Records smashed at Ballymena
A new centre record of 6,500gns for a Bluefaced Leicester female was set at Ballymena for a home-bred gimmer by Temain 4342/R031 from Martin Kelly, Freehall. It sold, in-lamb to 3790/T007 Knockstacken, to the Slievegallion Blues flock of Declan and Brendan McElhennon, Magherafelt.
The overall champion was the winning ewe hogg, Ballytober 4469/T019 by Cottage 3331/S002 from Jimmy and Jason Mills, Ballytober, which sold for 3,800gns to Messrs Nisbet, Banbridge, for the Rockford flock.
The reserve overall champion also came from the ewe hogg class: the second prize hogg from Declan McKillop, Giants Causeway. By Shitlington 2857/S012, it sold to D. Clinton, Rockview, Co Monaghan, for 2,000gns.
The first prize shearling gimmer from Dominic McCrystal, Drummuck, was a home-bred gimmer by Temain 4342/R024, in-lamb to Cottage 3331/S002, which went to Tom Staunton, Mask View, Co Mayo, for 1,600gns.
A home-bred ewe by Yore House Maverick, carrying twins to Carry House Ronaldo, from Ian Montgomery, Mistyburn, was the first prize winning older ewe and sold for 1,600gns.
Averages: 38 females, £1,330.46 (86% clearance).
Auctioneers: J. A. McClelland and Sons.
Texels lead Longtown Ladies at 4,200gns
The Longtown Ladies sale of pedigree Texel and other breeding females averaged £1,012 overall.
The sale topped at 4,200gns for the champion Texel for Robert Cockburn's Knap flock, Crieff, with a shearling by Dundas Evolution, in-lamb to a home-bred ram by Rhaeadr First Choice. The buyers were P. and L. Calcraft, Devon.
At 3,500gns was the third prize shearling by Garngour First Class, in-lamb to Midlock Gran Torino from Messrs Teward, New View, Staindrop, which sold to Legars, Kelso.
Thomas Muirhead, Orchilmore, Perthshire sold a Haddo Fearless sired shearling at 2,000gns to T. Adamson, Glenalmond, with Messrs McGregor, Allanfauld also selling at 2,000gns for a Mossknowe Focus daughter, which went to T. Common and Son, Hexham.
The Knap flock also topped the geld hoggs at 1,600gns with a Knap Gruffalo daughter, which went to A. and D. Proctor, Swarland, Northumberland. Its full sister made 1,300gns to A. Greenhill, Dundee.
The winning hogg was a Coniston Equinox daughter from D. and S. McPherson's Hexel flock, Berwick-upon-Tweed, which made 1,400gns to Messrs Mounsey, Aspatria.
Suffolk ewes and shearlings averaged £840, with a three-times top price of 1,000gns for Suffolk hoggs from Ali Jackson's Cummertrees-based Tiptop flock.
Auctioneers: C. and D. Marts.
Pedigree heifers to £2,800 at Gisburn
A top price of £2,800 was paid for an Aireburn heifer from G. B. Moorhouse, Skipton at Gisburn's mid-January dairy sale.
The Renegade daughter from the Dalesbrad herd's Columbia family was out an 11,000kg Lamar dam. However, it was Rager Red sired heifers making the next run of leading prices. The Whytil herd of J. and M. Singleton and Sons, Goosnargh, produced the day's second top of £2,750 with a Rager Red from their Elizabeth family. Close behind, at £2,700, was another Rager Red from Arthington-based A. Lawson and Son's Newbirks Caye family.
The non-pedigree heifer trade reached £2,400 for R. R. Parkinson and Sons, Preston.
Pedigree cows peaked at £2,550 for the Lawsons' Newbirks Adorable Remembrance, a second calver out of an EX93, 100-tonne dam.
J. R. and M. I. Berry, Waddington topped the non-pedigree cow section at £2,620.
Nineteen in-calf heifers sold to £2,100 for R. A. Kirkham, Garstang, who had four at £2,000 and above, all in-calf to the Angus for February.
Averages: Pedigree newly calved heifers, £2,308; non-pedigree newly calved heifers, £2,004; in-calf heifers, £1,968; pedigree newly calved cows, £2,188; non-pedigree newly calved cows £2,162; in-calf heifers £1,675.
Auctioneers: Gisburn Auction Mart.
