Lancaster Annual Show & Sale of Breeding Ewes & Shearlings was once again a success with averages up across the board.

Thanks goes to our pre sale judge David Moorhouse, for his time and expertise, he awarded the following prizes:

Class 1 – 10 Mule Shearlings
1st – M & YS Barker, Halton Park Farm
2nd – P & M Crackles, Mill Farm
3rd – JR Gorst, Dolphinholme House

Class 2 – 10 Any other Breed Shearlings
1st – JA Chapman, North Lodge
2nd – N Brown, Deep Clough
3rd – G Hamlet, Little Daub Hall
Champion – M & YS Barker, Halton Park Farm
Reserve Champion – P & M Crackles, Mill Farm

The bulk of today’s entry were North of England Mule shearlings, which met a strong and buoyant trade throughout, topping today at £340 was the day’s champion, from M&YS Barker, Halton, who sold others to £335 and £320 and averaged £307 for 80 sold. The consignment from JR Gorst, Dolphinholme, sold to £335 for the 3rd prize pen, with this good home’s run averaging £315. N Barker, Dalton, sold his usual good quality topping at £320, £315 and £310 x2 and averaging £303 for 109 sold. P & M Crackles, Burrow, sold to a top of £300 with EJ & AM Fox, Bigger, selling multiple pens at £280. All Mule shearlings today sold to average £270.23.
Away from the North England Mules, the other ewes peaked at £310 for a very smart pen of Cheviot Mules from George & Henry Hamlet, Chipping, with Texel x to £300 from M & YS Barker, Halton. JA Chapman, Kendal, sold to £295 with other pens of Texels at £290 from N Barker, Dalton.
Ewes were a good solid trade throughout, reaching £260 for a pen of 2–4 crop Mules from M & YS Barker, who sold Texels to £250 at the same age. Aged Cheviot Mules reached £225 twice from N Brown, Littledale.

‘Lancaster Lads’, Sale of Breeding Rams.

A smaller show than previous years but what we lacked in numbers was easily made up with quality. A big thanks you to Adam Ayrton for stepping in at last minuet to judge, he awarded the following prizes:

Class 1 – Texel shearling tup
1st – S & G Mellor, Windicott Farm
2nd- HG Carter, Cragg End
3rd – J Bargh, Cottams Farm

Class 2 – Any other breed shearling tup
1st – M Lott, Horseshoe Cottage
2nd – M Lott, Horseshoe Cottage
3rd – CJ Metcalfe, Yarlsber

Champion - M Lott, Horseshoe Cottage
Reserve Champion - S & G Mellor, Windicott Farm

Today’s sale was kindly sponsored by Agri Lloyd.
S&G Mellor, Stoke on Trent has their usually run of quality Texels rams, selling their 1st prize Texel to £1400, with other Texel tups from this same good home achieving £1100 and £1000. Other Texels from H Carter, Ellel sold to £900 for his second prize tup. Beltex rams topped at £850 from M Lott, Beeston for his champion ram with others from this saw good home to £500.
Charlie Metcalfe, Ingleton achieved £720 for his Texel cross Beltex ram, with others at £650. Blue Texel shearling rams sold to £500 from M Benson, Ulverston. Suffolk shearlings sold to £500 from Calderside Farms, Oakenclough. Aged Texels rams from GS&SI Barlett, Blackpool achieved £550.