Joint highs of 3,200gns at CCM Skipton pedigree Beltex highlight
Penyghent flock lands supreme championship for Bradleys
Joint top prices of 3,200gns for a shearling ram from Matthew Burleigh’s Matt’s flock in Northern Ireland and a ram lamb from Scottish breeder Richard Wood’s Kingledores flock were recorded at the Beltex Sheep Society’s annual early autumn two-day pedigree breed highlight at Skipton Auction Mart. (Fri & Sat, Aug 30 and 31)
The first to sell at this price was the reserve supreme champion, the first prize shearling ram and male champion from Mr Burleigh, who runs the Matt’s flock in Shanra, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.
His March, 2018, Matt’s Draygon is a March, 2018, embryo son of Hackney Corker (by Topflite Al Pacino), acquired for 3,000gns from Paul and Christine Tippett's flock in Shifnal, Shropshire, out of the home-bred dam Matt’s Www. who also bred Mr Burleigh’s shearling ram champion at Dungannon the previous Monday.
The reserve supreme joined mother and daughter, Victoria and Gillian Bowring, and will be put to work on their 30-strong Windmill flock, established some four years ago, at Nether Langwith in Nottinghamshire’s Bassetlaw district.
The second prize shearling ram came from the same home. The February, 2018, Matt’s Dandy, by Murrays Code, a 2,000gns purchase from Aberdeenshire’s Murray Wood, was claimed for 800gns by GW Lee & Son, of Frosterley, Co Durham.
Mr Burleigh, who established his Beltex flock in 2006, is no stranger to success at the North Yorkshire venue, having clinched the supreme championship for the past two years at The Beltex sheep Society’s annual winter show and sale of pedigree in-lamb ewes.
At the August highlight he arrived with a 17-strong consignment of 10 shearling rams and seven ram lambs, with one from the latter, Matt’s Ergo, taking first prize in class and the reserve male championship.
The February-born son of the Scottish-bred 3,100gns Woodys Dominator, out of the home-bred Matt’s Archangel – the lamb’s full sister made 2,500gns at the Beltex Babes Sale in May – was knocked down for 900gns to a Welsh buyer, Ceredigion’s S Jones.
However, doing much better at 1,400gns was Mr Burleigh’s fourth prize ram lamb, the February-born fully home-bred Matt’s Ergonomic, by the Hackney Corker son, Matt’s Defender, out of Matt’s Atomic. It found a new home north of the border with J Cowan, of Auchincruive in South Ayrshire.
Lanarkshire’s Richard Wood, who runs his pedigree flock in Tweedsmuir, Biggar, claimed 3,200gns joint top call with his February-born ram lamb, Kingledores Engleburt, by the Skiddaw View Busby Babe son, the 3,000gns Arkle DJ, who has sired sons at 7,000gns and 11,000gns, out of Withy Trees Champagne, a daughter of Broxty Boxer.
The dam was bought purposely as a ewe lamb for 2,100gns as she was out of a 4,200gns gimmer lamb previously sold by Mr Wood to the Withy Trees flock of Lancashire breeder Andrew Wood, no relation. The joint top price achiever joined Brian Hall, who runs the Ainstable flock at Ainstable Hall, Carlisle.
The supreme championship fell to the first prize shearling ewe and female champion from North Craven husband and wife, John and Jean Bradley’s Penyghent flock at Penny Grange, Giggleswick.
Their Penyghent Dapper, is a February, 2018, embryo daughter of Jewitt Candyman (by Munreary Beast), acquired for 3,200gns from her County Durham breeder Henry Jewitt by the Bradleys’ eldest daughter Karen Shuttleworth and her husband David, who run the Heber Park flock at Heber House Farm, Gargrave, They were the 2018 Skipton Beltex supreme champions.
The dam, Pennyghent Bonny, is herself by Airyolland Wild One, a 4,500gns purchase by the Bradleys from Scottish breeders Neale and Janet McQuistin in Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire.
From a strong shearling ewe show class, the title winner caught the eye of show judge Mark Ireland, who runs the Shamrock Beltex flock in Whalley. “She was an easy winner with no faults whatsoever,” he noted. The overall victor found a new home in the Lake District when joining Nick Gill and Kayley Kennedy for their Nikay flock in Keswick.
