The Annual Lakeland Fair had on offer 1500 breeding sheep which attracted a large crowd of well-travelled buyers who were attracted by the variety of sheep on offer with this sale continuing to grow each year.
Mule shearlings sold to £108 from F & TE Park, with others generally selling between £95 and £100. A pen of Texel x shearlings topped the sale achieving £126 from K Little & D McClure, Wood Broughton. Older ewes sold to £82 for Texels with Mules selling to £70. Several pens Mule gimmer lambs were forward selling to £65 with all sold averaging £55.59.
Hill bred sheep saw Rough Fell ewes sell to £63 from I Carradice with Cheviots selling to £67 from LM & C Whitaker, Broughton and Herdwicks to £60 again from LM & C Whitaker. Shearlings sold to £61 for Swaledales, £56 Jacobs, £55 Rough Fells and £44 Herdwicks.
A pen of Cheviot gimmer lambs sold at £67 from DH Hogg, Murton, Herdwicks sold to £36 from G Purcell & J Willis, Grayrigg, Swaledales to £33 and Rough Fells to £32 both from B Dickinson & Co, Kentmere.
The Lakeland ram fair had an entry of 300 forward for the sale, this included the show and sale of Swaledale Rams and we thank our sponsors Ian Thompson from Saint & Co and to our judge Mr Martin Fishwick, Longsleddale. The largest entry of Swaledale rams to date at this sale saw a good entry out to show with the overall championship being awarded the first prize shearling from RS & BA Harker, Overthwaite. The reserve champion rosette was awarded to the first prize aged ram from Caley & Mitchinson, Windermere. The Swaledale trade was topped by the Champion selling to £380 with other Swaledale shearlings selling to £300 from KM & KJ Curwen, Abbeystead. There was a 100% clearance for all Swaledale rams forward, with this sale growing in size each year.
Hill bred rams saw registered Rough Fell Shearlings sell to a top of £300 from MJ & JD Handley, Sedbergh. A good entry of Bluefaced Leicester rams were met by plenty of demand topping at £350 from RI Dixon, Low Newton with plenty of strong shearlings selling around the £300 mark.
The entry of terminal crossing sires were met by plenty of demand with Texels selling to a top of £600 from Lucas & Nairey, Blackburn with rams from the same home selling to £450. KO Stones of Marrick sold to £450. Plenty of strong good conformation rams sold in the region of the £400 mark. Suffolks sold to a top of £320 from D Metcalfe, Dalton in Furness.