Longtown Store & Breeding Sheep Sale Report

BORDER EWE SALE

C & D Auction Marts Limited had forward a catalogue entry of 9,816 head, comprising 4,598 horned sheep and 5,218 Cheviot ewes, gimmers and ewe lambs their Annual Border Ewe Sale at Longtown on Wednesday 28th September 2016.

A tremendous top quality show of sheep was presented to a packed ring of buyers who were in force from Wales, Somerset and Devon in the south, to Aberdeen and Caithness in the North. Great credit must go to all vendors for presenting their sheep in such fine form. Trade would be at the highest level seen for many years, with record prices for this noted centre being achieved. A record price for Hill Cheviots was achieved with gimmers from Mr M Little, Henwell, Potholm, Langholm making £340, with ewes from the same home at £250.

Averages were well up on the year with NCC ewes up £22.49, gimmers up £8.22 and ewe lambs up £22.28. Hill Cheviot (SCC) ewes up £29.49, gimmers up £37.70 and ewe lambs up £26.15.

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North Country Cheviots topped at £185 (x2) for pens of Northie gimmers from Mr J E Smallwood, Binsey Farm and Mr R S Mackay, Westhills, Rothbury. Others gimmers to £172 Oakwood Mill, £170 Westhillls, £160 Longburgh Fauld, Binsey and Gillesbie, £155 Mains of Machermore & Longburghfauld.

North Country Cheviot draft ewes sold to a centre high of £145 on three occasions for pens from Messrs Douglas, Catslackburn, Messrs Taylforth, Side Farm and Messrs Wilson, Newbank. Other ewes sold to £140 Longburgh Fauld and Side, £135 Dornell Estate, £132 Burn, £130 The Side, Potholm, Catslackburn & Marwhirn, £128 High Thorneyburn & Marwhirn, £125 High Thorneyburn, Newbank & The Side, £120 Archbank & Dornell Estate.

An excellent show of NCC Ewe lambs topped at £135 from Messrs Davies, North Synton, with others selling to £105 Stonecroft and Lanefoot, £98 Stonecroft & Hilltop, £95 Philiphaugh & Whiteknowe, £92 Gilston & East Murton.

Hill Cheviots (SCC) sold to a top of £165 for a pen of black gimmers from Messrs Elliott, Hindhope, others to £152 from Messrs Cockburn, Stirkfield, £150 Henwell and £140 Stirkfield, £125 Chapel, Moffat.

Hill Cheviot Ewes were a tremendous selection for buyers, and sold to a top of £140 for stock ewes from Messrs Douglas, Damhead, followed at £135 from Messrs Douglas, Catslackburn, £132 Damhead, £120 Mainside and Castle Crawford, £118 Stirkfield and £115 Potholm, £108 Stirkfield, £105 Sorbie, £100 Hindhope, Chanlockfoot, Catslackburn, Castle Crawford & Skelfhill.

A select choice of Ewe lambs topped at £90 Messrs Cockburn, Stirkfield, £85 and £80 Mount Benger, £78 Upper Hindhope, £75 Davington, £72 Potholm & Chanlockfoot, £70 Wardlaw & Chanlockfoot.

An excellent show of 4,598 Blackface and Swaledale breeding sheep were forward to a packed ring of both local and distant buyers all keen for sheep, which resulted in a flying trade in all classes from beginning to end.

They topped at £150 for a marvellous pen of blackface shearlings from Wanwood Partners, Wanwood Hill, selling to Messrs Halbert, Prospect Farm. The 1,142 shearlings on offer averaged £92.86, up £9.49 on the year.

Principal prices:

£150 Wanwood Hill, £132 Hillbrough, £125 High Staward, £112 Clonrae, £110 High Staward, The Side, High Wreay & Clonrae.

The 1,502 blackface ewes sold to a top of £100 for an excellent pen from Messrs Douglas, Damhead and averaged £62.32, which was £10.19 up on the year.

Principal prices:

£100 Damhead, £88 Craigieburn, £80 Penpeugh, Megdale & Holylee, £78 Chapel, £76 Haliburton, £75 Craigdarroch, £70 Holylee.

In the ewe lamb section, trade was again fast with character lots sought after, selling to a top of £82 for a pen, again from Wanwood Hill, purchased by Messrs Dixon, Upperburnmouth, and to average £54.47 for 708 head more, £4.90 up on last year.

Principal prices:

£82 Wanwood Hill, £78 Damhead, £74 Skelfhill, £72 Sorbie, £70 Kirkland, £68 Holm of Daltallochan & Sorbie.

The dispersal of 750 blackface sheep on behalf of T D Barker & Co., Old Irvine, Canonbie, met a fine trade as follows:

Shearlings - £82, £80, £76, £75, 1 crop - £70, 2crop - £64, 3 crop - £64, 4 crop - £60, 5 crop - £56, ewe lambs - £48.

Swaledale were a small show and again were in demand and more could have been sold to advantage. The 233 ewes topped at £90 from Messrs Pollock, Dumblar Rigg to F Fraser, Sunnyside, to average £68.03 and up £16.32 on last year.

Principal prices:

£90 Dumblar Rigg, £80 Kingfield, £78 Bayles, £75 Kingfield, £70 Border Rigg.

Shearlings topped at £105 from Mr Hope, Barrrocks selling to Messrs Dodd, Low Closegill, and averaged £88.57.

Principal prices:

£105 Barrocks, £98, £92 Dumblar Rigg, £90 Barrocks.

LONGTOWN CHEVIOT RAMS TO £900

At their Annual Show and Sale of North Country Cheviot Rams, C & D Auction Marts Limited sold 101 shearling and two shear rams to average £316 overall (up £21 on last year). The shearlings averaged £367, an increase of £61 and trade was consistent throughout for all classes.

At £900, the sale was topped by a shearling from GGF Milne, Kinaldy, Fife, which went to Messrs L & PM Dent, Beamwham, Haydon Bridge. Messrs Graham, Carruthers, Waterbeck took £800 for a shearling bought by RRJ Weir, Chapel Farm, Borrowdale, with others in the Carruthers pen making £680 to A Metcalfe, Little Water, Bampton, £550 and £480 for the pre-sale, the latter being bought by Messrs Cockburn, Stonecroft, High Ireby. The second prize-winner from G Davies & Partners, North Synton sold to Snowhill Partners, Ericstane at £620, and in turn, Ericstane sold one at £600 to E J Ivinson & Son, Skirwith.

Leading averages:
	Top	Average
Carruthers	£800	£573
Ericstane	£600	£512
North Synton	£620	£512
Kinaldy	£900	£462
Allanshaws	£520	£395
Broomhillbank	£450	£391
Whiteknowe	£420	£385
Hownam Grange	£520	£361
Swinside Townfoot	£450	£350