BREEDING EWES
The much anticipated sale commenced with 1000 breeding ewes which sold to some extremely competitive trade with buyers keen to secure proven stock. North country mule ewes saw a top price of £255 for pen of homebred 1 crop ewes from AR Edmondson, Hawkswell Farm with others selling at £250 from FI & ME Little, Helm Croft and JM Mawson, Hole Beck Farm. 2 crop mules regularly selling £220-£240, with older ewes selling to a top price of £205 for 4 crop ewes with others regularly £170-£190. 1 crop cheviot mules sold to £190 from J & M Wilson, Cooper House with 2 and 3 crop ewes selling to £180 from M Robinson, Low Barrows Green Farm. Several pens of Suffolk x ewes sold to £170 for 1 crop ewes from TA & JA Dixon, Yoad Pot with others £230-£250. Texel x ewes sold to £240 on 3 occasions for 1 crop ewes from FI & ME Little, Helm Croft with others £220-£235 with older ewes selling to £200 from KA Purtill, Hindley Green. Flock reduction of 4 crop Aberfield ewes from H Pumphrey Armitage, Preston Patrick Hall sold to £170 with others £155-£165.
• Mule Ewes sold to £255, average £195
• Suffolk x Ewes sold to £270, average £242
• Cheviot Mule Ewes sold to £190, average £177
• Texel x Ewes sold to £240, average £201
MULE SHEARLINGS
The pre-sale show was kindly sponsored by Rural Energy Consultants, with the mule classes kindly judged by Ashley Moran, Hellifield, and the continental classes were judged by James Lyle, Penrith who awarded the following results:
CLASS 1- 10 MULE EWES
1St R Seed, Parsonage- £180
2nd JM Mawson, Hole Beck Farm- £250
3rd TA & JA Dixon, Yoad Pot- £200
CLASS 2- 10 MULE SHEARLINGS
1st Robinson & Ward, Intack Farm- £325
2nd Robinson & Ward, Intack Farm- £310
3rd JK & BE Townley, Mearsbeck House- £310
CLASS 3- 10 CHEVIOT MULE SHEARLINGS
1st DE & J Waine, Murthwaite- £265
2nd JS & KM Wilson, High House- £270
3rd JS & KM Wilson, High House- £260
CLASS 4- 10 CONTINENTAL SHEARLINGS
1st JR & LA Capstick, Beckside- £320
2nd RJ & J Towers, Greenlands- £250
A packed ringside of local and travelled buyers led to a blistering trade, with all mule shearlings forward averaging a massive £245 per head. The first prize pen of shearlings sold to £325 from Robinson & Ward, with the same good home selling other pens to £310 with this price also being achieved by JK & BE Townley, Lancaster. With many of the best bred mule shearlings selling £270- £280. Masham Shearlings sold to £240 twice from JM Woof, New Hutton and DE & J Waine,Longsleddle. Cheviot Mule shearlings created plenty of interest with the best selling to £270 from JS & KM Wilson & Son Kendal with others to £265 from DE & J Waine Longsleddle. Continental Shearlings saw well grown & well-bred shearlings keenly sought after single suffolk sold to £420 from M & J Greenwood, Middleton with the first prize pen of texels selling to £320 from JR & LA Capstick, Killington who sold other pens to £300 all continental shearlings averaged £261.