Carlisle – Traditional Type – 6th October 2023

Carlisle BFL sale – Traditional

Friday 6th October, 2023

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Carlisle BFL sale – Traditional Rings

The last sale of the season at Carlisle was held amidst torrential rain, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the buyers or sellers too much, as the entry of 1043 sheep split across three separate rings, sold in a solid if not spectacular sale, with buyers being choosy and being selective. Saying that the vast majority of sheep found new homes .

The traditional catalogue was packed with quality, especially in the female section, which included the dispersal of the noted Mendick flock from the late John Dykes, which drew a great deal of attention.

Ironically at a ram sale, it was the female Champion which was hogging the limelight, with the days reserve overall Champion from Sophie Harding of the Shrewbridge flock. This corker of a gimmer was out of one of the flocks best ewes by the old Ledbury Marcus Elite + and by the £6000 Ashes tup which has been doing so well for them, with the Overall Champion at the Builth NSA sale by him as well as winning the Welsh progeny show with a gimmer by him too, where she took the first three places in the gimmer shearling class with his daughters too. She entered the ring with grace and style and the bidding shot up as sharp as her ears, with the gavel landing at £7000, a new centre record for a traditional female. She was snapped up by Scott & Claire Thomason, Peil View, who judged down at the Welsh Progeny show and was taken with the quality by these Ashes Gimmers. The twin to the champion was also a smart sheep, but didn’t make quite as a dignified exit to the ring as t=she cleared the barriers into the crowd as the hammer dropped on her at £1800. Messrs Fleming, Falnash will have to keep a close eye on her!

Topping the tups were a set of natural born twins from breed veteran Frank Johnson from the Ashes flock. The Ashes flock was one of the first registered flocks, but his family have been breeding them since 1912, well before the official society was formed. This pair of lambs were by the 3000gns Parton tup he purchased as a 3-shear last year and out of one of his favourite ewes by the homebred Ashes D4, which he bought back as an old tup. The first one of the pair fetched £4500, selling to Philliphaugh Estates whilst the other twin, was sold for £3200 to Messrs Peart, Woodcroft. The Parton tup has done well for Frank, and he is hoping to sell 10 or so females in lamb to him at the Blue Belles sale in January.

Another, earlier in the sale sold for £3200 too. This one was from the Whinny Hall flock from Martin Quinn, who had a pen of sweet, modern lambs. His pen topper was by the 9000gns Parton R1 bought out of Carlisle last year and has left a stamp on the flock, with some good carcased lambs with great skins. He was out of a ewe by the M1 Howlea and stood fourth in the pre-sale show. He sold to Jill Hunter, Dalchirla , for her new founded “Hunter” flock. Martin had four lambs into four figures, including one at £1900, selling to Stephen Crozier and another at £1200 selling to Alan McClymont, Kirkstead. All these lambs were by the Parton.

A trio of lambs fetched £2800, including the overall champion from the Traditional ring, a tup lamb from the well-established Woodcroft flock from the Peart family. This much-admired lamb was full of breeding and style and by the 4500gns Towdy Potts P1, which has done well for them, being a very consistent breeder, with all 12 of the Woodcroft lambs by him. He was purchased by D&I Hall & Son, West End Farm, Kirkbampton.

The first at £2800 came from David Hendersons North Burndale flock, which has a great reputation for quality stock. His lamb was by the same Parton tup as the Ashes lambs, bought with Frank last year as an old tup. On his mothers side he goes back to the Ashes K1, which seems to keep throwing some great breeding females. This one was knocked down to Messrs Common & son, Lockerbie.

The next at £2800, thirty lots after North Burndale, came from Lindsay & Robert Currie from the Braegarrie flock with Braegarrie S1. This was a substitute lamb by the R3 Woodcroft, purchased last year for 4500gns out of Carlisle and out of a homebred ewe by the Piel View L3. He sold to Messrs Gray, Gefrin flock, Berwick upon Tweed.

The Mendick flock enjoyed a great trade, with some superb sheep on offer and the dedication to the breed over the years could be appreciated by the quality of the ewes. Many buyers kept waiting all day to try and land these females and a packed ring was testament to their demand. The top from this dispersal was a strong 2020 born ewe by the L1 Belgrave, out of a good breeding ewe by the Red Cottage flock, who bred a couple of other ewes in the sale. She sold for £2500 selling to Messrs Carr, Low Bentham. Close behind on £2400 was a powerful ewe by N2 Burndale which sold to the Espley flock, Morpeth. Such was the demand for the Mendick bloodlines almost 30 lots hit four figures throughout the sale.