Hexham – Blackface Rams – 6th October
Hexham & Northern Marts conducted their annual prize show and sale of Blackface Rams and offered for sale a sound catalogued entry of 263 rams consigned by noted flockmasters from across The North of England & Scotland.
Following on from a hugely successful sale of Blackface females renewed interest and increased demand for the breed that had been witnessed elsewhere was evident in spades at this important sale. The Hexham type sheep has long been renowned for ‘carcass, colours and coats’ and after several years of transition a thoroughly modern ram has emerged to further strengthen this bold claim.
Many onlookers that viewed the prize show classes commented that the entry of over thirty shearling rams displayed a consistent level of quality and a definite ‘stamp’ that was evident throughout the entire catalogue.
Presiding as Judge of the Hexham type shearling class was Mr Andrew Murray of The Steel Green and West Deanraw flocks and he conducted his task at hand with due diligence and full consideration of each and every exhibit. With no ram lambs to stand in contention for the Overall Championship it was the first prize shearling that was awarded both The Bellingham & Edmundbyers Trophies for the efforts of Messrs Wanwood Partners, Wanwood Hill, Alston and their outstanding pen leader which was bred by a home-bred sheep known at Wanwood as ‘Steve’ by the £18,000 Steven Mackay Dudlees stock sire. Standing as second prize shearling and a thoroughly deserved Reserve Champion was the second sheep sold on the day by The Airey Brothers, Brownchesters, Otterburn. This one was by an Evistones sire and out of a Stell Green ewe that obviously caught the judges eye in a very strong line up which settled as follows;
Overall Champion & 1st Prize Shearling – (86) Wanwood Hill.
Reserve Champion & 2nd Prize Shearling – (80) Brownchesters
3rd Prize – (40) Carrick
4th Prize – (224) Penpeugh
5th Prize – (171) Shitlington Hall
6th Prize – (255) The Steel
7th Prize – (128) Harsondale
Mr Murray then turned his attention to the award for the best pen of three shearlings and from a very strong entry of seven pens he awarded The Willie Armstrong Memorial Shield to a fine trio from Messrs Walton, Penpeugh, Bardon Mill. Class results were as follows;
1st – Penpeugh (224, 225, 227)
2nd – Harsondale (128, 130,131)
3rd – Carrick (40, 41,42)
With increasing numbers of stock sires appearing on the catalogue from North of The Border the similarities between the Hexham type show classes and the ‘Scotch’ classes are closer now than ever before and indeed the one=time noticeable differences between the two are now virtually absent. The Bob Jackson Trophy is awarded to the best ram in this class and Mr Alan Rogerson, Burncastle, kindly took the time to travel to Hexham from Lauderdale to preside as judge and made his selection as follows;
1st – The Dudlees (116)
2nd – Prospect House (221)
3rd – The Lamperts (110)
4th – Keepers Cottage, Inverness (62)
5th – Hethpool (6)
The auctioneers would like to thank all those who took part in the prize show, not least our sponsors; The NFU Mutual offices of Cath Reed and Cath Bowman, Hexham who are one of our longest standing supporters for which we are extremely grateful. Our judges, all exhibitors and the input of the BSBA at branch and head office level are all essential to the success of such an event and we warmly thank these parties also.
Sale Report (In catalogue order)
A total of forty-one consignments of shearling rams were presented and as with Ewe Lambs, Draft Ewes & Gimmers buyer enthusiasm was noticeably re-invigorated due largely to a combination of factors. The main driving force would appear to be the upturn in trade across the livestock sector over the last twelve months but also perhaps a shortage of numbers on the market due to a host of reasons, none of which are positive, that have meant that those who remain in the uplands and are committed to producing hill sheep are beginning to see a just return for their endeavours.
The first ram to ring the bell was the pen leader from Messrs Walton, Toft House and this one by a £2600 Selby Robson bred sire sold at £7000 to Dennis & Stuart Charlton, Whiteside. Another from the same home this time by a £2800 Fleehope sheep sold at £2200 to Martin Snaith, Great Tosson and contributed to a strong average early in the sale for The Waltons and Stuart Robson at £2366 for 6 sold.
