Herdwick ewes to £500
AT Broughton's sale of Herdwicks top price of the day was £500 for the first prize pen of five Herdwick ewes from Anthony Hartley, Turner Hall, Seathwaite, which were purchased on behalf of Neil Marsden, Cockermouth.
Auctioneers: Barnard Castle and Teesdale Farmers Auction Mart Co.
Hemingby dispersal reaches 7,500gns
It was the end of an era for Michael Read, Hemingby, who dispersed his Hemingby herd of Lincoln Red cattle at Louth, along with a British Blue bull and British Blue cross-breds.
The sale peaked at 7,500gns for the three-year-old British Blue bull, Almadan Reggie, a son of Sandyvale Jagerbome, which sold to Riby Grange Farms, Grimsby.
Pedigree cows topped at 5,500gns for Hemingby Treasure A1379, a 2021-born cow scanned in-calf to Holegate Yogi, which was bought by Wartton, Rand.
Hemingby Treasure A1372, scanned in-calf to Beverly Atomic, sold for 3,700gns to L. Kemp, Sutton-cum-Granby. Its heifer calf at foot, Hemingby Treasure D1511, made 1,500gns to T.D. Nicholls, Alysbury.
T. Green, Grantham, paid 3,400gns for Hemingby Polly Z1283, which was by Hemingby Illustrious and in-calf to Holegate Yogi. Its heifer calf at foot made 2,000gns, also to Messrs Nicholls.
Heifer calves topped at 2,500gns for Hemingby Orchid D1538 by Brackenhurst Viper, which sold to G.D. Strawson, Retford.
In-calf heifers topped at 4,000gns for Hemingby Treasure B1395, which went to Battlefield Stud, Burythorpe.
Maiden heifers sold to 2,100gns for Hemingby Polly C1464, a daughter of Donnington Xanadu, which was knocked down to The University of Lincoln.
British Blue cross-bred cattle topped at 2,750gns for a 2020-born cow, and its heifer calf at foot also sold for £1,300. The outfit went to M. and H. Pick, Melton Mowbray, who also paid 2,500gns for a 2021-born cow and £2,200 for its heifer calf.
Averages - 3 stock bulls, £5,000; 33 pedigree Lincoln Red cows, £2,227.27; 37 calves, £1,215.41; 12 in-calf heifers, £2,975; 16 maiden heifers, £1,556.25; 2 cross-bred cows, £2,625.
Auctioneers: Louth Livestock Market.
New Bluefaced Leicster record at Barnard Castle
A Bluefaced centre record of £6,100 was set at Barnard Castle for the overall champion, a ram T3 Dousgill by M1 Dousgill from J. and S.E. Bainbridge, Richamon, which sold to M. Allan, Appleby, and A. Lawson, Aspartria.
Auctioneers: Barnard Castle and Teesdale Farmers Auction Mart Co.
Rough Fell rams
The show and sale of Rough Fell rams at J36 peaked at 8,500gns for the shearling, Cautley Thwaite Hurricane, from M.D. and J.D. Handley, Sedbergh, which sold to T.L.B. and J. Knowles, Selside, and K. Milburn and A. Devlin, Sedbergh.
The Handleys also sold Cautley Thwaite Harrier at 7,000gns. The buyers were M.P. and A. Capstick, Kirkby Stephen, who themselves sold the pre-sale show champion, Brownber Huntsman, at 3,500gns to J. Hodgson, Askham, and the reserve champion, Brownber Holistic, at 3,000gns to P. and S. Hoggarth, Sedbergh.
I. and M. Mallinson, Selside, sold High Cark Hunter to Messrs Handley for 3,200gns.
Ram lambs peaked at 700gns for J. and I. Capstick, Kirkby Stephen, selling to J.E. Harding, Caernarfon.
Aged rams sold to 600gns for Brownber Feature from S.W. Huck, Kirkby Stephen.
Averages - shearling rams, £997; aged rams, £405; ram lambs, £395.
Auctioneers: North West Auctions.
Heifer tops Loford dispersal
The dispersal of the Loford herd of Holsteins on behalf of Michael, Joanne and Rob Wade, Bideford, at Exeter topped at 4,600gns.
This was for Loford Legend Gloria, a VG87 two-year-old in its first lactation bred from four generations of Excellent dams. The buyer was David Jones, Wiltor herd, Monmouthshire, who also paid 4,000gns for a heifer by Stantons Chief from the Flo family.
Another VG two-year old, Loford Artist Lustre, made 4,100gns to Messrs Hussell, Shebbear.
