Hull House Texel dispersal produces 8,000gns top price
A top call of 8,000gns (£8,400) was the highlight of some standout prices achieved at a major dispersal sale staged on behalf of the Mellin family’s Hellifield-based Hull House Texel flock at Skipton Auction Mart. (Sat, Sept 15)
In total, 222 ewes, shearling ewes and ewe lambs from the multi championship-winning flock were consigned for sale and achieved total clearance.
Top of the flock on price was a February, 2017, shearling ewe by the Knap Wot A Nut son, Tamnamoney Young Willie McBride, champion stock ram in the 2016 North West Texel Breeders Club flock competition.
This junior stock ram is showing great potential, with his first daughters in particular looking very promising. Out of a dam sired by Strathbogie Umpire, the sale ring leader found a new home in Scotland when joining Stewart Barclay, of Insch in Aberdeenshire.
The same buyer also went to 7,000gns to claim a 2014-born aged ewe by the Scholars Twenty Twelve-bred Strathbogie Umpire, out of the Knock Orocco daughter, Hull House Rose, who finished third as a shearling ewe at the 2010 Royal Welsh Show and has herself been a source of some prize-winning females for the flock.
Mr Barclay made a third acquisition when paying 3,800gns for another aged ewe, this one 2013-born by the Milnbank Special One son, Sportsmans Terrific, out of a dam by Castlecairn Red Arrow.
Also claiming a number of high priced sheep at the sale were Cheshire buyers, Boden & Davies, of Mellor Hall Farm, Mellor, near Stockport, who just 12 months earlier had set a new Skipton record high livestock price of 11,000gns when purchasing the supreme champion at the annual pedigree Beltex highlight.
This time, they went to second top price of 7,500gns to acquire the very first sheep to enter the sale ring, a 2014 aged ewe by the Knock Macallan-bred Hilltop Predator, first prize stock ram in the 2012 NWTBC flock competition, who has sired ram lambs to 3,400gns. The dam was a 2,000gns Kingsland ewe by Knock Powerpacker, while the grand dam was female champion and reserve overall at the 2009 Great Yorkshire Show.
Boden & Davies were on the mark again with a 6,000gns bid for a 2015 ewe by the Brackenridge Strongbow son, Langside Thunderbird Gal, again out of a Catlecairn Red Arrow daughter, with a further 3,200gns buy in the top price ewe lamb, a February-born daughter of Strathbogie Ali G, purchased last year for 6,500gns and himself by the £60,000 Strathbogie Yes Sir. The dam, again from the prolific Rose family, is another Strathbogie Umpire daughter.
Back with the shearling ewes, there were other notable four-figure prices, including one of 4,200gns for a February, 2017, daughter of Tamnamoney Young Willie McBride, out of a Sportsmans Teerific 11-sired dam. The successful buyers were Procters Farms in Clitheroe.
Making 4,000gns was another shearling ewe daughter of Tamnamoney Young Willie McBride, out of a home-bred dam sired by Hull House Rothchild 1. Related on the mother’s side to Castleknowe Matchmaker, the ewe also travelled north of the border when joining David McKerrow, of Freuchie in Fife,
There were two successful 3,200gns bids, one for a March, 2017, shearling ewe by Tamnamoney Young Willie McBride, out of a dam sired by Langside Thunderbird Gal, the second for a 2014-born aged ram by Hull House Undercover, out of a 6,000gns Glenside ewe sired by Strathbogie Python. Both fell to Irish buyers, the shearling to W Cubbit, of Rasharkin in Co. Antrim, the ewe to Stuart Ferris, of Dromore in Co. Down.
Another buy for Scotland was the 3,000gns paid by J&MC Wilson, of Girvan in South Ayrshire, for a 2016-born ewe by Langside Thunderbird Gal, out of a Tophill ewe purchased for 2,000gns.
The dispersal sale, conducted by Lawrie & Symington, assisted by Craven Cattle Marts, was deemed an overwhelming success by the vendors, producing averages of £1,200.71 for ewes, £1,174.23 for shearling ewes and £457.36 for ewe lambs.
The Hull House flock was founded in 1979 and was based on a combination of Dutch fleshing qualities and wool with the stronger boned French sheep. The flock’s foundation came from the rams, Annan Masterpiece and Beautry Nazarov, both champions in the show ring and at home. The family has won multiple supreme championships with its Texels, The Royal and Great Yorkshire Shows among them.