Willie Woodman’s Great Chesters flock retains a definite Hexham type throughout and with the benefit of a £4000 Yatesfield sire as a slight departure from tradition the Roman Wall outfit sold their best at £1800 to Edward Thoburn, Pitland Hills.
It was then the pen of Dennis and Stuart Charlton, Whiteside that had been busy with prospective purchasers all morning that set the sale alight with their first; by the revered Hot Bank £6000 sire which had been used as a lamb and filled the ringside with interest and anticipation. Bidding set off at a pace and quickly reached ten thousand pounds with obvious intent from several noted breeders and keen ‘consortiums’ however it was two lone participants that pushed the tup on to finally settle at the highest price of the day at £15,000 being taken home by Willie, Faye and Ryan Walton, Penpeugh. Thereafter trade was buoyant throughout the entire sale however the Whiteside pen leader remained as the most expensive sheep sold on the day and as such was the recipient of The GF Stephenson Memorial Trophy which had special significance for the Charlton family who are related to The Stephenson’s late of Monkridge, Otterburn.
The Roman Wall men had a successful day with their upstanding pen of rams selling one by the £1600 Yatesfield at £4800 to near neighbours Messrs Weatherson, Edges Green then another by the Hot Bank sire at £2400 to David Walton, Greyside and their last into the ring also by Yatesfield at £2000 to new customers and converts to the Hexham Blackie Messrs Clark, Cockermouth.
The Carrick pen always garners much attention and this year a brace of prize rosettes further attracted spirited bidding for Messrs Armstrong & Hunters offering. Their pen leader, third prize shearling and one of their group of three by a home-bred son of a Wanwood sheep sold at £3800 in a joint purchase between Penpeugh & Allensgreen. Their second by the same sire sold at £3500 to The Gibson family, Thornton Tower and their third; completing the trio by the surefire sire sold at £2200 to cap a great morning’s trading for the Otterburn Ranges based producers.
Next came another pen from the lofty Redesdale ranges this time from Messrs Walton, Stewartshields and expertly presented by shepherd Stuart Robson. With some sizeable investment in previous years the Stewartshields offering sold with ease and saw a considerable lift in value on the year with their dearest by the £5000 Charlie Halbert purchase selling at £3800 to The Carrs of Camphill. Their first by the same sire sold at £1700 to another new customer Messrs Donnan of New Luce, Wigtownshire and the ten thousand Frank Hall left his mark with one at £2000 to the Teasdale Brothers of Grindon Hill and another at £1700 to Craig Ballantyne, manager at The Lamperts.
The furthest travelled sheep on the day were undoubtedly the four smart sorts from Richard Thompson, Keepers Cottage and the long journey was well-worth the trip for the keen and capable Inverness-shire enthusiast. His first, a big, colourful type by the £4500 Steel sire and placed in the Scotch show class sold at £4200 in a share between Carrick and The Steel and with another at a £1800 by the same sire and a third at the same money by a Harry Morshead the Tomatin Tup Taxi would head North back up the road with ease.
Likewise, a far travelled sheep from Peter and Jack Turnbull, Kildale, North Yorkshire sold well on the day for the Shepherds Croft father and son team changing hands at £1800 to Philip Walton & Joshua White, Troughend, Otterburn. This one was by the £2800 home-bred sheep and another sold at £1400 to the same Rede Valley buyers by the £4800 Selby Robson sire to secure a useful day’s trading for the Yorkshiremen.
Another noted Yorkshire duo is that of Rob & Richard, the Airey Brothers who consigned five powerful tups from their Brownchesters, Otterburn holding. Their first by an Evistones sire and out of a Yatefield sired mother sold at £3200 to Messrs Johnson, Shap, Cumbria whilst their second and the Reserve Champion on the day sold at £6500 to John and Jonjo Pattinson, Hot Bank by the same sire and this time out of a Stell Green ewe. A third sold at £1600 sired by the Steel Green sheep and went home with The Campbell Partnership, Burnhousemains, Stow.