The top priced served heifer at 3,700gns was Loford Alpha Divine, in-calf with a sexed heifer calf by M-B Luckylady Bullseye, which went to Mark and Caroline Davies, Tynewydd.
Its dam, an EX93 cow from the Dellia family, sold for 3,500gns to the M.L. Farming's Crystalclear herd, Yorkshire.
Heifer calves sold to 2,100gns for a three-month-old Lambda daughter from the Fifi family, bought by G. Jenkins, Talybont.
Averages - 83 cows and calved heifers, £2,509.88; 13 served heifers, £2,011.15; 14 maiden heifers, £1,248.75; 48 heifer calves, £1,050; 158 head, £1,913.59.
Auctioneers: Norton and Brooksbank with Kivells.
Perth rams top at £8,000
Trade peaked at £8,000 at the Perth Ram Society show and sale of Blackface rams at Stirling, where 152 shearling rams averaged £1,064 and 38 ram lambs averaged £716.
The Hamilton family's Woolford consignment, West Lothian, achieved the top three shearling prices of £8,000, £6,000 and £5,000. Sale leader at £8,000, was one by a home-bred ram which they used as a lamb before selling last year for £20,000. Out of a ewe by a £2,200 Auchnacloich, it sold to the Patersons' Craigneich flock, Comrie.
Next, at £6,000, was a son of a £4,000 Woolfords which went to Stephen Duncan, Glenlivet.
The Hamiltons' £5,000 seller was by a 5,500gns Conway ram and sold to David Baillie, Carnwath.
At £4,800, Phil Stewart, Bomakelloch, Banffshire, sold a shearling son of a £600 Eastmill ram to Bert Grant, Glenisla.
Two lambs hit the £2,800 mark – one from Neil Kydd, Glenisla, which also went to Woolfords, and one from Scott Robertson, Avonside, which sold to Elizabeth Johnston, Glamis.
Auctioneers: United Auctions.
Swaledale ewes sell to £600/head
At Penrith's hill-bred show and sale champion honours went to the Wear family, Howe Green, with two-crop Swaledale ewes which sold for the top price of £600/head with the consignment of 126 averaging £219.90.
The buyer was E. Haughey, Northern Ireland, who also paid £520/head for the reserve champions from Messrs Lightfoot, Gillside.
Shearlings from the same home topped at £250/head, with the first prize pen selling to Messrs Richardson, Bewaldeth, with this run of 306 averaging £202.56.
G.D. and J.P. Nelson, Hedwynds, sold 43 Swaledale gimmer lambs to average £96.98, topping at £115 for the first prize pen.
Herdwicks topped at £210 for a pair of ewes from M. Potter, Ulcatrow.
Shearlings topped at £175 for a pen of 12 from C.G. and P.M. Pollock, Ivegill, bought by C.H. and S. Peart, Hexham.
Cheviots sold to £205 for four-crop ewes from R.W. and G. Dickinson, High Knipe, whose consignment of 71 averaged £170.
Averages – Swaledale ewes, £146.46; Swaledale shearlings, £149.69; 52 Swaledale gimmer lambs, £71.53; Herdwick shearlings, £153.13; Herdwick ewes, £97.01.
Auctioneers: Penrith and District Farmers Mart.
High of £16,000 for Swaledale rams
The A District Swaledale ram sale on behalf of the Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association at Middleton-in-Teesdale averaged £1,334.96, an increase of £62.18 on the year. Leading the trade at £16,000 was the champion from Messrs Hutchinson, Valley Farm, Bowes, which sold to Messrs Ridley, Haltcliffe, Hesket Newmarket.
Messrs Watson, Stoney Hill, then followed at £12,000 for their third prize large breeders ram, which sold in a three-way split to Messrs Hutchinson, Bail Hill; Messrs Millar, Pallet Crag; and Messrs Staley, Poppin Cottage.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Suckled calves in demand at Ruswarp
There was an increased entry of 634 at the two-day suckled calf sale at Ruswarp, where all entries were under 12 months old and most were seven to nine months old. Averages were up on the year.
The young bulls topped the sale at £2,000 for the champion, a Limousin from Dean Allen, Thornton Le Dale, which sold to the judge, Wayne Turnbull, Driffield, on behalf of Mrs Mason. Mr Allen averaged £1,738 for five bulls.
The reserve champion from Tom Thompson, Lealholm, made £1,700 to J. Marshall, Spaunton.
Mr Thompson also topped the steers at £1,480 with a Limousin, averaging £1,452 for five, and topped the heifers at £1,450, averaging £1,267 for 17.
