The annual 'Lads Night Out' show and sale of terminal sire breeding rams saw a catalogue entry of 800, with the sale attracted interest and buyers from throughout the country. Lads Night Out saw a two tier trade with power and strength selling to a competitive trade and with the second tier tups more selective, and only slightly up on the year, as the old saying says ‘when females are dear, tups are buyable’.

There was a great line up of tups for the pre-sale show, in which we thank our judges, David Hodgson, Cartmel, Harold Keast, Devon, Callum Kettles, Penrith and Murray Craig, Penrith for their time and expertise. A big thank you also goes to all our pre-sale sponsors Rural Law Practice, Wadland Finance, Eden Farm Supplies and John Cornthwaite Machinery. The overall champion ram was awarded to JG & PH Thompson, Selside with a Beltex x Shearling, with the reserve champion awarded to WJ & VJ Case, Ulverston with a Texel Shearling selling to £900.

Topping the sale at £1600 was a Beltex x from G Sowerby, Appleby with others from the same good home to £950 twice and £920. Other Beltex x tups sold to £1200 from ST Birkett & Son, Carnforth followed by Beltex x Charollais to £980 from J Wales, Carlisle. Powerful Texel Rams always meet plenty of demand at Junction 36 with the consignment from J Woodburn & Partners, Ulverston selling to £1200 twice with others from the same home achieving £1050 and £950. Other noted prices for Texel rams were £1100 from PW & D Swindlehurst, Underbarrow, with the consignment from Harry Geldard, Levens also peaking at £1100. This was closely followed by £1000 from AJ & LJ Hasten, Maryport. Plenty of powerful and better confirmation tups easily sold between £650 and £1000. Texel ram lambs sold to top of £850 from W Holden & Sons, Oswaldtwistle.

A solid commercial Suffolk shearling trade saw plenty of rams selling between the £500-£700 mark, Taking top spot was the consignment from JH Towers & Sons, Tunstall selling to £750 twice and £720. This was closely followed by £700 from RA & L Hodgson, Patton and AR Edmondson, Ulverston. Suffolk ram lambs twice peaked at £480 from E Needham, Stainton and G&K Richmond, Inglewhite.

Texel gimmer shearlings sold to a top of £750 from JR Wilkinson & Sons, Richmond with others from the same home selling to £550. The sale also included the flock dispersal of pedigree Texels on behalf of J&C Airey of the Urswick Flock, They peaked at £600 with others selling to £500 and plenty more selling in the early £400’s. Something new for the sale this year was a special entry of Dutch Spotted, 83% of gimmers selling to £500 and 75% gimmer lambs selling to £400. Pure Dutch Spotted tup lambs sold to £420, all the Dutch Spotted were consigned by K P Dagger, Garstang.