Next in were the perennial purveyors of the breed Messrs Walton, Wanwood Hill with their Overall Champion and this tup was the focus of much attention. By a homebred sheep – the aptly named ‘Steve’ by the renowned Dudlees bred sire – this one travelled at speed to settle at £6500 with the hammer falling in favour of the Murray Brothers – Andrew of Stell Green and Jamie of Sewingshields in a shared acquisition. The money kept rolling in with another by another homebred sheep that sold at £3500 to Cowden Partners, Cowdenburn which was followed by their bellringer at £8000, this time by the £12,000 Dudlees sheep which sold to The Robsons of Yatesfield and The Turnbulls of Shepherds Croft. A fourth went on to cash at £2000, by the same sire as the last and was purchased for Clune & Corrybrough Estates by Richard Thompson.
The Robson family of Townshields, fresh from their triumphant sale of Blackie Gimmers just one week earlier brought another strong pen of tups down from the Roman Wall and these caught a level demand throughout. Their dearest sold later in the run at £3200 by the £3200 Cuil to Alan & John Dixon, Chirdon with an earlier sheep by a Sewingshields loaned sire being secured at £2800 for Grindon Hill by Philip Teasdale. With another at £1800 by the £12,000 Dudlees going to Troughend, Neil, David & Joey Robson were nicely contented with their level trade on the day.
The Irthing Valley based flock at The Lamperts will hold some of the oldest Hexham type bloodlines within the breed today and under the capable charge of Craig Ballantyne some very targeted use of south type sires resulted in a sharp and sought after pen. The leader by a McWhirter of Grimmet sire stood out and sold at £1500 to Messrs Dalglish & Waugh, The Crew, Gilsland whilst another by a Homebred son of a Milnmark sheep cashed at £2000 to Andrew & Samantha Murray and Sons, West Deanraw. It was however their third into the ring that topped their offering at £2400 and this one was by the £6000 sheep sold last year being taken home the short distance by Willie Woodman, Great Chesters.
The Dudlees has seen several and notable mentions already and this partnership too use sires from North of The Border with great effect. The pen opener by a Craigdarroch set off the run in fine form and sold at £2500 to Messrs Nicholson, Whitby then another by a Williamhope sold at £2100 to near neighbour amongst the shell holes and target ranges – Jake Elder, Pottsdurtrees. The third presented by Steven Mackay was the dearest in the pen at £3000 by a McGregor of Allanfauld which went home with the Robsons of Townshields and was followed by a brace at £1700 by the same Craigdarroch stock sire.
Harry Morshead’s relatively new flock of Harsondale Blackies are noted for their influence within the North of England Mule breed and this day saw the most successful to date for the strong and stylish pen of tups from the South Tyne producer. The leader had stood out in the individual and group show classes and this attention was well-founded as the £2200 West Deanraw sired sheep went on to sell at a deserved £5000 again to Willie Woodman, Great Chesters. With another by the same sire selling at £1600 to Mrs Gillian Scott, The Brigg and the third again by the Murray bred sire being chased to £3600 in another share deal between Carrick and The Steel to send Harry home happy to Harsondale.
The Murray’s of Stell Green and now also West Deanraw consistently bring out tremendous tups at this important sale and it was the pen from the outer reaches of Hadrians Wall that were balloted first with the pen leader by an Alan Smith bred Wester Crosswoodhill quickly ascending to £3800 and being taken home to North Northumberland by James Herdman, Edlingham Newtown. A level trade ensued and with two sheep, both by a Clennell sire selling at £1500 and £1400 to new buyers a thoroughly respectable pen average was attained.
Ridley & Lewis Browell brought forward only their second consignment of rams after a decades long family ambition to do so and following on from an encouraging start in 2024 went on again and firmly stamped their mark on the sale with their pen leader by a traditional Close-a-Burn sire. The big upstanding sheep with skin and colour was impeccably presented and sold at a handsome £3800 to The Pattinsons of Hot Bank.
