Zwarbles top at 2,200gns at Carlisle
It was the winning ewe lamb and reserve champion, Statesman Magical, from B. Stayt, Bourton-on-the-Water, which led the trade at the Zwartbles Sheep Society show and sale at Carlisle at 2,200gns.
The daughter of Top Notch King Kong, which was the first progeny to be offered for sale out of Craigies Just So, supreme champion at the 2021 Carlisle premier sale, sold to Messrs Henderson, Stirling.
Next, at 2,000gns, from the same home was another ewe lamb by the same sire, Stateman Mississippi, out of Craigies Just Ace, which was knocked down to Messrs Jones, Llandrindod Wells.
The overall champion and winning shearling gimmer, Hayberries Lucy Liu by Norton King of the Road out of Goldies Jo, consigned by P. and S. Addison, Barnard Castle, also sold for 2,000gns to Messrs Boyes, Annan.
Two ewe lambs, Pendle Madonna and Pendle Martini, both by Coverham KnockEmOut from Issy Hartley, Nelson, made 1,200gns each to Messrs Millar, Lockerbie, and Messrs Pritchard, Newcastle upon Tyne, respectively.
Averages - 6 aged ewes, £346.50; 32 shearling ewes, £554.53; 54 ewe lambs, £457.92.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
High of 10,500gns for Charolais at Welshpool
At the British Charolais Cattle Society sale at Welshpool, 30 bulls averaged £5,620 – an increase of £533 on the year – with a top call of 10,500gns.
Taking the top price was Esgob United, a 19-month-old bull which had stood second in its class to the champion, from Gareth Jones, Bala, Gwynedd. By 14,000gns Solwayfirth Peterpan out of the Anside Excalibur daughter, Esgob Hifi, it sold to R. Roberts, Abergele.
Also hitting the five-figure mark was the reserve overall champion, Castellmawr UFO, an April-born bull by Caylers Olympus from Alwyn and Medwyn Williams, North Wales, which sold at 10,000gns to A.L. Jones, Bala.
Next, at 9,000gns, was the overall champion, Gretnahouse Ulric, consigned by Mike and Melanie Alford, Collumpton, Devon. The Lochend Nighthawk son sold to L.L. Morgan, Abertridwr.
Gerwyn Jones, Conwy, took 8,500gns for his first prize winner, Graiggoch Usefull, an 18-month-old son of Brampton Nacodar, which was knocked down to Messrs Evans, Gwynedd.
Making 8,000gns was Moelfre Usain by Thrunton Nugget from Kevin Thomas, Capel Iwan, Carmarthenshire, which went to W.G. Woosnam, Cefn Mawr.
Females sold to a top price of 4,600gns for Gerwyn Jones' Graiggoch Twirl, a two-year-old heifer by Maerdy Naser, out of the Balmyle Dickler daughter, Graiggoch Immaculate, which was knocked down to B. Walters, Dryslwyn.
Auctioneers: Welshpool Livestock Sales.
Welsh Blacks top at 3,400gns for female champion
At the Welsh Black Cattle Society sale at Dolgellau females topped at 3,400gns for the female champion, the in-calf heifer, Tryfil Briallen 21 from I.G. Roberts, Llanerchymedd, which was bought by the judge, Elin Fflur Williams, Pantglas.
The second prize-winning in-calf heifer, Ysguboriau Vera, from William R. Pughe Jones, Ysguboriau, made 2,800gns to H.D. Roberts, Llithfaen.
The reserve champion female, Tryfil Camelia 33 from Messrs Roberts sold for 2,600gns to E. Vaughan, Conwy, who also paid the top maiden heifer price of 2,550gns for Seisiog Awena 81 consigned by T. and J. Jones, Caergybi.
The reserve champion maiden heifer, Caerynwch Gwenfair 92 from T.W. Williams and Co, Brithdir, made 2,350gns to the Partneriaid Bridin Partnership, Gwynedd.
The champion maiden heifer, Deicws Marion 38 from G.C. Wiliams, Conwy, went on to sell for 2,150gns to E. Lewis, Lampeter.
Machreth Llywelyn 2, a 1,070kg bull from Will and Huw Jones, Talyllyn Twyyn, sold for 2,500gns.
Auctioneers: Farmers Marts (R.G. Jones).
Champion sells for £4,000 at Barnard Castle
The Christmas show and sale of store cattle at Barnard Castle was judged by Angela Tarry-Smith, Warwickshire, and Louise Todd, Lincolnshire, who awarded the overall championship to a 16-month-old Limousin heifer from W.M. Reed and Sons, Westgate, which later sold for the day's top price of £4,000.
The reserve champion was an 11-month-old Limousin heifer from Peter and Edward Walton, Mickleton, which sold for £2,700.
