Sale Report for Carlisle Premier Sale on August 4, 2023
Photo-Finish for Top Spot!
Whilst the top prices remained buoyant, to a top of 3000gns, the numbers forward were down by almost 20% from last year, although buyers were plentiful around the ring.
The sale started with a flyer, the very first sheep in the ring, lot 2, East Middle Jezki, consigned by joint owners Colin Rae & Stuart Craig. A prolific show winner, unbeaten as a shearling & back-to-back male champion of the Royal Highland for the last 2 years, he took the male championship at the previous day’s show & achieved top price of 3,000gns, going down to Shropshire with the Johnsons of the Adeney flock.
Snapping at his heels were the young guns lot 105, Greystone Laird, & lot 66, The Fort Larry (2nd placed ram lamb); the former bred & consigned by the previous night’s judge Ally Baird, whilst the latter came over the Irish Sea with breeder Cyril Cromie. They made 2,900 & 2,800gns respectively, chasing Jezki hard to top spot pricewise. Laird was bought by Andrew Bateman & remains in Cumbria, whilst Larry returns over the sea with the Smyths.
The second place aged ram also took second top price in his section, 1,300gns. This was paid for lot 8, Holmlea Juniper, consigned by John Thorburn & going all the way down to Devon with A Haste.
In the shearling rams, lot 31, Barmurrie Kool Kid, made top price of 2,200gns for the Smiths, & is away to Wales with A Francis, Carmarthen. 2000gns was paid for lot 22, Didcot Key, consigned by David Miskelly, & away with A Dow, Castle Douglas. Winning his show class & making joint 3rd top price of 1,500gns was lot 12, Danycraig Kaiser, consigned by breeders the Jones’s, bought by S Elliot, Hawick. His companion in 3rd spot was lot 38, Greenhill Kildimo, brought out by Brian Gibson, & going home with Ferneycast, Berwickshire.
Back to the ram lambs & Lot 77, Pistyll Lancelot, wasn’t far behind the top 2, realising 2,500gns for the Francis’s & joining Sammy Stewart’s flock in Aberdeenshire.
3rd placed ram lamb, lot 103, Aquila Luckysonofacopy, made 1,800gns, as did 2 others, lot 86, Hayberries Lunedale, & lot 97, Danycraig Lightning. Luckysonofacopy was brought out by the Hendersons & bought by A Bullen, Wales; Lunedale consigned by the Addisons & away with R Lambert, North Yorkshire & Lightning brought out by the Jones’s & bought by the Goldies, Dumfriesshire. 1st prize winner & reserve male champion lot 78, Pistyll Lorenzo, rounded off a nice pen for the Francis’s by making 1,200gns & going away with H Jackson Dumfries. Lot 83, Rockford Legacy, made the long journey up from Cornwall worthwhile for breeder J Kestell by also achieving 1,200gns but makes a much shorter trip to his new home to Dumfries with P Walton.
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The female section was dominated pricewise by the 2nd placed ewe lamb, lot 217, Hayberries Lucky Diamond, brought out by breeders, the Addisons. She was purchased for 1,800gns by D Soulsby, Surrey. Lot 198, a substitute, the 1st placed ewe lamb & reserve overall champion, Holmlea Lexie, (obviously a canny sub by John Thorburn) realised 1,600gns & is away to Aberdeenshire with W & J Young. 3rd top price of 1,400gns in this section went to lot 222, Greystone Lava, another consignment from the judge Ally Baird, & she has gone with R Heigh to Lancaster.
The overall show champion came from the shearling ewe section, lot 146, Caerlaverock Kerry, rounding off a very successful show day for the Raes, who consigned her, but she failed to find a new home so the job of topping the section was shared by 2 ladies, lot 155, the second placed shearling, Smiddy Hill Kerry (C & H Duffy) & lot 132, Greystone Kist (Ally Baird). Bids of 1,400gns secured both sheep, the former going home with the Crossens, Shropshire, & the latter with K Hopkins, Derbyshire. Next top, & an absolute lesson in consistency, were 5 out of the pen of Barmurrie shearlings, brought out by breeders the Smiths. 1000gns each secured lots 134, B Ko Ko (J Smyth, Ireland), 135, B Kew Kew (J Smyth, Ireland), lot 136, B Kendle (L Crum, Ayrshire), lot 137, B Kansas (V Crossen, Shropshire) & lot 139, B Kira (J Smyth, Ireland) – some achievement! 1,000gns also was paid for lot 157, Holmlea Kiera, another brought out by J Thorburn. She is away with W&J Young Aberdeenshire.
A small selection of aged ewes was forward & lot 119, Aquila Hawaii, 2nd in the show, realised 320gns for the Hendersons. She has joined S Wyatts flock in Fife. Stuart Craig emulated the Smiths with 3 of his ewes all tying for second spot at 200gns each – lot 114, Gornalls Heather away with Better Catt, Middlesborough, & lots 115 & 116, Craigies Jolene & Gillhall Gail away with T Collinson, Doncaster.
The dispersal of the Bridgelands flock of Nell Stewart followed the main sale & this was headed by lot 236, Bridgelands Jaguar, making 450gns & going away with E Rowlands, Lancashire. She was followed at 300gns by the shearling lot 240, B Kelpie, paid by K Lindsay-Fly, Bathgate.
Premier Sale Averages:
3 Senior Rams – 1,733gns
23 Shearling Rams – 860gns
32 Ram Lambs – 934gns
6 Aged Ewes – 203gns
45 Shearling Ewes – 459gns
24 Ewe Lambs -531gns.
Report submitted by Anne Robinson