Philip Teasdale brought a square quartet down from his Clennel enterprise high in the Alwinton countryside and with all four by a Stell Green the breeding had obviously clicked in The Coquet wit the first selling at £4200 to the Airey Brothers, Brownchesters and the next at £3500 to Jonathan Patterson, Broomhope.
Messrs Ridley, Shitlington Hall had already had a memorable season through the Hexham sale ring with a record-breaking pen of Mule ewe lambs earlier in September and went on again on this day with their £6500 Robert Mackay, Westhills sired pen leader that sold at £3500 to Craig Ballantyne, The Lamperts.
Back then to the aforementioned Murray family of West Deanraw and their opener by the same Ridleys of Shitlintgton bred sire which rose to a respectable £2000 on the day and was yet another purchased by new buyers; Messrs Barker, Appleby in Westmorland, Cumbria – yet another fresh face attracted to the ring for the noted upland breed. Andrew & Sam sold another at £1800 by a Selby Robson sheep and this one went back to West Woodburn with Jonathan Patterson, Broomhope to round off a useful day’s trading for the Murray’s.
A name consistently mentioned throughout this report has been that of Selby Robson and his Yatesfield flock which produced yet another pen of tups with style, stature and clean colour. His first by a £5000 Kirkstead sold at £1700 to Lynn Gray, Unthank and with another by the same at the same price selling to The Peart’s of Hareshaw these two saw the peak of the Yatesfield trade on the day. Messrs Anderson, Penchrise made a welcome return to Hexham ring after a several decades long absence and they took Selby’s next in the rankings, by an £8500 Williamhope that went back with Hawick men for the sum of £1500. The same family purchased the pen leader from noted authority on the breed, Yatesfield shepherd and accomplished breeder In his own right Frank Hall whose topper was by a £4000 Dyke beast that sold at £1600 to The Andersons.
From the breed stronghold of The Rede then back to another, The Roman Wall and the 2025 offering from The Pattinsons of Hot Bank who deservedly saw one of the lead trades of the day. Always within the upper echelons of such a sale and with the added workload of Branch Chairman Jonjo alongside father John presented an impeccable pen of tups that peaked at £4800 twice. The first and leader by the £8000 Stell Green went to the West Nubbock flock of Lewis Forster whilst the second sold well down the line-up was by the same sire and went up into Coquetdale and the fledgling flock of Edward & Louise Fawcett, Charity Hall. Three more sold well, the first by the £8000 Toft House changed hands at £4200 in a joint purchase between The Browell Brothers and Messrs Hope, Mouldy Hills, Cannonbie. Next came an upstanding tup again by the Stell Green that sold at £3800 to Thomas Carruthers, Peel-a-Hill, Bewcastle and the third of these was a great sheep by the £2800 Carrick that was traded for £3000 to The Airey Brothers.
The Prospect House flock of Charlie & Rachel Halbert is noted for a modern style of ram and this day this reputation was cemented further with their top priced sheep, a strong sort with bags of power by a Stewartshields sire that sold at £5800 to Andrew & Sam Murray, West Deanraw, Haydon Bridge.
The first prize group of three including the 4th place Hexham type individual shearling were next on the catalogue from The Waltons of Penpeugh and the entire pen of five sold well for the Bardon Mill family. Their leader by a £2800 Frank Hall sheep won the 4th place ticket and quickly sold for £3500 to The Waltons, this time Toft House and with another one of the group by the same sire hitting £2800 to Jim Burston, Alwinton and the third by the £2200 West Deanraw going to Greyside at £2400 their cracking trio was completed. Another by the Frank Hall sold, eventually to yet another new purchaser of Blackface rams but a long-time subscriber to the breed and another Mule lamb authority Sandy Ainslie, Linkshead, Cockburnspath.
