Wednesday 15th August
The annual show and sale of Mule and Continental breeding ewes and gimmer shearlings had a catalogued entry of 1700 for the sale. A busier sale ring of buyers and on lookers then expected with a good buzz ringside.
The pre-sale judging was in the capable hands of Will Sedgley of Kirkby Lonsdale and George Riley of Bolton-le-Sands. There was the largest entry of Mule shearlings seen for some time with eight good quality pens forward. The first prize rosette for Mule Shearling was awarded to RA Batty of Selside with the Continental Shearling class was won by JK & BE Townley of Brookhouse.
There was a buoyant trade for ewes which saw them eagerly bid for. A consignment of pure Texel ewes from S & SE Capstick of Warton saw aged ewes sell to £165 and £150. Mules sold to a top of £128 and £124 for one crop ewes from M & YS barker of Halton. The flock dispersal of ewes from JA and VM Lamb of Conder Green sold to a top of £125 for Continentals with two further pens selling to £122.
There was plenty of interest for shearlings with buyers looking to purchase powerful well-grown sheep with purchasers even keener for shearlings that have lambed and been vaccinated against abortions. The trade topped at £170 three times today, firstly for the first prized pen of Mules from RA Batty, secondly from JK & BE Townley with the first prized pen of Continentals, and thirdly by the third prize pen of Mules from SM Taylor of Tatham. There was plenty of pens of good sheep selling in excess of £140. The overall market average was very similar to the previous year.