Winning their first championship at the Skipton Beltex showcase was also a touch poignant for the Bradleys, who are winding down their Beltex flock after 18 years of serious breeding. Around 30-strong at its peak, the couple now have only two gimmer shearlings left at home after consigning six females and five tups at the Skipton sale.
Achieving top call of 2,200gns for the couple and falling to the judge was one of their shearling rams, the March, 2018, Penyghent Dunhill, again by Jewitt Candyman, out of another Airyolland Wild One daughter, Penyghent Bessie.
Three other Penyghent shearling ewes sold well at 1,100gns, 1,500gns and 1,800gns, this for the March, 2018, Penyghent Delphine, bred the same way as their top price shearling ram. She joined Andrew and Claire Wood’s Withy Trees flock in Whittingham, Preston.
While coming out of Beltex breeding, the Bradleys will continue to run their horned sheep hill flock, comprising over 1,000 Dalesbred and Swaledale. Mrs Bradley is a former secretary of the Dalesbred Sheep Breeders Association.
A trio of Scottish-bred shearling rams from the Green family, who run the Greenhall flock in Lilliesleaf, Melrose, caught the eye at 3,000gns, 2,200gns and 1,600gns. Shown by John Green, all were March, 2018, born by the same sire, Callacrag Barbarian, who has sold shearlings to 6,000gns and is an ET brother to the 10,000gns Bullseye, male champion at the Royal Highland Show.
All three rams were out of the same dam, Artnagullion Amber, herself by the locally bred Rathbone Tony, a Balmoral champion. The 3,000gns top performer, Greenhall Dennis The Menace, returned to Elizabeth McAllister’s Artnagullion flock in Northern Ireland, while the 2,200gns ram, Greenhall Danger Mouse, became another purchase by the Co Durham Lee family, with the 1,600gns entry, Greenhall Dick Dastardly, going to Kirklees with Meltham’s B Buckley.
Other shearling rams sold at four-figure prices, among them a trio from Richard Seed’s Parsonage flock in Chipping, Preston, at 1,600gns and 1,300gns twice, plus another at 1,400gns from Brian Hall’s Ainstable flock, which stood third in its show class.
From Tatham Hall Farm, Wray, near Lancaster, Procters Farms’ Jeff Aitken arrived with another strong pen, with the leading 1,400gns performer the second prize ram lamb, the February-born Woodwick Chino son, Procters Farm Enrepreneur. It sold locally to the Davis family’s Rathbone flock in Eldroth. A second Procters Farm ram lamb made 1,000gns, a shearling ram 1,200gns.
Back with the girls, the judge returned to the shearling ewe show class when tapping out the second prize winner as reserve female champion. It came from Northern Ireland’s Gary Beacom’s Lakeview flock, which is also based in Co. Fermanagh at Fivemiletown. His March, 2018, Lakeview Dream Come True is by fellow breeder Mr Burleigh’s Murrays Code, out of a Brickrow dam, and she sold for 1,500gns to Mr Burleigh.
However, the day’s top price female at 1,900gns was the fifth prize shearling ewe from former Skipton Beltex champion, Northern Ireland’s Elizabeth McAllister, who runs the Artnagullion pedigree flock with her brother William at Kells. Their March, 2018, Artnagullion Dixie, by the 8,000gns Ardstewart Armani, out of Artnagullion Wilma, joined H Owens in Leominster. Herefordshire.
Ewe lamb prices peaked at 700gns for the second prize winner from Cameron, Finlay and Archie Barclay’s Twinsplusone flock in Maybole, Ayrshire. Their January-born Twinsplusone Easy Girl, the family’s 2019 show lamb, which stood 10th in a huge class at the Royal Highland Show, is by Smart Ass Carbon, out of Beachy Sue. She sold to Calderdale’s SH Stott, of Sowerby Bridge.
The aged ram show class was won by Staffordshire exhibitor, 18-year-old Marcus Thomas Jones, who runs the Poole End flock at Rudland, near Leek, and is now into his fourth year as a pedigree Beltex breeder.
