SWALEDALE SUCCESS AT J36

A record-breaking year saw the Champion pen from E&A Wear of Patterdale, who won the show for the 7 year in a row, selling to a new market record of £270 per head. This was followed by the 2nd prize pen of Swaledale ewes from T&H Drinkall of Oakenclough selling to £220 per head.

There was a great line up of sheep in front of our judge Jeff Burrow, to cast his eye over whom we thank for his time and expertise. The winning pen of shearlings and Reserve Champions was awarded to JI, JA&VA Swift of Selside which went on to sell for £190 per head. The consignment from R&A Taylforth of Penrith sold to £210 and £200 twice. Other noted prices: - The consignment from the Wear Family sold to £170; £150 x 2; £145. The 3rd Prize pen from JE&D Hutchinson of Cautley sold to £168. Swaledale Gimmer Shearlings saw another pen from the Swift family sell to £165 & £148. Anthony Hartley of Seathwaite selling to £160, with £155 achieved by Forest Hall Farms of Selside and also E&A Wear. With good pens of shearlings regularly £140 plus.

Good quality sheep were in high demand with 24 pens of sheep selling in excess of £140 mark. There were some strong market averages today with Swaledale Gimmer Shearlings averaging £128.48, all Swaledale ewes of mixed ages sold to a market average of £110.43.

Swaledale Gimmer Lambs, saw the 1st prize rosette awarded to Jim Capstick of Millom, which went on to sell for £110 per head.

ROUGH FELLS REACH NEW HEIGHTS

The strongest market average seen at this market for some years, which saw Rough Fell ewes average £101.15, Gimmer Shearlings £106 and Gimmer Lambs £69.78.

The pre-sale show judged by John Capstick of Killington awarded the Championship to a pen of 10 Ewes from E&K Bland of Gaisgill selling to £130 per head. The first prize rosette for the pens of Gimmer Shearlings was awarded to P&S Hoggarth of Howgill, which went on to sell also for £130 per head. Winning 1st & 2nd place in the Gimmer Lamb class and the highlight to the end of a Rough Fell flock from J Pratt & Son of Ravenstonedale, both these pens went on to sell for £90.

Top of the market today was a cracking pair of Rough Fell ewes from J Hunter of Tebay, selling to £220. This was followed by £140 and £130 from W Beck & Son of Gaisgill, with N&CS Dodd of Kirkby Stephen also achieving £130 for his pen of ewes. A Kipling three times sold ewes to £110. Norman Dodd also selling shearlings to a top of £130, with others selling to £120 from D&V Carrick of Soulby and £120 from D Stephenson of Ravenstonedale. Plenty of pens of strong shearlings selling in the £110-£120 mark.

HERDWICK HIGHLIGHTS

The consignment of Herdwicks from A&M Brennand & Sons of Chapel le Dale created a large amount of interest amongst breeders. Gimmer Shearlings from this home sold to £190 & £170, with ewes selling to £90. All Herdwick Gimmer Shearlings forward averaged £135.

CRACKING CHEVIOTS

Cheviots certainly are the fashionable sheep of the moment; with a large amount of interest ringside insuring we had a strong trade throughout. It was a flock dispersal from J Allonby & Son of Grayrigg that led the way, with Cheviot Gimmer Shearlings selling to £185 and £180 twice. All Gimmer Shearlings forward selling to an overall market average of £171. Cheviot Ewes peaked at £175 twice, £170 twice & £155 from J Allonby & Son. This was closely followed by the flock reduction from RM&PM Simpson of Troutbeck selling to a top of £140. All Cheviot Ewes forward averaged £136. Cheviot Gimmer Lambs sold to a top of £100 from DH Hogg of Murton. A special entry of Welsh Mountain Badger Face from CA Brown of Patterdale sold to £95.