Bonvilston flock dominates Hereford Bluefaced Leicester sale
Gareth Roberts, Anglesey, judged the pre-sale show at the sale of Bluefaced Leicesters at Hereford, and chose as champion a shearling ewe from Tudor Harries, Bonvilston, Cardiff. By P1 North Burndale out of a home-bred ewe and carrying twins to S4 Kirkstead, it went on to sell to the judge for the top price of 2,000gns.
Next, at 1,400gns, from the same home and again by P1 North Burndale was another shearling, in-lamb with twins to S4 Kirkstead, which was the pick of D. Kear, Swansea. The Bonvilston flock continued to dominate the sale, with the next four high prices of 900gns, 850gns, 800gns and 800gns selling respectively to Mr Roberts, B. C. Cox, Abergavenny, D. Evans, Abergele, and Messrs Davies, Llandeilo.
Averages: 3 in-lamb aged ewes, £259; 21 in-lamb shearling ewes, £741.50; 5 ewe lambs, £466.20.
Auctioneers: Hereford Market Auctioneers.
Border and Lakeland sale tops 3,500gns twice at Carlisle
The first Border and Lakeland Sale of 2025 at Carlisle topped at 3,500gn twice, with milking heifers averaging £2,641.
The champion and top price milker was Evening Barolo Tippy from Evening Hill Farm, Thursby. This July 2022-born heifer by Claynook Barolo was out of the 2019 AgriScot Supercow, Whinchat Snowy Tippy 2 VG89 SP LP50, and was knocked down to Baltier Farming Company, Wigtownshire. Three other heifers from the Evening herd sold to average £3,132.
Joint top-price at 3,500gns was Annandale Keyline, an August 2023-born bull from Matthew Armour, Moffat. By Annandale Finally, it sold online to Messrs Hainey, Stranraer.
Reserve champion was Wormanby Royal Lustre from Wormanby Farms, Burgh by Sands. The March 2023-born Wormanby Royal daughter sold for 3,000gns to Messrs Manning, Shropshire.
The ongoing dispersal of the Langhill and Acrehead herds on behalf of SRUC topped at 2,450gns for Langhill Dorinez, which had calved in August and was due again to Hargrove P.
Averages: 4 cows in-milk, £2,441.25; 89 heifers in-milk, £2,641.77; 5 faulted/three-quartered heifers, £1,722; 2 heifer calves, £430.50; 1 bull, £3,675; SRUC - 35 cows in-milk, £1,910.10; 4 heifers in-milk, £2,079; 10 in-calf heifers, £2,079.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
New record set at Leek
A new store cattle record was set at Leek when a pair of 23-month-old Charolais steers from Sallerenshaw and family, Bradwell, sold for £2,350/head, with another 22-month-old pair from the same vendor making £2,300/head.
A 30-month-old Limousin steer from R. and M. Phillips and Sons, Buxton, sold for £2,040, with 21-month-old Aberdeen-Angus steers from A. and L. Worthington, topping at £2,010.
Young bulls sold to £2,040 for a 22-month-old Charolais from Messrs Evans, Gawsworth, with another at 19 months old from the same home at £1,800 and a pair of seven-month-old Charolais bulls at £1,200/head.
Younger cattle were in demand, with seven 11-month-old Charolais steers from Mick Reeves and family, Ipstones, making £1,470 and a British Blue steer from Keith Minshull and family, Bosley, at £1,340.
Heifers sold to £2,090 for a 30-month-old Limousin from R. and M. Phillips and Sons, Buxton.
Martin Lancaster, Congleton, sold 17-month-old Charolais heifers to £1,690, with 25-month-old Aberdeen-Angus heifers from H. Lomas and Sons, Gawsworth, selling to £1,660.
Averages: Steers, £1,308.96; heifers, £983.86.
Auctioneers: Leek Auctions.
Flying dairy trade at Market Drayton
At Market Drayton's dairy sale, Shutt and Mansell, Flashbrook, sold both section leaders, a second calver at £3,220 and a heifer at £3,000. They also sold a second calver and a heifer, both at £2,980, to average £3,045.
T. Jones, Betws y Coed, and T.G. Phillips and Son, Llanymynech, both sold heifers at £2,820.
G. H. and A. H. James, Chepstow, averaged £2,679 for their consignment of seven cows and heifers, selling a second calver at £2,800 and heifers to £2,800 and £2,720.
A Dairy Shorthorn heifer from M. Tidmarsh, Stoke on Trent, sold at £2,800.
Heifer calves sold to £400 and a 23-month-old Limousin stock bull at £3,250.
Averages: 27 fresh heifers, £2,528; 15 fresh cows, £2,106.
Auctioneers: Gwilym Richards with Market Drayton Market.
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