Ewe hoggs secured the majority of the top prices at the Classy Lassies sale of crossing Bluefaced Leicester females at Carlisle on Monday, where averages slipped significantly on the year.
It was nevertheless a good day for the Lord family’s Hewgill flock from West Dowgill, Kirkby Stephen, when they secured the top two prices – 7500gns and 6000gns. Their two top sellers were both by the Marriforth P1, a tup bought out of Hawes as a lamb for £5500, with the dearest being out of a home-bred ewe that goes back to Riddings L7. Final bidder was Shaun Procter, Kirkby Stephen.
The pen leader made 6000gns selling to Robbie Hallam, Settle. Her dam goes back to the flock’s main tup, Hewgill M39, and is a full sister to the £40,000 and £50,000 tup lambs sold at Hawes last year.
The best from the Thornborrow family’s Dawyck flock from Easter Dawyck, Peebles made 5500gns. Another ewe hogg, she is a daughter of the Hewgill P1 which was bought for £16,000 at Hawes and has previously bred tups to 10,000gns, while the dam, a home-bred ewe was a show female as a gimmer. This ewe hogg headed home with Messrs Allan and Sons, Dufton, Appleby In Westmorland.
Another ewe hogg from Peter Smith, The Dyke, Lonning House, Laneside, Brampton made the same money selling to Kevin Ridley of the Shitlington flock, Wark, Hexham. She is the result of the sire, Hargill House J6, onto a Carry House dam bought out of Carlisle.
Jordan Rutter Armstrong, Penrith, gave 4000gns for the No 1 from Richard Hutchinson’s Kirkby Redgate pen, Kirkby Stephen. This ewe hogg is a daughter of last year’s £7500 Hawes purchase, Hewgill P3, with the dam going back to Sealhouses J1.
Leading the gimmer trade at 3600gns was the best from Andrew and Caroline Hunter, The Steel, Bellingham. A daughter of the Asby Hall L1 that was bought out of Kirkby Stephen for £11,000 and has bred strong Mule lambs, her home-bred dam goes back to Midlock G34. She sold in lamb to the Midlock R27 to Messrs McCrystal, Drummuck, Maghera.
The pre-sale champion, a ewe hogg, made 3500gns for Alec and Anders Brown’s Macqueston flock, Thornhill, Dumfries, when selling to Graeme Jackson, High Bentham, Lancashire. Her pedigree features the Highberries M1, a tup of which a half share was purchased privately and went on to breed 10 Mule ewe lambs at £220 last year. She is bred from the best ewe in the flock and is a maternal sister to the pre-sale champion here last year which made 7500gns.
Martyn Archer’s second prize ewe hogg from Carry House, Hexham, made 3500gns. She is by Carry House Ronaldo, a tup that sold for £28,000 at Hawes last year with a share retained while the dam, a show gimmer is from the most influential female line in the flock. George and John Browell, along with John’s two sons, Ridley and Lewis of the Quarry flock from Hexham, forked out the cash.
The Wight family’s Midlock pen from Crawford, was topped at 3500gns by a gimmer carrying twins to Riddings P2, a £23,000 purchase that has already bred progeny to 25,000gns. Her breeding features Midlock M40, onto a bought in Cottage L37 dam. She sold to Keith Brooke, Glenluce, Newton Stewart.
Rory Steele, Balfron Station, went to 3200gns for another gimmer from the same home, this one was in lamb to a home-bred tup and carrying triplets. A daughter of the £30,000 Hawes purchase – that has bred tups to 13,000gns and females to 7000gns – she is out of a ewe that has bred rams to £9000.
Colin and Janet Willoughby and sons, Tom and Mark, Woodend,Redmire, Leyburn, received 3500gns from Messrs Forbes, Pitlochry, for a ewe hogg by the Midlock N23, which was bought out of J36,with the dam going back to Steel K1.
Next best at 3000gns was a ewe hogg from Alan Shennan, Farden, Girvan, purchased by Robert Law, Lancs. A daughter of the £16,000 Kirkby Stephen purchase, Hewgill M28 that has bred progeny to 12,000gns, her dam is a Carry House-bred ewe bought privately.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Averages: eight aged ewes, £358.31 (-£859.69 for two less); 35 gimmers, £1209 (-660.58 for 19 fewer); 38 ewe hoggs, £2105.52 (-£466.98 for 12 more).
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