The Farmers Guardian-supported show and sale of Bluefaced Leicesters at Hawes topped at £45,000 for a ram lamb from J. Hunter and Sons' Steel flock, Bellingham. By Midlock Magic, it sold to C. Campbell's Easter Happrew flock, Stobo, and A. Campbell's Glenrath flock, Peebles.
After taking the pre-sale show championship, a full brother to the sale topper from the same home sold for £30,000 to J. and M. Forbes, Clunebeg. The Steel flock averaged £13,389 for nine lambs.
The second top price of £35,000 was for a ram lamb by Hewgill Z14 out of a full sister to £30,000 N1 Hewgill from Messrs Lord's Hewgill flock, North Stainmore, which was knocked down to W.M. Hutchinson, Redgate, and G. and H.R. Shields, Skeughdale.
Messrs Lord also had the next top price of £32,000 for a son of a £3,000 Sealhouse ram out of a M39 Hewgill daughter, which sold to Robbie Hallam, High Birkwith; Shaun Procter, Spurigg; J. Wight and Sons, Midlock; and M. Thornborrow, Easter Dawyck. The Hewgill flock averaged £11,800 for eight lambs.
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The reserve champion, another son of Midlock Magic, this time from Martyn Archer's Carry House flock, Wark, made £20,000 when selling to the judge, Obie Sharp, Longcroft, for the Newbigging Walls flock.
Another ram lamb from the same home, which was a son of Carry House Ronaldo, sold for £18,000 to Messrs Hunter and J. Warnock and Sons, Coulemuir.
Also making £18,000 for Messrs Wight's Midlock flock was a lamb by M1 Riddings, which sold in a three-way split to M.W. and C.M. Ridley, Shitlington; W.C. Porter and Son, Riddings; and W. and D. Lawson, Gragareth.
The fourth prize winning lamb by S1 Brennand from Marion and William Porter's Skelgate flock, Reeth, made £16,000 to Jamie Pirie, Blarnavaid.
Shearling rams topped at £7,500 for J. and R. Caton, Otterburn Lodge, selling to A.C. and K. Pye, Emmetts.
Average – ram lambs, £2,572 (+£369 on 2023).
Auctioneers: Hawes Farmers Auction Mart Co