North West Auctions great annual show and sale of Mule, Masham, Cheviot Mule, Continental ewes and gimmer shearlings boasted the largest catalogue entry of 5200. The trade throughout the sale was buoyant with people looking to purchase quality replacement sheep. The pre sale show saw a wonderful offering of Mule gimmer shearlings with the quality on offer a credit to the vendors. A thank you goes to our show sponsors, Carr’s Billington and Wadland Finance. A special mention to our judges Ian Dixon, Low Newton and Charlie Lines, Buckinghamshire who we thank for his time and expertise. The John Nelson memorial shield for the champion pen of Mule gimmer shearling was awarded to J Robinson & Z Ward, Nether Kellet. The Derek Cleasby memorial trophy for the champion pen of ewes was awarded to F&SA Edmondson, Ulverston with a powerful pen.

The sale commenced with breeding ewes which saw buyers keen to secure strong bodied sheep in forward tupping condition.
Mule ewes sold to a top price of £200 for 1 crops from EM Whinspear, Hawes with 2 crops selling to £175 from FI & ME Little, Barrows Green followed by F & SA Edmonson, Ulverston achieving £165. Other ewes sold to £205 for 1 crop Suffolk x from TA & JA Dixon, Selside. Masham 1 crop ewes made £175 from R Seed & Son, Chipping and Texel x ewes at £165 from EI EA & TW Wilson, Grange Over Sands. All ewes forward came to an overall average of £141.

Cheviot Mule gimmer shearlings sold to £225 twice from JS & KM Wilson & Son, Kendal with others at £215 from J Stott, Crosscrake and £205 from DE & J Waine, Longsleddle. All Cheviot Mules sold to a market average of £187.

Masham shearlings sold to £175 from MJ Woof, New Hutton.

The Mule gimmer shearling trade saw a busy ring of buyers ensuring all types of sheep were well bid on. It was noted that sheep that had lambed which were double abortion vaccinated were in most demand with people looking for powerful sheep following on from a good trade throughout the summer in the cast ewe ring. The consignment from J Robinson and Z Ward, Nether Kellet led the way selling the second prize pen to £300 and the first prize pen to £280 which were purchased by the judge C Lines. The third prize pen of Mule gimmer shearlings sold to £250 from JK&BE Townley, Brookhouse. Other leading prices in the Mule gimmer shearling ring saw the consignment from G Sowerby, Appleby selling to £250. This was followed by the consignment from TH Gibson & Son, Stavely sold to £240, £230 twice, £220 and £215. R&C Rylands, Underbarrow sold his run of double vaccination lambed gimmer shearlings to £225, £220 and £205 three times. Other noted prices were £215 from E Parker, Mewith, £215 and £210 from AR Edmondson, Ulverston, £210, £208, £205 and £200 twice from AJ Geary, Milton Keynes, £205 from Messrs Whittaker, Millom followed by £200 for the top pen from N Barker, Burton in Kendal. All Mule gimmer shearlings forward today sold to a market average of £176 which is down £1.37 on the year. Phil Mulcaster, Ulverston very kindly donated two Mule gimmer shearlings to be sold for the Crook Young Farmers Charity raising money for Blood Cancer research which raised £1000 for this worthy cause., a big thank you to all the bidders and under bidders.

The continental gimmer shearling pre sale show was kindly sponsored by Wadland Finance and Carr’s Billington. I would like to take this time to thank our judge Bradley Norwood for his time and expertise. A wonderful show of fifteen pens of shearlings were forward after much time and deliberation the judge awarded his first prize rosette to TJ Jackson, Preston for a pen of Beltex x shearlings. Well bred strong continental gimmer shearlings were in particular strong demand and buyers were willing to pay a premium for these types. Leading the way were pure Texel shearlings from Sue Cunliffe, Field Broughton selling two pairs to £220. CD&HL Mason, Caton sold the run of home bred Texel shearlings selling to a top price of £210. Also achieving this price was JS&KM Wilson & Son, Kendal and EJ Ward & Sons, Nether Kellet. Beltex shearlings saw a good trade for the top end with TJ Jackson, Preston selling to £215 with other pens from the same good home selling to £210. Texels out of Mules saw the most demand from buyers with these regularly selling in the one eighty to one ninety mark with a top price of £195 from JR&LA Capstick, Killington.