Huge demand for continentals at KS
CONTINENTAL breeding sheep met a buoyant demand at Harrison and Hetherington’s sale of 2208 head at Kirkby Stephen, where gimmers sold to £700 per head and shearling rams to £2600.
Topping the female section at £700 was a pure Texel gimmer from Messrs Teward, New View, Darlington, purchased by Messrs Dent, Naby View, Barnard Castle.
New View also sold threeshear Texel ewes at £320, with others at £300 and £290.
The pre-sale show, judged by Rachel Tiplady, Red House Farm, saw the first prize pen of gimmers, five Beltex from Messrs Skidmore, Needless Hall, sell for £340 to Messrs Jackson, Little Beck, Kings Meaburn. Needless Hall sold 21 breeding sheep to level at £293.10.
Cheviot Mule gimmers peaked at £202 and £200 for pens of 10 and 14 from Messrs Bousfield, Barrowmoor, Appleby both of which were purchased by Messrs Ewin, Black Syke, Sandford.
The same cross of ewes sold to £210 for 12, onecrops from H and B Wharton, Tebay.
By the end of the day, no fewer than 11 pens of ewes and gimmers sold between £300 and £700 with some 56 pens and 222 head making between £200 and £700. Beltex cross and Texel cross gimmers averaged £212.25 and £185.29, respectively, with the whole sale cashing in at £180.91 (+£20.08 on the year)
Ewe lambs peaked at £192 for a Beltex cross from Messrs Armstrong, Moor Riggs, Penrith, purchased Tanya Graham, Wigton.
The show of continental rams was judged by young Harry Askwith, Crook who found his overall champion in the first placed aged Beltex from Messrs Chester, Grassgill Lodge which went on to sell for a joint top price of £2600 to Messrs Robson, Consett.
Also selling for £2600 was a Beltex cross shearling from Messrs Slack, Stoneriggs, Hilton, purchased by Messrs Marwood, Hill Top Farm, Richmond.
Ram averages also improved by £43 on the year, with all breeds and ages selling at £601.33.
LEADING prices
Ewes – Tex – £320, £300, £290 New View; £160 Orchard Farm. Chev Mule – £210 Galloper Rise. Mule £170 Skylin; £155 Fountain Head.
Gimmers – Tex – £700, £650, £580, £410, £370, £290, £275, £205 New View; £300, £285 Needless Hall; £250, Orchard; £232, £220 (2), Barrowmoor Road; £228, £225, £220, £215, £205, Peacock Farm; £220, £215, £210 Bankdale; £215, £205 (3), Stoneriggs; £215, £205 (3), £200 (2) Chapel House; £215 (2) Espland House; £205 (2), £190 High Street. Belt – £340, £330, £305, £270 (2), £250, £245 Needless Hall; £255, £245, £230 Red House; £210, £200, Starrah; £205 Orchard Farm. Chev Mule £202, £200, £195 Barrowmoor Road; £190, £170, Skylin. Char – £165 Langrigg House. Mule £162, £155 Foxtower View; £155 (3), £150 (2) Elva Plain Farm.
Ewe lambs – Belt – £192, £148, £145, £145, £140, Moor Riggs; £178, £148, £145, Grassgill Lodge; £162 Bonny Rigg. DTex – £185, £160, £148 Moor Riggs: Texel £182, Green Farm (Hodgson); £180, £152, £142, New View; £170, £158, £142, Galloper Rise; £165 Grassgill Lodge; £150, £145, £142 High Stennerskeugh.
Rams – Aged – Belt – £2600 Grassgill Lodge.
Shearling rams – Belt – £2600, £850, Stoneriggs; £1800, £1400 (3), £1000, £880, Grassgill Lodge; £1500, £1000, Buckles Farm; £1200, Terrys Farm; £1200, £950 (2), Parkside. Tex – £1500, £1200 Clickham Farm; £1300, £1000 Hollins View; £900, £850, Stoneriggs.
Ram lambs – Tex – £600 (2), £500, £480, £400 New View Farm.