Averages – Charolais – steers, £1,114; heifers, £975; bulls, £1,190. Limousin – steers, £1,060; heifers, £1,047; bulls, £1,239. British Blonde – steers, £1,169; heifers, £1,192; bulls, £1,250. Aberdeen-Angus – steers, £927; heifers, £918. British Blue – bulls, £1,060. Simmental – bulls, £1,170. Overall – steers, £1,072; heifers, £1,010; bulls, £1,269.
Auctioneers: Richardson and Smith.
Wigfair dispersal tops at £3,360
A top bid of £3,360, with another 20 bids over £3,000, was the highlight of the dispersal of the Wigfair herd of registered Holstein Friesians for Huw and Meinir Jones, held on-farm near St Asaph, Denbighshire.
The sale leader was a newly calved second calver by Applejax out of a 13,021kg dam.
Applejax also sired the top-priced calved heifer at £3,255, which had calved last month and was out of a 12,548kg dam. Two sold at 3,050gns: a second calver and a third calver, both by Applejax.
Dry cows by Jeronimo and Applejax, carrying their third calves by the British Blue, sold to 2,500gns.
In-calf heifers due to the Limousin stock bull sold to 2,000gns.
Averages - 259 milking cows and heifers (including faults), £2,120; 16 in-calf heifers £1,727.
Auctioneers: Gwilym Richards and Market Drayton Market.
Dalesbred rams sell to £11,000
The Dalesbred Sheep Breeders Association sale of rams at Bentham topped at £11,000 with a 94% clearance rate.
This was for a shearling from Chris and Henry Fawcett, Kingsdale, which sold to John Kelsall, Cold Cotes; Stephen Wright, Roeburndale; and Bainbridge Brothers, Richmond.
Next was Mick Carr, Brackenbottom, at £7,500 with his best shearling, which sold to Messers Tiplady, Leyburn.
J.M. and J.J. Dawson, Littledale, sold their best ram at £5,000, and R. Jackson and Son, Horton in Ribblesdale, sold at £4,500. This was followed by J.K. Wilson, Blubberhouses, at £4,000, which was matched by Richard Close, Starbotton.
Aged rams sold to £2,600 for a three-shear ram from Richard Coates, Alnwick, and John Kelsall sold a four-shear ram at £2,000. Ram lambs peaked at £600 for Richard Lancaster, Clitheroe.
The first prize winners in the large breeders class and overall champion pen of ewes from the Capsticks, Fell End, sold for £270/head to Alistair Prickett, Farleton.
Three-crop ewes sold to £400/head for a pair from David Lambert, Semerview.
Shearlings topped at £320/head for a pair from John Bradley, Giggleswick, who also sold a trio at £300/head.
The winning gimmer lambs from Godfrey and Allison Haygarth, Settle, led the section at £165/head.
Averages - shearling rams, £821 (+£70 on 2023); ewes, £142 (+£3); shearlings, £182 (+£66); gimmer lambs, £100.15 (+£18).
Auctioneers: Richard Turner and Son.
Sheep dogs top at 6,000gns
Shaun Richards, Pen-y-Borough Sheepdogs, Eldroth, topped the Farmers Guardian-supported sale of working sheepdogs at Skipton at 6,000gns, with his two-year-old black and white bitch Gem.
The daughter of Ross Games' Preseli Bronk, out of Neil Redman's Oaktree Lynn, which was bought by Mr Richards eight months ago, went to an undisclosed buyer.
Next, at 5,600gns, was Colin Birkett, Carnforth, with the February 2022-born black and white bitch, Netherbeck Jenny by Frank Hickson's Chase, out of home-bred Millie.
Mr Birkett was running Jenny on behalf of his 18-year-old daughter Ellen. The buyer was John Marsh, Eastbourne.
William Bell, Kelbrook, took 5,000gns for his March 2020-born black, white and tan dog, Mac, which was bought at 12 months old from breeder Frank Ainsworth and sold to Mark Dale, Goole.
Making 4,800gns for Janine Ashworth, Rossendale, was 16-month-old Valley View Finn, a home-bred son of Kevin Evans' Hendre Sam.
Hitting 4,100gns was Brynley Williams, Holywell, Flintshire, with his May 2022-born black and white bitch, Penny, by Richy Hutchinson's Jonah, which was knocked down to Ben Edmondson, Lockerbie.
Richard Crowe, Isle of Man, sold his 18-month-old black and white bitch, Intack Bee, for 3,550gns to G. Howells, Carmarthen, and his home-bred May 2023-born black and white bitch, Elsye, to Auchenchey, Dumfries, for 3,100gns.
