Ring 1 - Breeding Sheep

Hill Bred Females
The closing Autumn sale of breeding sheep commenced with hill bred females, leading the way was a single pedigree Cheviot shearling achieving £340 from Spring Bank Farms. Other pens of Cheviot shearlings sold to £260 from KO Stones, North Yorkshire. Herdwick ewes would be the trade of the day with a pair selling to £118 from RA Lancaster, Torver and another pair of shearlings selling to £112 from K Little & D McClure, Cartmel. Other pens of shearlings sold to £108 from JG Harryman, Hawkshead with Herdwick draft ewes regularly selling away in the seventy-to-eighty-pound mark. Rough Fell shearlings sold to a top of £135 from VR Guy, Tebay with ewes to a top of £92 from NC&S Dodd, Kirkby Stephen. A strong trade was seen for all Swaledale ewes with a top of £150 from Forest Hall Farms, Selside with big pens from Braestead Farms, Patterdale topping at £132.
All hill bred gimmer lambs were eagerly bid for with Rough Fells selling to £100 from AEA Harrison, Kentmere with others to £70 from VR Guy, Tebay. Cheviot gimmer lambs sold to £85 from Braestead Farms, Patterdale with the smaller end of gimmer lambs selling around the sixty pound mark. Swaledale gimmer lambs sold to £68 from RA Lancaster, Torver, with many Swaledales getting away around the sixty pound mark. Herdwick gimmer lambs sold to £65 from R&A Ellwood, Foxfield with others to £60 from K Little & D McClure, Cartmel.
Gimmer Lambs
A variety of gimmer lambs were forward at the sale with something to suit all requirements. North Country Mule gimmer lambs sold to £98 from WJ&I France & Son, Chipping, with others selling at £96 from D Sexton, Ulverston and £90 from D&D Huddleston, Wray. Other notable prices included Grade Two Dutch Spotted gimmer lambs achieving £400 from KD Dagger, Catterall who sold Grade Three gimmer lambs at £320. Pure Texels sold to £160 from K Little & D McClure, Cartmel. Suffolk x sold to £96 from S Hartley, Tebay. Welsh Speckled Mules sold to £92 from Messrs Boyes, Whitehaven with Texel x selling to £95 from A&L Huddleston, Wray.

Ewes & Shearlings
All breeds and types of ewes and shearlings were easily sold to a ring side of purchasers keen to secure additional and replacement stock. Mule shearlings sold to a top of £200 with others at £185 from L G Sibson, Keswick with other Mule shearlings generally achieving £130-£150. Mule ewes sold to £160 for one crops from DA&FB Daley, Grange Over Sands with two crops selling to £112 from GG&MA Long, Pennington who also sold three and four crop ewes at £98. Texel x shearlings sold to £198 from RG&L Potter, Tebay with others at £120 to £150. Older Continental ewes sold to £110 for two crop Texel x from K Purtill, Wigan. Cheviot Mule shearlings sold to £140 from J James, Ingleton with other Cheviot x selling at £110 to £120. Lleyn shearlings sold to £155 from A&AC Whittle, Kirkby in Furness.

Ring 2 - Breeding Rams

North West Auctions held their Annual Show and Sale of Swaledale Breeding Rams, with judging in the capable hands of Mr S Wainright, Derbyshire who we thank for his time and expertise. Winning the overall Championship was KM&KJ Curwen, Abbeystead with a much admired powerful shearling sired by a Bull and Cave tup, this went on to sell for a top price of £600. The Reserve Championship was awarded to Elliot Bros, Murton with a four shear tup bred out of a Daltons selling to £550. Other leading prices saw Swaledale shearlings to £520 from RA Clegg & LD Bennett, Seathwaite with other Swaledale tup shearlings to £480 from J Handley, Chapple-le-Dale. All Swaledale shearling tups forward averaged £311. Other leading prices for aged tups was £400 and £350 from S&W Dickinson, Tebay with all aged Swaledale tups averaging £350.
The Show and Sale of Cheviot Breeding Rams continues to go from strength to strength at NWA J36. A powerful line up of tups for the pre sale show saw the Championship rosette awarded to the first prize shearling from KO Stones, Marrick. This tup went on to sell for the top price of £600. The reserve champion was awarded to the first prized aged tup from JE&SM Seedall, Blackburn selling to £450. Other leading priced saw the second prize Cheviot shearling, selling to £550 from Spring Bank Farm.
Powerful correct Leicester tups met plenty of trade. Leading the way was a consignment from G&K Richmond, Preston selling tup lambs to £480 and £450. Leicester two shears peaked at £450 with shearlings to the same price from Caitlin and Alex Long, Ulverston. Other leading prices saw shearling tups to £450 from MJ&JD Handley, Sedbergh with others to £420 from JS&S Atkinson, Scorton.
Terminal sire breeding rams saw good quality breeding rams in plenty of demand and eagerly bid for. Leading the way was a consignment from Lucus & Nairey, Blackburn selling Texels to £800 and £580 three times. Suffolk tup shearlings peaked at £700 from SC Walker, Rushton with other leading prices for Texel shearling tups, £620 from G Wilson, Carnforth, £600 from S&A Bland, Tebay, £600 from D Wilkinson, Tebay, £600 from Sue Cunliffe, Field Broughton and £600 from AJ&LJ Haston, Maryport. Ram lambs peaked at £480 for Suffolks from SC Walker.

With the breeding sheep sale season drawing to a close, North West Auction would like to thank our loyal and new customer for their support. We wish you well with your purchases and hope for a successful lambing season. We would also like to take this opportunity to thanks all our office and yard staff for their hard work over this busy period.
North West Auctions have several consignments of breeding sheep and rams available privately, please contact a member of the Livestock Team for more information.