Carlisle – Classy Lassies Monday 15th January 2024

Classy Lassies, Carlisle.

Despite a new record price for a female and a packed ringside at Carlisle, trade on the whole was a touch subdued, as the export ban, due to the ongoing Blue Tongue outbreak, hit hard, with the Northern Irish buyers who traditionally flock over to this sale, unable to take anything back over the water.

The highlight of the sale, came towards the end, and was from the Hewgill flock, who once again produced the goods. Over the years they have consistently bred and sold well, and this smart hogg, by the homebred M22, a son of the G23 Marriforth, which has been getting plenty of lambs in their show pens, certainly caught the eye with her presence and power. She was placed second in the pre-sale show and then stood as reserve champion. A determined Robbie Hallam stuck to his guns, and established a new record price for a female, with his final bid of 14,500gns. It is another addition to Robbies growing High Birkwith flock which he established in 2022 after buying a couple of gimmers. The full sister to the record breaker sold for 2000gns, selling to Messrs Forbes, Pitlochry, whilst the Lords have retained another full gimmer too.

The champion sheep on the day came from Jack Buckle, with a sweet, cocky, hogg, which stood out in the class of 20 or so other hoggs, with the judge Shaun Procter, Spurigg, tapping her out well before he picked out another. This lovely hog was by the £40,000 Midlock Commander, which has bred tups up to £5000, and out of homebred ewe, a full sister to the £6800 tup he sold 4 years ago, by the Smearsett M1, and her grandmother stood Champion at the Yorkshire Show. She strode into the ring, early in the sale, and the bidding cracked quickly on, with the hammer landing at 8000gns, selling to Graham Jackson, Bentham, who is building up his flock with some well bred sheep.

The Macqueston flock enjoyed a great trade, with a top bid of 4000gns for a powerful, April born hogg by the £15,000 R2 Hewgill, which has crossed very well in his first year, breeding the Champion mule at Dumfries show, and out of the show gimmer which won overall BFL champion at Carsphain show as a lamb which is by the Highberries M1 which has done so well for them over the years. Messrs Sinclair, Heriot are the new proud owners of this proper classy lassie.

Finlay Robertson has certainly made his mark over the last few years with some cracking sheep from his Beeches flock, and his offering at this sale was no exception. His gimmer was an incredible powerful, flashy gimmer, by the £12,000 N1 Farden and out of a daughter of the legendry G34 Midlock. Its grandmother was the flocks show ewe by Midlock Bronco. She sold carrying twins to S1 Mistyburn, a purchase out of Ballymeana last year. He was by the £14,000 Beeches Wingman, so full of his own breeding. She sold for 3200gns to Messrs Fallows, Lanark.

Another breeder making their mark was the Howgate flock from Rutter-Armstrong Engineering, Penrith. They were making their first appearence at the sale as vendors, since establishing their flock a couple of years ago with purchases from this same sale. It was one of these purchases which bred their pen topper, Oak House P20, a 3000gns purchase off Paul Brown. Their hogg, by C2 Shafthill equalled the price its mother made, selling for 3000gns to Martin Allan, Greenhow.

Declan McKillop enjoyed a good trade, following the tremendous trade he enjoyed at Hawes last year.  His pen leader stood 3rd in the exceptionally strong gimmer hogg class, and sold for 2600gns to Shaun Procter. This tidy hogg is by the £34,000 Highberries Haaland, which was sire of the year last year, and out of a homebred

One of the most eagerly anticipated pens of the day came from Neil and Mary Marston’s Highberries flock, whose genetics are found in many of the top bloodlines, and one of the picks of the pens was a gimmer shearling by the Clennell Hill tup, going back to Smearsett L1, carrying a lamb by the much-admired Highberries “Handsome” which they retained last year. It sold for 2400gns to Aaron Troughton, Firbank.

Also selling at 2,400gns was the first offering  from Jimmy Bell, Cottage 3331/S025 she is a homebred hogg sired by Holmview Riverdance which was purchased by Jimmy from the Ballymena sale in 2022 for 2500gns, she is out of a homebred ewe Cottage K055, Sarah Emmott bought the ewe hogg to add to her Wythe Sike flock.

Averages

5 Aged Ewes       £1186.50

38 Shearling Gimmers    £1155.00

35 Ewe Hoggs    £1683.90