Hampshire Down females hit 500gns twice at Skipton
Top bids of 500gns were paid twice for Hampshire Down females at the breed association’s annual North East region show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart. (Fri, Oct 2)
First up at 500gns was the first prize winning Graylen shearling ewe from Cumbrian breeders Graham and Judith Galbraith, in Endmoor, Kendal, who were responsible for the Skipton show champion in both 2012 and 2013.
Sired by Kelsey Jonny and having run with Millfields Foyle, she was secured by J Hooks, of Northallerton. The same buyer paid 500gns again for a Millfields Foyle-sired Graylen ewe lamb, also from the Galbraiths.
Three lots shared the second highest call of the day at 450gns, starting with the Galbraiths’ Podehole Houdini-sired Coquetdale aged ewe. Originally bred by M Curry, of Morpeth, Northumberland, and run with Clogherny Hogan, she went home with MB Steel, of Thornhill in Stirlingshire.
Also hitting the 450gns mark was the first prize winning Ballycreelly aged ewe bred in Ireland by KP and AE McCarthy, of Comber, County Down. Run with Ballycreelly Whatthedevil, she was purchased by Louie van Geffen., from Carlton in Cleveland, North Yorkshire. The same buyer invested a further 450gns with the McCarthys’ Ballycreelly Devilsadvocate-sired shearling ewe, scanned in lamb to a Clogherny ram.
Bids of 420gns were made twice - first by A Chapman, from Richmond in North Yorkshire, for a Graylen D’Artagnan-sired Graylen shearling ewe from the Galbraiths and serviced by Millfields Foyle. The buyer went on to bid 350gns for a Thorbeck aged ewe from JA Birkwood, of North Thoresby, Grimsby. She was sired by Yarcombe Goldrush and run with Thorbeck Hurricane.
A call of 420gns from N Foster, if Donard in County Wicklow, secured a Thorbeck shearling ewe sired by Podehole Knockout and run with Kelsey Hero. This one was bred by JA Birkwood and entered by Andre Vrona, from Langham in Rutland.
Two same way bred and same serviced Thorbeck shearling ewes from Mr Vrona went on to both sell for 300gns to Mr Birkwood and the Galbraiths. Mr Vrona took a further 350gns for a Ballycreelly shearling ewe, bred by the McCarthys and sired by Ballycreelly Whynot. She was run with Kelsey Hero and sold to John and Helen Harrison, of Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway.
Continuing with Mr Vrona, he secured 300gns for a Kelsey Thelion-sired shearling ewe, bred by D Smith and J Atkinson in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire. Serviced by Thorbeck Handyman, she went home with Mr Birkwood. The same vendor secured 300gns for a Kelsey aged ewe, bred by Messrs Smith and Atkinson and sired by Kelsey I-muscle. She went home with the Galbraiths.
A call of 380gns was made for a Graylen ewe lamb, sired by Clogherny Hogan, from the Galbraiths. This one sold to Matthew Pink, of Nether Poppleton, York.
The Birkwoods took a bid of 360gns for a Thorbeck aged ewe, sired by Yarcombe Erroll and serviced by Thorbeck Ivan. She sold to H Hindmarch, of Wolsingham, County Durham, who also paid 350gns for a second Erroll-sired Thorbeck aged ewe, again run with Ivan.
In the male section, two calls of 450gns led the trade. First came a Kelsey shearling ram, bred by Messrs Atkinson and sired by Eastfortune Barclay. This one was knocked down to Welsh breeders WG and N Roberts, of Betws-y-Coed, Conwy.
Again at 450gns was a Thorbeck shearling ram, entered by Mr Vrona and bred by the Birkwoods. This Podehole Knockout son was sold to T R Craven, Wilberfoss, East Yorkshire
Averages: 10 aged ewes: £311.85; 12 shearling ewes: £343; 9 ewe lambs: £253.17; 5 shearling rams: £325.50; 1 ram lamb: £294.
The Hampshire Down fixture again formed part of Skipton Auction Mart’s multi-breed sheep showcase, the annual show and sale of pedigree and pure-bred rams and females.)