The second prize heifer over 14 months old, a Limousin consigned by A. and J. Harrison, Ettersgill, sold for £3,000. At the same money was a third prize winning British Blue heifer over 14 months old from M. and B. Coulthard, Westgate, who sold another at £2,900.
The third prize winning heifer under 14 months old, a British Blue from F. and M.P. Allinson and Co, Baldersdale, made £2,600.
The top priced steer, at £2,010, was the third prize winning British Blue from J.R. and L. Harding, Darlington. The winning Limousin steer, which sold for £1,885, was from J.E. and E. Dobson and Son, Frosterley, who also sold a Limousin heifer at £2,800.
Messrs Harrison had the second and third prize winning Limousin steers, which sold for £2,000 and £1,965 respectively.
The top price bull, at £1,735, was a Limousin from D. and P.H. Brown, Aldborough St Johns.
Averages – overall, £1,721.98; heifers, £1,763.19; steers, £1,654.25; bulls, £1,608.33.
Auctioneers: Barnard Castle and Teesdale Farmers Auction Mart Co.
Second calver tops Market Drayton dairy sale
At Market Drayton's dairy sale, a trio of second calvers from Hankins Heys Farm, Audlem, averaged £3,183 with a top of £3,400 and the other two making £3,150 and £3,000.
Other second calvers from K.J. Morris, Worcestershire, sold at £2,900, £2,750 and £2,600, with R. and R. Vernon and Sons, Burleydam, at £2,550.
The best of the calved heifers peaked at £3,200 for M. Weaver, Stone.
According to the auctioneers, the overall quality of the heifers was a little disappointing, with the next best at £2,650 from R. and J. Merrett, Gloucester.
The 20 bulling heifers sold to £830 and averaged £767, with 12 heifer calves to £200 averaging £115. A 13-month-old Simmental stock bull sold for £2,850.
Averages -18 fresh cows (all in), £2,074; 27 fresh heifers (all in), £2,053.
Auctioneers: Gwilym Richards with Market Drayton Market.
Beltex top Bentham store lambs
Trade for store lambs at Bentham was generally £120-£135/head, with the best Beltex lambs selling at extreme rates. There were plenty of pens between £140-£160, topping at £173/head for J. McAulay, Hawick.
This was followed at £168 with lambs from J. and M. Cockett, Ingleton; R.A. and C. Benson, Ulverston; and J. and G. Sinclair, Heriot.
Longer keep lambs were in the £80 range, with only a handful selling for less.
The strongest Mule sold at £105-£115, topping at £119 for A. Denby, Wennington.
The best Swale and Dalesbred lambs sold from £70-£88, with a trio from J.R. Middleton, Dent, to £95.
A run of Scottish Blackface from A. Hoggarth, Selkirk, sold to £100. Cheviot lambs topped at £99 for the last draw of the season from J. Swift, Kendal. A run of 503 Beltex and Cheviot Mules from Wester Ulston Sheep, Jedburgh, saw the best Cheviot Mules to £125.50.
Auctioneers: Richard Turner and Son.
Store cattle to £2,020 at Hawes
The show and sale of store cattle at Hawes topped at £2,020 for a 29-month-old heifer from M.P. and H.M. York.
The championship went to a Limousin heifer from Croft Farm Partners, Hawes, and in reserve was another Limousin heifer, this time from J.R. Blades, Hawes. They sold for £1,920 and £1,820 respectively to the judge, Martin Hare, Lane End Farm Shop, Tong.
British Blue heifers topped at £1,600 for a 15-month-old entry from J.F. Bowe.
Steers sold to £1,640 for J.F. and G.R. Howard,
Native cattle sold well topping at £1,350 for Hereford heifers from C. Bell, ……….with Aberdeen-Angus heifers selling to £1,340 for both R.W. Ewan,……. and Messrs Bell.
Belted Galloway steers sold to £1,190 for C.H. Allen and Son, and young Beef Shorthorns sold for £800 for Cragg and Carr, ……….
Averages – heifers, £1,204.50; steers, £1,324.70.
Auctioneers: Hawes Farmers Auction Mart Co.
Gomershay dispersal tops at 4,100gns
The dispersal of the autumn calving Gomershay herd for Spicer Partners, on-farm at Stalbridge, Dorset, produced the trade of the year, according to the auctioneers, peaking at 4,100gns.
Top price was for Gomershay Pepper Violet Ex92, a fourth calved cow which sold to Richard and Laurence Gay for their Walkabout herd, Axminster.
One of that families in demand was the Urcias and the VG88 third calver, Pagani, made 3,800gns with Gomershay Improbable Quincy, another third calver at 3,500gns.
