Breeding Rams & Females
Texel
Hexham & Northern Marts offered for sale 463 Texel shearling rams and ram lambs at their first ram sale of the season on Tyne Green. The prize show was Kindly sponsored by Stoneacre motor group and ably judged by Ian Bonn, Matfen Home Farm.
From an initial entry of 30 powerful shearlings – the strongest show of quality to be seen at Hexham since the Texel breed rose to prominence – the judge worked tirelessly to whittle the numbers down first to fifteen, then nine, then a final line up of six outstanding rams that would certainly grace any commercial flock and surely not look out of place stood alongside many pedigree flock sires.
His final line up was headed by the eventual Overall Texel Champion ram and first prize shearling – a super-sized sort with shape, scope, style and skin from the Edlingham Demesne pure bred flock of Garry Herdman, ably assisted this year in the show ring and sale pens by son Sam for the first time. The shearling by an Ingram Family bred Logie Durno sire led the penful from the Herdmans which were without doubt the strongest offering they have presented at this centre and the Arthur Iveson trophy was a fitting climax to their decades long efforts.
Standing as reserve was a thumping sheep and one of four consigned for the very first time to Hexham by Simon Turkington, West Lodge, Melrose whom along with the Herdman’s cracked a traditionally ‘hard nut’ by ascending into the rosettes of the annually stiffly contested prize show classes. His success was further cemented by achieving the first prize award for the best pen of three rams and The Lough Green trophy presented by fellow consignor, John Davison.
Prize list:
Best Shearling Ram
1st – G D Herdman, Edlingham Demesne
2nd – S Turkington, West Lodge South
3rd – R Thornton & Son, Cornhills
Best Ram Lamb
1st – A & R Walton, Bank Top
2nd – J Wilkinson, Arkleby House
3rd – J Wilkinson, Arkleby House
Best Pen of 3 Rams
1st – S Turkington, West Lodge South
2nd – R Thornton & Son, Cornhills
3rd – J F Johnson & Son, Tuthill
Champion – G D Herdman, Edlingham Demesne
Reserve Champion – S Turkington, West Lodge South
With the prize show dispensed with the auctioneers went on to sell 362 texel shearlings to a top of £2600 (twice) and an average of £839 (+£50). A small offering of 18 ram lambs sold to £1000 and an average of £594.
The sale peaked at £2600 twice – first for the reserve champion ram from Simon Turkington which bolstered his sale topping average of £1987 for 4 shearlings sold.
He shared top spot with Messrs Reed, Lands Farm for their 4th prize ram at £2600 and then Mr Turkington followed with another at £2500.
Other prices;
£2200 Brinkburn New Houses
£2100 Lands Farm
£1900 Lough Green
£1800 White Hill
£1800 Edlingham Demesne
£1700 Brinkburn New Houses
£1700 West Lodge
£1600 – Butterknowes, Townfoot (x2), Park Head, Low Ardley, Brinkburn New Houses, Blackburn,
£1500 – Low Ardley, Brinkburn New Houses, Flotterton Cottage, Cornhills (x2), £1450 Edlingham Demesne,
£1400 Hard Riding, West Nubbock, Falla, Swarland Old Hall, Steel.
Ram lambs;
£1000 Arkleby House
£800 Bank Top
£800 Bank Top
£750 Bank Top
£700 Bank Top
£700 Arkleby House
Top Averages;
West Lodge (4) £1987
Lough Green (10) £1180
Hard Riding (2) £1175
Swarland (4) £1175
Lands Farm (16) £1165
Blackburn (8) £1062
Brinkburn (18) £1051
C&C Farming (10) £1022
Edlingham Dem. (14) £1022
Low Ardley (15) £1013
Butterknowes (10) £1005
Park Head (70 £1000
Townfoot (12) £983
Falla (6) £983
Cornhills (22) £922
Steel (5) £896.
The auctioneers would like to thank all consignors, purchasers, our judge and sponsors without whom this successful sale could not take place. The next lowland ram sale at Hexham will be held on Thursday 12th October.
Bluefaced Leicester
A good entry of traditional Bluefaced Leicesters were ably judged by young enthusiast Jack Wilkinson, Bollihope Shield, who awarded the prizes as follows.
Overall champion – Messrs T L Forster, Lowes Fell
Reserve Champion – W R & J Barron, The Deans
Shearling rams sold to a straight trade topping at £1350 from T L Forster, Lowes Fell for a superb trade, with numerous tups reaching the £600 mark from T L Forster, Lowes fell & W R & J Barron, Hexhamshire.
Leading prices;
Leicester Rams – £1350, £1000, £900, £720 & £650 (x2) Lowes Fell, £600 The Deans (x3) & Lowes Fell
Leicester ewes – £300, £280 & £250 Court Green
Suffolk
A large show of Suffolk rams sold to a great trade.