Robin Bell, Hawick, took 3,500gns for the July 2023-born red and white bitch, Isla, which sold to S.C. Barron, Thirsk.
Mr Bell then paid the top price from the unbroken pen of 1,700gns for a 16-week-old pup by Kemi Jack, from Liam O'Malley, Hollywell.
Averages - Broken registered dogs, £2,505; broken registered bitches, £3364; part-broken/pup registered dogs, £752; a part-broken/pup registered bitch, £945.
Auctioneers: CCM.
Ashes flock tops Bluefaced Leicester sale
At the show and sale of traditional Bluefaced Leicesters at Carlisle, the John Dykes Trophy for the best pen of lambs went to Frank Johnson's Ashes flock, Bishop Auckland, which were all sired by Parton M31, the 2023 sire of the year.
The first lamb from the pen, which was out of a ewe by K4 Burndale, topped the sale at £12,000 and sold to Mike Anderson, Aberdeen.
The next from the pen, out of a Whinnyhall ewe, made £9,000 to David Henderson's North Burndale flock, Allendale, with the pen of 10 averaging £3,115.
Derek Henderson, Wylam, sold a son of R1 North Burndale from his Burndale flock for £7,500 to Messrs Ingram, Inverurie, for the Logie Durno flock.
Making £5,000 was a lamb by P1 Towdypotts from A. Peart and Sons, Woodcroft flock, Frosterley, which was knocked down to Messrs Thomason, Walney Island, for the Piel View flock.
Shearlings sold to £2,400 for a son of Lowes Fell P5 from K. Smith's Low Arkland flock, Castle Douglas, which went to Messrs Jenkinson, Penrith.
Averages – 9 aged rams, £1,244.44; 93 shearling rams, £854.20; 197 ram lambs, £964.42; 59 females, £487.12.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
High of 16,000gns for South Country Cheviots
Two rams sold for 16,000gns apiece to lead the trade for South Country Cheviot rams at Lockerbie. First was the third prize winning shearling ram, a son of Castle Geronimo from W.C. Anderson and Son, Roberton, which sold to Messrs Common and Son, Lockerbie.
The other ram to make 16,000gns was a shearling by Eskdale Hit and Run that was consigned by Jim Robertson, Langholm. The buyer was Messrs Elliot, Jedburgh, who also paid 14,000gns for a two-shear ram by Skelfhill Supreme from I.H.G. Warden, Hawick.
Also making 14,000gns was a two-shear son of Castle Godfather from W.J.C. and J. Weir, Hownam, which was knocked down to Messrs Paton, Thornhill.
Messrs Robertson and Son (Becks) and Co, Langholm, then paid 9,000gns for a shearling by Becks Tank from B. and M. Cockburn, Biggar, and 8,000gns for a two-shear son of Castle Highlander from R.H. Paton, Castle Crawford.
Also selling for 8,000gns was a son of Castle Highlander from the same home.
Average - 371 Cheviot rams, £1,575.07.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Derbyshire Gritstones top at 4,200gns
At the sale of Derbyshire Gritstone sheep at Clitheroe, the championship went to a shearling ram from S. Eggleton, Holmfirth, which sold for the top price of 4,200gns to R.S. Howard and Son, Guide.
The reserve champion was a three-shear Dixon-bred ram from K. and S. Kempson and Son, Waterfoot, which made 1,200gns to the Wood family, High Peak.
The top price ram lamb at 580gns was from J. Eggleton, Bradford, which sold to E.A.M. Tattersall, Darwen. The first prize winning lamb from P.D. Mitchell, Lazonby, made 450gns.
S. Whitehead, Carnforth, sold two rams for 3,000gns each to K. Greenwood, Halifax, and S. Eggleton, Huddersfield.
S&P Scrivin, Elslack, sold to 3,000gns for a shearling which went to T.E. Smith, Sheffield. The champion single female and reserve overall champion was an aged ewe from Messrs Kempson, which made £250 to C. Mitchell, Holmfirth. E.A.M. Tattersall took the title for the pen of six females which sold for £260/head to P. Schofield, Rochdale.
Gimmer lambs topped at £600 for the first prize winner from D. Law, Whitworth.
Averages – 7 ewes, £207.14; 62 gimmer shearlings, £195.73; 59 gimmer lambs, £122.24; 15 aged rams, £441; 70 shearling rams, £837.30; 20 ram lambs, £328.65.
Auctioneers: Clitheroe Auction Mart.
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