The Murrays of Sewingshields are another family synonymous with the breed and this special sale and yet again presented a strong pen of tups from the very foot of The Roman Wall. Their first by a Mill House sheep scaled to £3200 and was taken home into Weardale by Ian Craigs for the Skidmore family operation at North Hanging Wells. It was the second sheep however that exceeded the first and this one, by the same sire quickly rattled up to £5200 and saw Harry Morshead swiftly re-invest his earlier spoils to further strengthen his flock at Harsondale.
With the day quickly drawing to a close the last spot on the catalogue had looked a lonely place to be for Messrs Hunter, The Steel however the old tup sale adage that ‘the good sheep always get found’ was never more true as their lead sheep that had stood 6th place in the show some seven hours earlier very nearly surpassed the sale leader from Whiteside. A big, lengthy sheep typical of those for which the Hunters are noted had been sired by a Stephen Duncan bred 10k Livet tup and held a good contingent of top end breeders to the end of the sale selling at the second top price of the day, £12,000 to The Robsons of Townshields and next door neighbours The Murrays of Sewingshields.
Leading prices at a glance;
£15,000 Whiteside by £6000 Hotbank to Penpeugh
£12,000 The Steel by Livet to Townshields
£8,000 Wanwood Hill by Dudlees to Yatesfield & Shepherds Croft
£7,000 Toft House by £2600 Yatesfield to Whiteside
£6,500 Brownchesters by an Evistones tup to Hotbank
£6,500 Wanwood Hill by Steve to Stellgreen (judge) & Sewingshields
£5,800 Prospect House by Stewartshields to West Deanraw
£5,200 Sewingshields by Millhouse to Harsondale
£5,000 Harsondale by £2200 West Deanraw to Great Chesters
£4,800 Whiteside by £1800 Yatesfield to Edges Green
£4,800 Hotbank by £8000 Stell Green to L Forster & Son
£4,800 Hotbank by £8000 Stell Green to E & L Fawcett
£4,200 Keepers Cottage by £4500 Steel to Steel & Carrick
£4,200 Clennell by Stell Green to Airey Bros
£4,200 Hotbank by £8000 Toft House to Quarry House & Mouldyhills
£3,900 Carrick by HB don of £3200 Wanwood Hill to Penpeugh & Allansgreen
£3,800 Stewartshields to Camp Hill
£3,800 Stell Green by Wester Crosswoodhill to J Herdman
£3,800 Quarry House by Close A Burn to Hotbank
£3,800 Hotbank by £8000 Stell Green to A Carruthers & Sons
£3,600 Harsondale to Carrick & Steel
£3,500 Carrick to Thornton Towers
£3,500 Wanwood Hill to Cowden Partners
£3,500 Clennell to W L Patterson & Sons
£3,500 Shitlington Hall to Lampberts
£3,500 Penpeugh to Toft House
£3,200 Brownchesters to A Johnson
£3,200 Townshields to Chirdon
£3,200 Sewingshields to J Skidmore & Co
£3,000 Dudlees to Townshields
£3,000 Hotbank to Airey Bros.
Leading flock averages (in sale order);
Keepers Cottage 4@ £2112
Whiteside 7@ £4085
Carrick 8@ £1831
Toft House 6@ £1883
Brownchesters 5@ £2650
Wanwood Hill 7@ £3350
Townshields 9@ £1483
The Lamperts 5@ £1620
The Dudlees 9@ £1611
Harsondale 5@ £2380
Clennel 4@ £2212
Shitlington Hall 5@ £1400
Hot Bank 8@ £3150
Prospect House 4@ £2250
Penpeugh 5@ £2400
Sewingshields 9@ £1466
The Steel 4@ £3400
Once again, the directors and auctioneers at Hexham Auction Mart are indebted to all vendors and purchasers, many of whom attended and bought for the first time, for the resounding success of this special event on the annual sales calendar. The auctioneers are delighted to report a sale average of £1516.69 per head, plus £393.61 for 24 more sold on the year and a thoroughly deserved return for our producers on what is the culmination of eighteen months work, effort and enthusiasm but furthermore in many cases a lifetimes dedication to Blackface sheep and farming in the hills.