His March, 2017, Rathbone Crusoe, was acquired as a lamb from local breeders, Eldroth father and daughter, Mike and Becki Davis. By Broxty Supreme, out of the Rathbone Leader daughter, Beautry Petunia, the ram made 800gns when claimed by M Shaw in the Derbyshire Peak District.
Ram lambs averaged £648 per head, an increase on the previous year’s £570, a trend also seen among the shearling rams, which averaged £635, against 2018’s £604, while aged rams also saw a small increase from £651 last year to £656 at the latest renewal. Other averages were: Gimmer lambs £312 (2018 £351), shearling gimmers £480 (2018 £493), aged ewes £231 (2018 £405). Full results and prices are at www.ccmauctions.com
Sponsors were JG Animal Health, Craven Farm Vets, Mulberry Asset Finance, Craven Sheep Breeding Services & Nutri-grow.
SHOW RESULTS: Judge – Mr Mark Ireland (Shamrock Flock) Supreme Champion – J&JE Bradley Lot 316
Reserve Supreme Champion – M Burleigh Lot 107.
Aged Ram –
1st MT Jones Lot 1 sold for 800gns
2nd C&H Lewis Lot 3 unsold
Shearling Ram –
1st M Burleigh Lot 107 sold for 3200gns
2nd M Burleigh Lot 108 sold for 800gns
3rd B Hall Lot 142 sold for 1400gns
4th Procters Farm Lot 127 sold for 700gns
5th MJ Wells Lot 94 sold for 800gns
6th G Cropper Lot 168 sold for 700gns
Ram Lamb –
1st M Burleigh Lot 256 sold for 900gns
2nd Procters Farm Lot 223 sold for 1400gns
3rd R Braithwaite Lot 221 sold for 300gns
4th M Burleigh Lot 257 sold for 1400gns
5th PN&VJ Noble Lot 242 sold for 250gns
6th A&J McCutcheon Lot 229 sold for 400gns
Aged Ewe –
1st MT Jones Lot 270 unsold
Shearling Ewe –
1st J&JE Bradley Lot 316 sold for 1200gns
2nd GC Beacom Lot 288 sold for 1500gns
3rd G Cropper Lot 301 unsold
4th B Hall Lot 364 sold for 1200gns
5th E McAllister Lot 283 sold for 1900gns
6th WG Beckwith Lot 410 sold for 800gns
Ewe Lamb –
1st G Cropper Lot 425 unsold
2nd C,F&A Barclay Lot 439 sold for 700gns
3rd W Findlay Lot 424 unsold
4th CFA Barclay Lot 440 sold for 250gns
5th G&L Robinson Lot 444 sold for 250gns
6th S Currie Lot 442 sold for 220gns
Champion Male – M Burleigh Lot 107
Reserve Male – M Burleigh Lot 256
Champion Female – J&JE Bradley Lot 316
Reserve Female – GC Beacom Lot 288
Supreme Champion – J&JE Bradley Lot 316
Reserve Supreme Champion – M Burleigh Lot 107
Averages & Prices –
Gimmer Lambs – Av £312 (2018 £351)
700gns C,F&A Barclay, 500gns J Barclay, 350gns(x2) MR Davis
Shearling Gimmers – Av £480 (2018 £493)
1900gns E McAllister, 1800gns 1500gns 1200gns 1100gns J&JE Bradley, 1200gns B Hall, 1100gns S Wood
Aged Ewes – Av £231 (2018 £405)
220gns A Barrett
Ram Lamb – Av £648 (2018 £570)
3200gns RT Wood, 1400gns 900gns M Burleigh, 1400gns 1000gns Proctors Farm, 1050gns S Wood, 800gns A McCutcheon
Shearling Ram – Av £635 (2018 £604)
3200gns M Burleigh, 3000gns 2200gns 1600gns R Green, 2200gns J&JE Bradley, 1600gns 1300gns(x2) R Seed & Son, 1400gns B Hall, 1200gns Procters Farm, 1200gns B McCallister.
Aged Ram – Av £656 (2018 £651)
800gns M Jones, 450gns KCB Shuttleworth
Today’s Sale Sponsors –
JG Animal Health, Craven Farm Vets, Mulberry Asset Finance, Craven Sheep Breeding Services & Nutri-grow