Prime Hoggs

North West Auctions J36 held their annual Young Handlers show of Prime hoggs with another good entry forward of young handlers. A big thanks go to the young handlers for taking part as well as their family and friends. A special mention goes to our Judge, Alan Alderson of Kirkby Stephen for his time and expertise as well as our sponsors for their support Browns Mitsubishi, Newton Rigg College, Greenlands Farm Village, Plumgarths Developments and Mole Country Stores.

The champion young handler was awarded to Abigail Winn, 12 years old, Burneside who awarded the John Geldard Trophy for her skill and ability of showing her Beltex Prime Hogg, which went on to sell for £190 to Farmers Fresh. The second prize young handler was awarded to Jonathan Winn, 10 years old, Burneside who’s Beltex x hogg sold for £175 purchased by Farmers Fresh. The Champion Prime Hogg shown by a young handler was won by Robyn Allen, Ings, who was awarded the Cornthwaite Group Sheidl, for a Texel x Hogg which sold to £185, purchased by Plumgarths Farm Shop. The Reserve Champion hogg and third place young handler was awarded to Thomas Wilson, Selside with his Texel Hogg selling to £125 purchased by Farmers Fresh. Thank you to the support of our buyers and their companies, with numerous young handlers’ sheep selling in excess of £100.

There was a larger entry of over 1000 prime hoggs forward this week with many end season consignments with a poorer show of sheep seen than previous weeks. The market averages have been down throughout northern markets the beginning of the week. Heavyweight hoggs were slightly sharper this week with a fresh order for these types of hoggs. Handy weight hoggs that have been in strong demand over previous weeks were an easier trade with an overall market average of 177p/kg with an SQQ of 186p/kg.

Cast Sheep

The smallest entry of cast sheep forward for some time at J36 with 555 forward selling to a slightly easier trade as seen at other markets in the area. Leading the way today was NJ Strickland & Son, Whinfell selling to £110 for a Beltex. Suffolk ewes sold to a top of £101 from W Garnett & Son, Milnthorpe who sold other Suffolks to £97 and Texels to the same price. Leading the way with the Texels was E Dodgson, Kendal selling to £99. Plenty of Continental ewes sold in the eighties and nineties. Mule ewes sold to a top of £77 from W Garnett & Son, with other Mule ewes in the mid-sixties. Cast tups sold to a top of £81 for Rough Fells from L Potter, Orton with Cheviot rams selling to £80 from SM & CM Bewley, Dent with Leicesters selling to £75 from WI & A Atkinson & Son, Bleasdale. Horned ewes sold to a top of £55 from MP & H York, Sedbergh for Rough Fells, with strong horned ewes selling towards the fifty pound mark.