Trade sold at inaugural CCM Skipton Suffolk females show
Solid across-the-board trade was achieved at a brand-new weekend show and sale for pedigree Suffolk females at Skipton Auction Mart. (Sat, Nov 2)
The inaugural fixture made an immediate impact, with a complete clearance of the 17 in-lamb sheep penned for sale, which peaked at 850gns for a shearling ewe from Pamela Lupton’s Kexbeck flock at Greenholme Farm, Galphay, Ripon.
The ewe was one of December, 2017-born triplets by the 6,800gns Manor House Hotspot, out of a Kexbeck dam that bred the male champion and breed reserve champion at last year’s Great Yorkshire Show and grand-dam of ewe lambs that stood second in class this year.
Out of a Rhaeadr Razzle Dazzle-sired ewe which also had show breeding pedigree, the shearling was sold carrying twins to Rhaeadr Jet Set, purchased for 4,000gns and whose own sire, Stockton Sniper’s Son, last year sold for top price of 15,500gns at the National sale to the Rhaeadr flock. The buyer of the top price in-lamb entry was G Brass, from Kirkby Stephen.
Mrs Lupton, who was only selling females as the flock had outgrown her small farm, also achieved 700gns with the third prize March, 2018, shearling ewe by Ballynacanon Castle, reserve male champion at the 2017 Great Yorkshire who himself bred last year’s male champion and breed reserve champion. Out of a Rhaeadr Reggae-sired ewe and also scanned carrying twins to Rhaeadr Jet Set, this ewe also joined Mr Brass.
Geoff Biddulph, who runs the Pexhill flock at Gawsworth, near Macclesfield, presented a nice run of In-lamb shearlings, the pick of which at 800gns was the second prize winner, a January, 2018, daughter of Sitlow Concept, whose home-bred dam has produced prize-winning progeny. Scanned carrying triplets to Carony, purchased as a lamb at the National sale jointly with the Rookery flock, the shearling was claimed by Congleton’s H Lyons.
Mr Biddulph was also responsible for the first prize ewe, a three-year-old by the flock’s own Strathisla Schumaker son, Pexhill Jackpot, a maternal brother to the 13,500gns Pexhill Real Lucky.
Scanned in-lamb to Roundacre Big Bang, a 5,000gns joint purchase with the Sitlow flock and one of two brothers that finished second and third at the Royal Highland Show – his dam’s full sister was twice RHS reserve breed champion in 2017 and 2018 - the red rosette-winning ewe made top price in class of 600gns when also joining H Lyons.
The first prize shearling ewe and overall reserve champion, courtesy of show judge Liz Needham, who runs the Norman pedigree flock in Kendal, came from Welsh breeder John Pryce’s Horton flock near Trefnanney in Powys.
Shown by daughter, Helen Roberts, the ewe, one of January, 2018, triplets by Castlegrove Turrit, acquired two years ago, was sold in-lamb to the very good breeding ram, Haddo High Voltage, and made 650gns when claimed by LJ Berry, of Haslingden.
The Horton flock also stood third in the ewe show class with a December, 2015, daughter of Sitlaw Saint Steve, scanned in-lamb to Rookery Royal Escort. She made 300gns, with the Rhaeadr flock of another Welsh breeder, Myfyr Evans responsible for the second prize winner, a December, 2016, daughter of Ballynacanon Bale, scanned in-lamb to Limestone Limousine, which made 420gns.
Mr Evans, who farms at Llanrhaeadr in Denbghshire, and is celebrating his landmark 40th year as a Suffolk breeder, also stood overall champion with his first prize ewe lamb, a January-born daughter of Stockton Sniper’s Son, though the victor, like other class prize winners, returned home.
However, a strong entry of ewe lambs proved better to sell than anticipated, with a good commercial following. The Maverick flock of Mrs M Brown, from Clifton, Otley, had a successful sale with Lakeview Harbinger daughters selling to 800gns and 750gns and her pen of six ewe lambs averaging £616.
Stephen Bolland, who runs the Wharfe flock in Bolton Abbey, achieved the day’s top call of 1,000gns for a December-born ewe lamb by the 2,300gns Strathbogie Superstar, which sold for export to the Red Creek Suffolk flock in the Netherlands.
Also catching the eye with ewe lambs was Derbyshire-based Steve Buckley’s Sitlow flock at Dove Holes, Buxton, with a 750gns sale of a Strathbogie Peaky Blinder daughter and others to 600gns.
All In-lamb shearlings averaged £653.63 and In-lamb ewes £423.94, while the ewe lamb average was £508.77