South Craven Forts secure 2,000gns top price ram at Skipton pedigree Lleyn highlight
North & East England Lleyn Sheep Breeders Club chairman, Steeton’s Graham Fort, who runs the Brightonhouse pedigree flock with his wife Mandy, went to 2,000gns to secure the top price performer at the Lleyn Sheep Society’s annual registered show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart. (Thus, Oct 3)
The shearling ram was presented by the Nicholson family, of Woodmandsey, Beverley, who were on their debut outing as new breeders. Their success came with the second prize shearling ram, Fearn Harry, which had Fort family breeding, being by Brightonhouse Extrovert.
The top price performer will now be put to work on the Brightonhouse flock, as well as being shared by their son and daughter, Terry and Beverley, who run their own Fort flock from the same South Craven farm.
Staying with the shearling rams, local breeders John and James Dugdale, who run the Borrins flock at Stackhouse, Settle, sold Borrins Hallows, by Netherton Cracker, for 720gns to G Hodkinson, of Chipping.
Four rams hit the 700gns mark, including the third prize winner from Kendal breeder Peter Knowles, which sold to RM Oglesby, York. JA&R Geldard & Sons, Kendal, the Dudgales again and A Davies, Pwllheli, all sold for 700gns.
The shearling ewes saw a sound trade, with the first prize pen from Hamish Goldie, Ruthwell, selling for £210/head to TM Oglesby, York. Mr Ogelsby also secured the next two top price pens, the second prize winners from local consigner Simon Kavanagh, of West Berwick Farm, Draughton, at £200/head, and a pen from B Walling, Selkirk, at £180/head. AW Davies, Pwllheli sold a pen at £170/head to S Alker & M Kinnes, Driffield.
The ewe lambs saw plenty of buyers for tupping lambs, with J Morton, Penrith, topping at £102/head for the third prize pen selling to MK Harris, Northallerton. AW Davies sold a pen of six for £98/head to JT&UI Garth, Lancaster.
The first prize pen from B Walling sold for £95/head to IO Jones, Abergele. JK Goldie, Ruthwell, sold for £96/head to JT&UI Garth. Some smaller lambs did change hands for £75-80/head.
The Skipton fixture is the final society sale of the year and it finished a positive season on a positive note, with all section averages up on the year as follows: Shearling ewes to £210, av. £146 (+25), Ewe Lambs to £107, av. £87 (+13), Rams to 2000gns, av. £600 (+252) A full report can be viewed on the sale reports section of the society website – www.lleynsheep.com
HORNS APLENTY: Skipton Auction Mart’s annual Swaledale females highlight last Saturday attracted an entry of 2,671 head, which sold to an overall average of £86.39, a solid rise of £15.10 on the year. A full report on this and Monday’s annual Swaledale ram sale will appear next week.