Carlisle – Traditional Type – 10th October 2025

Carlisle – Friday 10th October 2025

Pre Sale Show Kindly Sponsored by Allflex Livestock Intelligence

The final round of Association sales took place on Friday, with buyers and sellers from all over the UK descending on the Borderway site. Just over 1000 sheep were catalogued to go through three rings, so it was all hands to the pump for the auctioneers and yard staff to keep the sale running smoothly. Trade was bouncing all round and the were plenty of happy sellers.

In the Traditional section it was the Burndale flock from Derek Henderson which dominated the days proceedings from start to finish. The veteran breeder, who just lambed 14 ewes this time, has never won the Championship at Carlisle, despite several near misses. This year it was his time though, sweeping the championship with a very special tup lamb, which was picked out by the judge, Bob Purvis, right from the start. With quality oozing from this lamb, by the S22 Blackett House he bought with David for £4200 from Builth last year and out of one of the flocks best breeders by the R1 North Burndale, it was always going to be attracting the big hitters. When he strode into the ring the bidding pushed on rapidly, with the gavel falling at £18,000. Messrs Peart, Woodcroft were the successful bidders. The money hadn’t stopped flowing into the Burndale pen however, as his pen was full of quality from start to finish, winning the John Dykes trophy for the best pen, judged by Clark Lamont. His fifth lamb into the ring also went on to make waves, also by the S22 Blackett House, which is starting to look a bit of a bargain when this one, V7 Burndale, sold for £15,000 to the Gray family from the Ben Ledi flock, Callandar. With a couple of others hitting £3000, including another son of the Blackett House out of the same line as the Champion, the Burndale pen levelled out at a hefty £5587.50 for the eight lambs.

Scott and Clare Thomason from Piel View also enjoyed a great day at the sale. They followed the Burndale lamb all through the show, picking up second in the tup lamb class and then going on to pick up the blue Reserve Champion ticket too. It was a proper showy lamb, with a great sharp head on him, and certainly caught the eye. He was by the £5000 T1 Woodcroft, as all the lambs in the pen were, and out of that very special Champion Shrewbridge ewe which they paid £7000 for two years ago and is breeding so well for them. He went on to match the days top price of £18,000, a personal best for the flock who have kept Bluefaced Leicesters for 25 years since buying their first ewes from the Carry House flock. He was brought home by Sophie Harding from the Shrewbridge flock. The Piel View flock levelled out at a very healthy £3671 for their seven lambs, boosted by another sale of £3000 for V4 Piel View, which had stood third in the pre-sale show.

Another flock enjoying a great trade was Woodcroft from the Peart family, Weardale. The Woodcroft flock is one of the oldest and most respected flocks in the breed and they followed on from last years good trade, with the P1 Towdy Potts, which was behind the Peil View tup, again doing the business. He has proved to be a shrewd investment and all but one of their lambs were either by him or out of ewes by him. Their pen leader, V1 Woodcroft, was a great lamb with a good skin on him, was out of a homebred ewe by another Towdy Potts tup. He was knocked down for £8000, selling to Michael Gray, Espley. Another Towdy Potts son, their second into the ring, went on to sell for £4000 to Messrs Jerman, Church Farm, Powys. Their third lamb, out of a Towdy Potts ewe, by Ashes S5 went on to make £3800, selling to Messrs Williams, Fron Goch. The Woodcroft run ended with figures of £2315 for 10, helping cover the investment made in the Burndale lamb.

A brace of lambs made £5000 on the day. The first came from David Hendersons North Burndale flock. This was by the Burndale S21 and out of a good breeding ewe by the Ashes K1, which has done so well within the flock. Taking this one home was Margaret Suddes from Towdy Potts. The second at £5000 was a strong lamb from the Ben Ledi flock. He was full of Welsh breeding, sired by S14 Craig yr Orsedd and out of a Derwenlas bred ewe by M1 Mynnd Glas. He was purchased by the Currie family, Pinmore.

Traditional Type

7 Aged Rams @ £921.43

81 Shearling Rams @ £991.73

225 Ram lambs @ £1150.22

12 Ewes @ £250

12 Shearling Gimmers @ £1235.71

12 Ewe Lambs @ £481.67