Bluefaced Leicesters sell to record £34k at Hawes

Bluefaced Leicesters sold to a new breed record of £34,000 at Hawes’ two-day sale last week.

Taking the day’s top call was a tup lamb from the Kirkby Redgate flock of Richard Hutchinson. He was given the red ticket by judge James Herdman, out of a strong class of around 60 tup lambs before going on to take the overall championship. He shattered the previous record by some £11,000.

Sale leader H1 Kirkby Redgate

By G17 Marriforth he is out of a ewe by D17 Hewgill that Richard bought off Paul and Ivan Brown, Ravenstonedale. The hammer fell in a three-way deal to the Midlock, Firth and Hamildean flocks.
Kirkby Redgate also saw another bid of £9,000 for a son of G1 Hewgill, again out of a D17 Hewgill daughter. He was the pick of Neil Laing, for his Garscube flock.

Another flock enjoying fantastic trade was the Carry House flock, run by Martyn Archer. His best was his first lamb into the ring, by the £10,000 G34 Midlock. This April born lamb out of a ewe by F1 Oak House has had many successes on the show circuit this summer and sold in a half share to the Midlock flock and Messrs Thornborrow, Dawyck for £23,000.

The Carry House pen achieved £15,000 for their second lamb, H2 Carry House, again by G34 Midlock and out of a good breeding ewe by the old Z1 Breck House. This one sold in a four way split to the Edlingham, Newbigging Walls, Riccalton and Happrew flocks.

The first son out of the Penrith championship winner G1 Highberries Highlander, from Mr Archer, fetched £10,000 when selling to Quarry House and West Nubbock, Hexham. Altogether Mr Archer averaged £7,108 for 12 lambs sold.

George and Josh Shields’ Skeughdale flock, Ravenstonedale, recorded a personal best of £14,000 with their homebred homebred tup, G18 Skeughdale, full of Hewgill breeding and out of a ewe by A3 Hewgill. The hammer fell Kirkby Redgate flock.

Two tups made £12,000. The first was the four-shear tup D17 “Yellow Tag” Smearsett from Robin Booth, Smearsett. This son of B19 Lunesdale has been used extensively at Smearsett, siring lambs up to £8,500 and gimmers to £3,200. Buyers were David Abberley, Old Hemley and Jack Lawson, Hundith.

The other tup at the same money was from the noted Midlock pen. H1 Midlock by the E1 Hewgill and out of a good breeding ewe by C2 Hewgill, headed back to Stainmore with John Lord from Hewgill. The Midlock flock enjoyed a good trade averaging £3,911 for nine lambs. presented.
Averages: ram lambs, £1,380 (up £136 on 2014); aged rams, £1,577; shearling rams, £830.
(Hawes Farmers Auction Mart).