Brightonhouse Suffolks dispersal attracts crowds

Suffolk sheep supporters were out in force at the dispersal of the Brightonhouse flock for Keighley, west Yorkshire breeders, G & A Fort. The auction mart car park at Skipton was filling up with trailers several hours before the sale which drew buyers from Morayshire in northern Scotland to Devon.

This flock impressed for its outlook and “meaty” conformation and it was the stock ram Tomcroft Titan – a son of Meikleson Impression – that realised the top price of 1,100gns. Bred by Tom Cox and bought as a lamb at the breed society’s 2009 National Show and Sale, he stays in Yorkshire with Harrogate buyer R Earnshaw.

Females were a good trade selling to 1,050gns for a January-born ewe lamb by Titan and bought by Mrs Caroline Nelson for her Rosepark flock at Kelso.

Gimmers sold to 900gns for a January 2010 daughter of Deveronside Dalesman that had been scanned for twins by the homebred Brightonhouse Seventy Seven. Buyer was Ian Kirk of Southwell, Nottinghamshire. Another gimmer by Sitlow Noble, also scanned for twins by Seventy Seven, made 870gns to D Harvey, Builth Wells who runs the Hawkesridge flock.

Ewes sold to 850gns twice. A three crop ewe by Glenhead Morangie carrying twins by Tomcroft Titan sold to Roger Harrison, Spilsby, Lincs while a one-crop daughter of Sitlow Noble, also carrying twins to Titan, goes to Emma Robinson of Forest in Teesdale, County Durham.

Averages; 41 flock ewes £557.52; 20 gimmers £647.33; 32 ewe lambs £488.25 and two stock rams £971.25. (Wright Manley with CCM Auctions.)