Hawes Female Sale 20th January 2024

Hawes BFL sale, January 2024.

Following the break in the crisp cold days, the change to driving wind and rain, as a foretaste to Storm Isha was an unwelcome one. The only way to stay warm it seemed was to huddle tight into the sale ring at Hawes, and that’s where most people stayed all day, and watched a red-hot trade on such a cold day.

As has been the case in all the female sales this month, youth has been given chance to step up and play a part in the breed. The judge for the day was Henry Fairburn, Marriforth who has just turned 16, Henry did a great job with his champion and reserve both fetching the days top prices. His champion, from Robin Booth, Smearsett, came from the gimmer hogg class, which saw some great sheep presented. This hogg was full of power and style, as well as crossing bloodlines on all sides of the pedigree. It is by the R5 Hewgill they bought a couple of years back and it is out of the best ewe in the flock, P19 Smearsett, which is by the £13,000 H1 Highberries Hotshot. Its grandmother has been a tremendous breeding ewe too, with the  Smearsett stock tup “Ted” out of her and also the £10,200 gimmer hogg sold at Hawes in 2017. With such breeding on offer it was never going to be short of suiters, and Raymond Lund drew the bids in as fast as they could be made, and when the hammer fell at £8000, it was Adam Lawson, Hundith, taking her home.

The reserve champion also came from the Smearsett pen. This time it was with the first prize ewe. A good ewe with plenty of power, and again, full of good crossing blood, which is the priority at this sale. Carrying 3 to S1 Skelgate, this daughter of G11 Smearsett, Ted, is also the mother to the retained R6 Smearsett, which they have used heavily on their BFL and swale ewes this year. She is out a Highberries bred ewe, by C24 Hewgill, same as Highlander. With this depth of breeding she was going to be in demand, and she sold for £4500, selling to Messrs Porter, Oxnop.

Robin Booth also sold the top priced gimmer shearling, making £1400 for a daughter of E1 Hewgill and carrying twins to the aforementioned R6 Smearsett. This one sold to Messrs Bell, Gill Gate.

Following on from their record-breaking sale at Carlisle, the Lord family enjoyed another good sale, taking second prize in the gimmer hogg class with S50 Hewgill, a daughter of the P1 Marriforth, out a ewe by the M39 Hewgill, which has bred well for the Hewgill flock over the years. Buying this one for his 21^st birthday was Jackson Twentyman, Great Strickland, for his newly established Gill Beck flock, paying £2600 for her, making her a great foundation sheep.

Riddings enjoyed a good day’s trade, topping at £1700 for their 4^th placed gimmer hogg. This one was by the N2 Skeughdale, which has certainly left his mark at Riddings. Out of a Jackpot daughter, this sold to S Straughan, High Wales Field Farm. They also made £1600 for a ewe by Jackpot, carrying twins to N2 Skeughdale. This one sold to RJ Lawrence, Holme Farm, whilst Marion had another ewe at £1400. This one by M1 Hewgill was carrying twins to her homebred S3 Skelgate, and sold to Messrs Porter, Oxnop.