Breeding ewes sold to £70 for Cheviots from Coulags, Strathcarron and feeding ewes (260) peaked at £87 twice for Suffolk crosses and Texel crosses both from Guisachan Farm, Tomich.

* The company's multi-breed sale of 353 rams and females at the weekend saw prices peak at £1300 for a Bluefaced Leicester shearling ram from Billy Macpherson, daughter Anne and her husband Raymond Baynes, Blackford, Croy.

The champion, selected by judge C MacIver, Wester Coltfield, Forres, was a Texel shearling from RK MacKay, Clyth Mains, Occumster, with the reserve presented to a Suffolk ram lamb from D Summers, Easthouse, Toab, that made £300.

The Cheviot section, judged by P Fraser, Tighnahinch, Alcaig, was won by a shearling from the Castle of Mey Trust, Longoe, that sold for £450.

OTHERLEADING prices

Ewes – Correct – Tex X – 3 Balnabeen, Conon Bridge, £68, £50; Chev – 238 Rearquhar, Dornoch, £66, 19 Gartymore, Helmsdale, £61, Buldoo, Houstry, £60; Mule – 3 Balnabeen, £49, Suff X – Pabbay Farm, Isle of Pabbay, £46. Broken mouth – Chev – 252 Rearquhar, Dornoch, £63, Inverlael Estate, Lochbroom, £57, Coulags, £56; BF – 238 Rearquhar, £57.

Feeders – Tex X – Guisachan Farm, £76, £64, Croft Martin, Kingussie, £60; Chev – 252 Rearquhar, £71, Ashfield, Drumgush, £65, 132 West Langwell, Rogart, £59; BF – 238 Rearquhar, £68; Suff X – Pabbay Farm, £48.

Gimmers – Tex X – Bunchrew Farm, £150, Knockglass Dornoch, £150, £140, Croft Martin, £135; Chev – Allangrange Park, Muir of Ord, £138, Knockglass, £138, Belmaduthy, Munlochy, £138, £135.

Rams – Ram lambs – Dor – 18 Kenilworth Terrace, £600, £350. Suff – 30 Castle Street, Forfar and East House, Toab, £300; 30 Castle Street (x4) and Marian, Evanton, £200; Ashton Farm Cottage, Inverness, £150; Tex – Balnaha, £520, £450; Wester Raddery, Fortrose, £400 (x2).

Aged rams – BFL – Barnyards, Beauly, £700. Suff – Balnaha, Fearn, £320. Tex – Weston, Buckie, £800.

Shearling rams – BFL – Blackford, £1300; The Arr, Lethen, £1200; Nether Aucharnie, Forgue, £1050; Craighall, Forgandenny, £900. Char – Upper Auchenlay, £300 (x6). Belt – Loandhu, Fearn, £580; Braes of Coulmore, North Kessock and Runachloie, Gruids, £450; Horn Farm, Errol, Braes of Coulmore and Runachloie, £420; Upperton, Glenurquhart, £380. Suff – Sibster and Stainland Farms, Thurso and Veltigar, Tankerness, £1100; North Essie, £1000, £900 (x3); Weston, Deskford, £900; The Cloy, Fortrose, £880. MBlue – Horn Farm, £620, £600. Cross – Upper Auchenlay, £580, £550. Chev – Biggins, Wick, £650; Belmaduthy, Munlochy, £500; Achscrabster, Thurso and Castle of Mey (x3) £450; Biggins and Belmaduthy, £400. Tex – Clyth Mains, Occumster, £1200.

Females – Ewes – Belt – Bardnaheigh, £300 (x2). Gimmer – Belt – Bardnaheigh, £280 (x2).

Ayr

An accredited pure Texel tup lamb from Messrs McPhee, North Lodge, Troon, topped Craig Wilson’s sale of rams at Ayr, last weekend, selling for £1600.

Leading the shearling section at £900 was a Texel from Messrs Gibb, Toftcombs, Biggar.

A Texel also topped the non-accredited rams selling for £1050 for a shearling from Messrs Laird, Carbello (Cumnock).

LEADING prices

Accredited – Shearling rams – Suff – £440, £400 Broomknowes; £400 Riggfoot. Tex – £900, £550 Toftcombs; £800, £720, £680 x2, £650, £600 Barneil; £780, £700 x4, £680 x2, £650, £600 Laigh Alticane; £700 Chalmerston and North Lodge; £680, £550 x2 Laigh Kilphin; £650, £600 x2, £550 Dalwyne; £640, £620 x2, £600 x2, £550 Dalreoch; £620, £550 x2 Broomknowes; £600 Fairlynne; £560 West Broadmoss. Belt – £650, £580, £480 Howcommon; £400 Lyonpark. Belt X £500, £420, £400 Toftcombs; £440, £400 Dykes.

Ram lambs – Suff – £620, £580 Harpercroft; £480, £420 Mid Skeog. Tex - £1600, £650 North Lodge; £580, £300 Fairlynne; £500, £380 Lochlands; £480 x2 Kirkhill; £420 Dalwyne; £300 x2 Humeston; £300 Ochiltree Mains. Char X Belt ram lambs – £280 Mid Brockloch.

Non-accredited – Shearling rams – BFL – £850 Cassington; £800 Pennymore; £700 Cassington; £680 Fleminghill; £650, £600 x2 Cassington; £600, £550 Pennymore; £520 Grassmillees. Suff - £450, £420, £400 Carbello. Tex – £1050 Carbello; £800 Craig; £750 Fisherton; £700 Sunnyside; £680 Carbello; £550, £520, £500 Springfield (Arran); £520, £500 Carbello; £580, £550 x2, £520 Fisherton.

Ram lambs – BFL – £350 Lochhill; £320 Graystoneknowe; £250 Lochhill; £200 Sorn Mains. Tex - £300 Hall of Caldwell.