Other third calvers sold to 3,400gns for a Tara and 3,100gns for a Cysnet, with second lactation Flos and Carlys at 3,300gns and Whitetime heifers at 3,000gns.
The calved heifers, Gomershay Sandman Gretal and Gomershay Flashback Cysnet topped the section at 3,700gns and 3,600gns respectively, both bought by SB Farms, Pembrokeshire, for their new herd,
Autumn born heifer calves that followed their dams sold to 620gns for Gomershay Cirrus Beatrice.
Averages – 179 mainly autumn calved cows including A lot heifer calves, £2,378; 57 calved heifers including A lot heifer calves, £2,474; 2 Hereford bulls, £1,775; 74 yearling heifers, £851; 91 heifer calves, £428; 418 head, £1,562.
Auctioneers: Greenslade Taylor Hunt.
Store lambs in demand at Leek
The 4,962 store lambs on offer at Leek were a strong trade averaging £105/head, which is up £10/head on the previous sale.
Beltex sold to £152.50 for R. Challinor, Dilhorne, with Texels, from Mrs Mottram, Uttoxeter, at £147.50 and other Beltex up to £142.50.
Mule wether lambs, from Geoff Wain, Brandside, sold to £136.50 with a pen from J.M. Cottrill and Sons, Bamford, at £99.
Charollais lambs from M.W. Woodward, Whiston, topped at £131 and Suffolk lambs from R Bassett and Son topped at £127.
Dorset lambs, from C.J. and M.J. Campbell, Hilderstone, sold Dorsets to £109.50 with Oxford cross lambs from R. and M. Phillips and Sons, Buxton, at £108 and Lleyn from S.W. Edwards, Bottomhouse, topped at £98.
Auctioneers: Leek Auctions.
AROUND THE MARTS
BAKEWELL
Limousin in-calf heifers sold to £2,400, with 10 making more than £2,000. Store steers topped at £1,920, heifers to £1,800 and feeding bulls to £1,600.
In the prime section steers and heifers both topped at 374p/kg with a top gross price of £2,630 with heifers averaging 306p/kg. Prime lambs sold to 325p/kg and £171/head with an SQQ of 291.6p/kg.
LONGTOWN
The 4,712 store lambs topped at £146/head for North Country Cheviots from Colin Armstrong, Blaebank. Suffolks sold to £143/head for S.D. Allen, Ellerslea, whose run of 216 Texel and Suffolk cross lambs averaged £130 per head.
The 561 feeding ewes sold to £134 for a Texel cross ewe from Meikle Whitriggs Farm.
CARLISLE
On Monday cull ewes sold to a record-breaking £410/head for a Texel and £365 twice, again for Texels. Prime lambs topped at 500p/kg for 40kg Beltex and £225/head for 46kg Texels.
Prime cattle sold to £2,605.76 for a 779kg Limousin cross heifer from Messrs Crichton, Egremont. Top price per kilo was 347.5p for a 559kg Limousin from George Rome, Gretna. Steers topped at £2,373.89 for a 743kg Limousin from Messrs Beaty, Egremont.
Prime bulls sold to £2,929.74 for an over-30-month Limousin from Messrs Ridley, Wigton.
BRECON
The prime lamb SQQ was 316p/kg with an overall average of 315.7p/kg. Lighter Lambs traded from 293p/kg to 303p/kg for 35kg Scotch Blackface. Medium lambs sold from 305-358p/kg and heavy lambs from 285-330p/kg, topped at £162.40 for 58kg from G.J. Powell. Cull ewes topped at £180 for Texels from H.G. and G.H.M Davies.
NORWICH
Store cattle topped at £1,690 for 26-month-old British Blue cross steers from Chalke Farms, Barnet, followed by 23-month-old British Blue cross steers at £1,590 from J.B. Dring, Fundenhall. Holkham Estate, Holkham, sold 20-month-old Beef Shorthorn steers to £1,580.
Guyer Farms, Methwold, sold 20-month-old South Devon steers to £1,570 and also topped the heifer section at £1,5030 with 20-month-old Aberdeen-Angus crosses. Chalke Farms sold 24-month-old British Blue cross heifers to £1,500.
PENRITH
Store cattle averaged £1,415.66 topping at £2,135 for a 26-month-old dairy-bred Aberdeen-Angus bullock from W.K. and D. Hall, Bells View, with this consignment of seven dairy-bred British Blue and Aberdeen-Angus bullocks averaging £1.784.29. R. and J.M. Ridley, Ranbeck, sold seven Limousin bullocks but mainly 17-month heifers, averaging £1,717.86, topping at £1,895 for heifers. J. Farish, High Springfield, sold eight 22-24-month-old dairy-bred British Blue heifers to average £1,642.50 topping at £1,785.
