NEW BREED RECORD OF 15,000GNS AT LLEYN SHEEP SALE AT CARLISLE
September 22nd 2006
A new breed record of 15,000gns was paid at the Lleyn Sheep Society's show and sale at Carlisle – a day that drew the breed's biggest ever UK sale entry of almost 7500 sheep.
The record breaker was a shearling ram consigned by well known south Wales breeders Dai and Cynthia Morris and bred in their 75-ewe flock at St Clears. The ram, who took the show's supreme championship on the day, was feverishly bid to 15,000gns by two syndicates but making the final call to secure him were John Morton, Penrith , Cumbria and Edward Pugh, Bala, north Wales .
John Morton had judged the show classes on the day and had no hesitation in awarding the ram the top ticket.
“He's faultless. An outstanding ram with the scale and size that's so important with plenty of shape and a good hindquarter. I'd been looking for a really top ranking stock tup for a while and this ram fitted the bill to perfection,” commented John Morton after the sale.
The ram, sired by one of the Morris's home-bred tups and who is by a 5000gns ram they bought at Carlisle a few years ago, left Borderway Mart to start his early season stud work in the flock of joint buyer Edward Pugh who runs around 50 ewes at Bala.
His breeder, Dai Morris, said the ram had always had “that certain something”
“He's a powerful ram bred out of a Blackadder sired ewe. He's got great breed character, excellent legs and feet and plenty of shape.”
Dai and Cynthia Morris were completing a highly successful sale season. Their nine shearling tups sold at breed society sales have averaged £2974 and have included championship wins at Ross-on-Wye, Ruthin and Carlisle .
Orkney buyers Laga Farms took the two second highest priced shearlings giving 7500gns for a ram from E and D Jones, Machynlleth, Powys and 4500gns for a ram from Scottish Borders breeder Derek Steen's flock at Hawick.
Ayrshire-based vet David Alexander, who has had great run of top prices this season, achieved the next two highest bids for shearling gimmers. He sold one pen at £200 a head to J M and G C Adams , Truro , Cornwall and another pen at £150 a head to the Caithness -based Sandside Estate.
Topping the females at £210 a piece were shearling gimmers from Hamish Goldie, Mouswald, Dumfries . They were bought by B Reeves Wigglesworth, North Yorkshire .
Sheep from David Alexander also featured among the dearest ewe lambs. One pen at £150 a head shared the joint top price and was taken by W Davidson, Moffat, Dumfriesshire. David Alexander also sold ewe lambs at £100 a head to J Kingan, Dumfries .
Sharing the ewe lamb top price were entries from Selkirk-based Farmstock Genetics whose stock has been in keen demand this season. Their £150 a head lambs went to Hugh Warden, Co Down, Northern Ireland .
Breed society chairman John Geldard from Levens , Cumbria led the ewe section selling the top two pens at £90 and £82 a head to J Hobson, Bingley, west Yorkshire .
Show Results
Judge - Mr John Morton
Class 1. Aged Ram
1st 50 Page
2nd 168 HIghes
3rd 109 Lowther
Class 2. Shearling Ram
1st 84 Morris
2nd 208 Geldard
3rd 183 Goldie
Class 3. Lamb Ram
1st 176 Shepherd
2nd 83 Mcmanus
Judge - Mr Greg Parkhouse
Class 4. Aged Ewes
1st Geldard
2nd Wyn Davies
Class 5. Shearling Rams
1st H Goldie
2nd Davidson
3rd JK Goldie
Class 6. Ewe Lambs
1st Farmstock Genetics
2nd Alexander
3rd Dinsdale
Champion Ram 84 Morris
Reserve Champion Ram 208 Geldard
Champion Female H Goldie
Reserve Champion Female Farmstock Genetics
Averages: Females - 439 ewes £61.64 (down £3.32); 2913 shearling gimmers £92.13 (down £7.67) and 2418 ewe lambs £51.06 (down £17.45). Rams – nine aged £760.67 (down £523.83); 149 shearlings £958.76 (down £206.66).
Auctioneers : Harrison and Hetherington