Carlisle – Blue Belles – Monday 8th January 2024

“Blue Belles” Traditional BFL female sale.

After what seems weeks of incessant rain, it was great to see the sun once again and everyone who turned up to pack the ringside at Carlisle was in a better spirit for the prospect of a few dry days on their backs for a change. There was a good show of sheep throughout, with numbers up too and buyers found for most of the sheep.

Topping the days trade was the 4^th prize gimmer shearling from the Kirkstead flock which went on to sell for 3500gns. She was a sweet, well-bred gimmer, by the £3000 L1 Ashes that has been producing the goods for the flock consistently for the past few years and out of the homebred L29 which was a daughter of the old show ewe, Kirkstead F22, which swept all before it in the show ring during her heyday.  Mike Anderson, Dufftown, was the most determined bidder on the day. Her full embryo sister, which stood 4^th at last years Highland and was part of the Champion progeny group at a slightly damp Penrith show last year, also sold to Mike Anderson, who put in a starting bid of 2000gns which no one else dared to try and match, landing her with his single two fingered bid!

Frank Johnson also enjoyed a good trade, with a pen of sheep which showed breeding and class. His pen leader was a cracking gimmer shearling by the £9500 Lowes Fell tup bought at Kelso a few years back and carrying triplets to the “Sire of the Year” Parton M31, which Frank bought as an old tup for 3000gns, and has done a great job for him. She sold for 3200gns to Mike Anderson again.

The Burndale flock reduction continued apace, with a further two dozen sheep forward. His first sheep into the ring was a two-crop ewe, which was out of the twin to K4 Burndale, which has been used successfully at the Ashes flock and sired by M1 Kirkstead. She sold for 2200gns, carrying twins to P2 Piel View, which was £10,000 when bough out of Carlisle as Champion, selling to the Kirkstead flock. The final leg of the Burndale dispersal will be at the October sale in Carlisle, with the last 30 or so females will be under the hammer.

The first prize gimmer shearling and the days reserve champion sold for 1250gns. This powerful sheep from Matthew Seed, Auchry, was by the N2 West Bolton and carrying lambs by the R1 Nant Y Glyd, sold to 17-year-old Alfie Benbow as a starter for his Borderland flock. His next task will be to judge the sheep at next weeks Hereford sale.

The overall champion on the day came from Lisa Fleming, making a great debut at the sale with a pen of very smart gimmer lambs. Her Champion was by the N11 Bonvilston, used extensively at Kirkstead, and out of a homebred ewe, showed at the Highland in 2022, going back to a Burndale ewe she purchased when setting up her flock in 2021. It sold for 1000gns, selling to Messrs Morton, Penrith.

Averages

8 Ewes – £813.75

42 Shearling  Gimmers –  £798.50

7 Ewe Lambs – £735.00

17 High Craigs flock – £466.32

20 Burndale flock – £786.97