They were very ably judged by Mr David Carr Snr, Highwood who awarded his prizes as follows:
Prize list:
Best Shearling Ram
1st – J Leiper & Son, Black Heddon
2nd – J Lee, Codlaw (Goatstones)
3rd – G D Herdman, Edlingham Demesne
Best Ram Lamb
1st – M C & M D Sparke, Salmonfield
2nd – M C & M D Sparke, Salmonfield
3rd – M C & M D Sparke, Salmonfield
Champion – J Leiper & Son, Black Heddon
Reserve Champion – M C & M D Sparke, Salmonfield
Topping at £1500 twice were two shearlings, one from Mr F T Walton, Flotterton and the other from Mr J Lee, Codlaw (Goatstones).
The top price Tup lamb sold to £750 from M C & M D Sparke, Salmonfield.
Leading prices;
£1500 Flotterton & Codlaw, £1450 Black Heddon (x2), £1400 Codlaw, £1150 Black Heddon & Edlingham Newtown, £1100 Black Heddon & Flotterton, £1050 Flotterton, High Dalton & Codlaw, £1000 Flotterton
Beltex
The pre-sale show was put in the able hands of Mr J Craigs, Park Head, Longhorsley who awarded 1st prize to a strong tup from Alan and Steven Lawson, South Farm, Hallington. The judge went onto back his judgement, purchasing the tup for £1150.00, making him the highest priced Beltex on the day.
Simon Turkington, West Lodge South, made a very successful trip down from Melrose selling a tup with a great carcass and skin for £1000.00.
Trade for Beltex tups was selective, with the strong, powerful tups very sought after but smaller types harder to place.
Prize List:
Best Shearling Ram
1st – A R Lawson & Son, South Farm
2nd – M & N Gray, Low Espley
3rd – S & M Pickworth, Dotland Park
Leading prices:
£1150 South Farm, £1000 West Lodge South, £800 Steeley Farm, £750 Low Espley, £680 Middle Dukesfield, £600 & £550 Dotland Park, £520 Steeley Farm, £500 West Lodge South
Other Continental & Cross Bred Rams
An outstanding entry once again for this section which goes from strength to strength each year. More tups sold this year and an average of £611.80 (+£62 on 2022). Purchasers were eager for tups with size and power especially.
The pre-sale show was judged by Mr J Craigs, Park Head, Longhorsley who had an a outstanding class of 18 other continental and cross bred rams in front of him. After much deliberation, Mr Craigs had four outstanding shearlings in front of him and awards 1st prize to number 826, a Dutch Texel from Brian, Michael and Will Storey, Woodhead. Second Prize went to a monster Beltex x Texel from Alan and Steven Lawson, South Farm, Hallington. Third prize was awarded to a very bare and shapey Dutch Texel from Jack & Ben Moralee, Hard Riding.
Prize List:
Best Shearling Ram
1st – B Storey, Woodhead
2nd – A R Lawson & Son, South Farm
3rd – J & A Moralee, Hard Riding
Highlight of the sale came from a truly outstanding run of tups from The Storey’s of Woodhead, who sold lot 828 a Dutch Texel for a new ring record and the center’s top price of the day of £3800.00 to Mr I Knight, Stepheny Farm. The same home went on to cash the section’s first prize winner moments earlier at £2400.00. The Storey’s terrific run of twelve Dutch Texel and Dutch Texel x shearlings went on to average a very healthy £1275.00.
Another annual consignment saw return customers bid frantically for their tups, this time A S Whitfield, High Castle Dene reaped the benefit of the Hexham ring, selling ¾ Texel tups to £1300.00 and £1250.00 and seeing a healthy average of £956.25 for the pen of sixteen shearlings.
Leading prices;
Dutch Texel – £3800, £2400 & £1200 Woodhead, £1100 Little Swinburne & Hard Riding, £1050 Little Swinburne & Hard Riding, £1000 Woodhead, £950 Haggate, £900 Woodhead£800 Hard Riding
Texel x – £1300, £1250, £1150, £1100 (x3) & £900 (x4) High Castle Dene
Beltex x – £1100 Low Espley, £1000 Hard Riding, £900 Quarry House, £850 & £800 Low Espley
Suffolk x – £1000 & £800 Black Heddon
Charolais – £400 Middleton Mill House
Charolais x – £1000 Black Heddon, £850 Cayley Lane, £750 Butterknowes & Black Heddon, £700 Cayley Lane (x2) & Butterknowes (x2)
Blue Texel – £400 Shepherds Cottage, £200 Paxton Dene
Dorper – £160, £120 & £110 Glebe Farm