Belgian bred ewe is champion at Beltex special female sale
Belgian bred ewe is champion at Beltex special female sale
CUMBRIA beef and sheep farmer John Hall, a well-known supporter of the Beltex breed, judged the Beltex Sheep Societys special female sale at Carlisle where the champion went on to top the day at 1000gns.
This 1997-bred gimmer was part of the large consignment of ewes from leading breeder John McIlwraiths Dunure flock, Ayr. She was an imported ewe from one of the top Belgium flocks carrying the VanT Ophoverveld prefix and had been served by Willi Winki, the new stock ram jointly owned by Dunure which only arrived in the UK in August. Buyers were G and J Belcher and Sons, Shifnal, Shropshire.
Mr Hall paid 750gns for another from the same home and from the same Belgium flock.
* S Frazier and Sons Conningswick flock from Kidderminster offered a useful bunch of ewes including several imports and it was one of these, a twin-born 1997-bred gimmer named Woold Du Trou Du Baudet, that achieved their best price of the day. It made 650gns to J McGarva, Annan, Dumfries-shire. She was in-lamb to Ulysses.
The day also saw 173 Texel females on offer through the Solway and Tyne Texel Breeders Club including a major reduction from Gretna Green breeder J P Kirkbrides Springbank flock.
It was a 1997-bred gimmer from Springbank that topped this section at 700gns taken by J W Irving, Gretna. She was by Ballaglonney Andorra and bred out of a ewe by Lower Lacon. The ewe was in-lamb to Longlean Earnie.
Bidding reached 450gns in the collective Texel sale. It was paid by Kirkdale Farms, Newton Stewart for a gimmer from Matt and Craig Ridleys Haltcliffe flock. The ewe, which stood champion, was sired by Ettrick Claymore and was in-lamb to Glenside Don Juan.
AVERAGES: Texel – 19 shearling gimmers £185; 24 ewes £108; six ewe lambs £107. Mainport reduction – 11 gimmers £97. Springbank – 23 ewes £109; 18 gimmers £199. Beltex – 19 ewes £250; 28 shearlings £499 and four ewe lambs £164. (Harrison and Hetherington) *