Carlisle – Crossing Type – 11th October 2024

Carlisle Show & Sale – Friday 11th October 2024

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The final major sale of the Blue Faced Leicester sale took place at Carlisle, where over 1000 sheep were catalogued for sale, going through three rings. Buyers and sellers from all over the UK were there and a packed ringsides drew plenty of bids as the Harrison & Hetherington team ripped through the lots on a glorious autumnal day.

A new centre record was set when the pre-sale Champion, judged by Ashley Caton, went through the ring. This cracking tup from Marion and William Porter’s Skelgate flock was the full brother to the two they had at Hawes last week, which fetched £16,000 and £5000 respectively. He is out of a great breeding ewe, by the Riddings L7, that they bought from the Hewgill flock, and has done well for them over the years and his sire is the £12,000 Brennand S1 that was bought out of Hawes last year. He was clear winner, with style and a great skin, and caught many eyes during the day. In the ring it was a bidding slugfest, with a couple of heavyweight consortiums going toe to toe to land him. Making the final bid were the quartet flocks of Shitlington, Macqueston, Dawyck and Farden, when they took the bidding to £32,000, a new centre record for the breed, by some margin. It hasn’t been a bad couple of sales for the Skelgate flock, who have seen their average for their 3 lambs level at an astonishing £17,666, and they still have 2 full brothers at home to try!

Following in the wake of the Skelgate tup was a bid of £8000 for Howgate T5 from Jordan Rutter-Armstrong, who runs the 25 strong Howgate flock, based at Langwathby. This is only their third year selling tups and they have done well, bringing out some cracking mule gimmers at the Lazonby sale this back end. There were some great crossing lines behind their pen topper, with him being out of a Carry House ewe that they bought, which was sired by Ronaldo and he is by Smearsett D15, Ted, which goes back to that old legend, Z4 Hundith. He was taken home by Martin Allan, Knock Hall.

Martyn Archer rounded off a good sales season, which has seen him take his Carry House flock on a great tour across the North of England this autumn. With a smashing reputation and an exemplary run of mule gimmers this back end, his tups are always worth investing in, both for their bloodlines and their presence. His pen leader this time, T30 Carry House, was again by the Midlock Magic, which has made a massive impact already, both on the Carry House flock, and the Steel, flock, siring both the Champion and the Reserve Champion at Hawes as well as the highest priced tup there too. This lad was out of a home bred ewe by Steel Bruno. He sold for £5200 to J Browell, Quarry House Farm, Hexham. Martyn’s pen levelled at £2810 for his ten tups and no doubt there will be some massive interest in Martyn’s next big sale, which will be on the 28^th of December, here at Carlisle, where he is holding his flock dispersal, along side the Duhonw reduction too, where it looks like it will be a good sale to spend your Christmas money at!

A trio of tups hit £5000 during the sale. The first of these was from the West Biggins flock, with David Hill, Great Asby, taking home this son of Spurrigg P2, which was out of a Carry House ewe by the old Midlock G34. The Reeds have enjoyed a good trade at the sales this year, backed up with some smart mule gimmer lambs which have been much admired.

Shortly after it was the turn of the Forebrae flock from father and son team, John and Callum Park, to enjoy a £5000 bid. This was for a monster of a lamb and was keenly followed into the ring. He is by a Alwinton tup and out of a homebred ewe by the old M5 Drimsynie. Keenest of the followers were Messrs Hamilton, Crawford, who were strongest in the bidding.

The final £5000 call came from the Steel flock with another son of Midlock Magic, out of a ewe by the N2 West Biggins. This lamb came late in their run but the Brownleazes flock from Hexham, held their nerve and landed their lamb.

Trade was strong throughout the sale, but not to the same extent of the Hawes extravaganza the previous week, but buyers were looking for good strong lambs with plenty of good breed characteristics, as well as top quality crossing bloodlines.