MULE Gimmers

Hexham & Northern Marts held their Annual Prize Show & sale of Mule Shearling with an entry of 2,409.

Pre-sale show was ably judged by Miss Kay Thompson, Fitches Grange, Witton le Wear. Miss Thompson gave great care and attention to all 18 pens forward. After much deliberation, the championship was given to Messrs RW & K Telford, Branton East Side, for the fourth consecutive year with their homebred gimmers.The pen of ten ex blackface gimmer that haven’t reared lambs were impeccably turned out by shepherd, Jim Elliot, and went on to sell to £225 to local producer Cheryl Lawson-Croome, Crescent Farm. This topped off a tremendous day from the Branton Eastside team, whose run of 102 Gimmers averaged £205.50.

The reserve champion rosette went to the winners of the ex Swaledale Not Reared Lambs Class from Mr RS Walton, Coatyards, Netherwitton. These were sold for £220.00, to Mr JH Johnson, White Lea Farm, Crook, Co Durham.

Mule gimmers on the whole were in high demand throughout the sale. New purchasers ringside this year choosing Hexham as their centre of choice to buy there replacements.

A premium was seen for gimmers that had suckled lambs and was noticeable in the prices, with the top prices of £230.00 being for lambed gimmers from Mr FS Vickers, Rennington South Farm, Alnwick, and r J Charlton Tenter House, West Woodburn.

Astonishingly, t32 pens broke the £200 barrier. The sale saw a remarkable average increase of £28 on last year’s sale, which in itself was very successful

10 Mule Gimmers Ex Blackface NRL

1st Prize RW & K Telford, Branton East Side

2nd Prize RS Walton, Coatyards

10 Mule Gimmers Ex Blackface RL

1st Prize FS Vickers, Rennington South

2nd Prize J Charlton Tenter House

10 Mule Gimmer Ex Swaledale NRL

1st Prize RS Walton, Coatyards

2nd Prize JRD & JA Short, Ouston

Champion Pen

RW & K Telford, Branton East Side (Blackface NRL)

Reserve Champion Pen

RS Walton, Coatyards (Swaledale NRL)

£230 Rennington South & Tenter House, £228 Branton East Side, £226 & £225 Tenter House, £225 Branton East Side, £224 Edlingham Newtown, £222 Rennington South, Lowes Fell & Coatyards, £220 Rennington South, Lowes Fell & Branton East Side, £212 Edlingham Newtown, £210 Edlingham Newtown & Rennington South, £210 & £208 (x2) Rennington South, £206 Branton East Side, £205 Edlingham Newtown (x2) & Coatyards, £204 Croft Cottage & Thornton Towers, £202 Edlingham Newtown, Houxty House, Thornton Towers & Coatyards, £200 West Lands End, Edlingham Newtown & Thornton Towers, £198 Halton Red House & Light Birks, £195 Light Birks, Broomhill (x2), Edlingham Newtown, Rennington South (x2), Lowes Fell & Branton East Side.

Cheviot Mule Gimmers

An increased entry of Cheviot Mule Gimmers this year were easily sold and reached a high of £230 from Messrs J Stephenson & Son, West Mill Hills

£230 & £228 West Mill Hills, £202 & £200 Flotterton.

Suffolk & Suffolk x Gimmers

Suffolk x gimmers sold to a ringful of buyers all keen for good strong sheep.

Topping the trade was a pen of 21 at £234 from FT Walton, Flotterton, selling to a customer in Hull.

£235, £218 & £215 Flotterton, £215 Halton Red House, £210 Flotterton (x2)

Texel, Texel x, Beltex x and other Continental Gimmers.

Texel Gimmers

£202 Hagdon Moor & Demesne Farm, £200 West Wharmley (x2)

Texel x Gimmers

Texel x Gimmers sold to a steady trade with some buyers ringside hesitant to replace their current stock.

Topping the class at £225 was a trio from Messrs JC & C MacDonald, Light Birks, selling to their near neighbours in Bardon Mill

£225 Light Birks, £220 Claywalls, £205 & £202 Lough Green, £202 Halton Red House, £200 Lough Green (x2), £198 Colwell Demesne, £195 Lough Green, Stotsfold, Raggetsyke, West Mill Hills, Light Birks (x3) & Cornhills.

Other Continental x Gimmers

Other continentals topped at £235 for a black Beltex x Gimmer from Messrs W Patterson & Sons, Halton Red House, selling into County Durham

Beltex x - £235 Halton Red House, £232 Cornhills, £130 Glenhill.

Zwartbles x - £155 Blindy View.

China Hall Dispersal

As the day neared its conclusion, we came on to the very important dispersal from Mr FM Suddes & Son, China Hall.

Topping his run of Texel x, Suffolk x & Mule ewes was an exceptional full mouth Texel Ewe at £200.

Two-four crop Texel ewes sold regularly into the £140’s with many local farmers purchasing top quality stock from China Hall.

Hexham & Northern marts would like to thank Mr & Mrs FM Suddes & family for their loyal support and wish them every success in their retirement.

Mule Ewes

4 crop - £122

Texel & Texel x

2 crop - £200, £180, £142 (x2)

3 crop - £150, £146, £145, £142

Suffolk x

2-4 crop - £145

Beltex x

2-4 crop - £122

Other Ewes

Texel x 1crop - £180 Halton Red House

Mule 1crop - £158 Halton Red House

Mule 2crop - £125 Taylor Burn

Scots Gap Mart, at their weekly sale, sold prime lambs to a top of £128 for texel crosses from Michael Walton, Rawfoot. The sale averaged £102.38 throughout for 48.2kg. Numbers fell short of requirements due to standstills and breeding sheep sales this week and more could easily have been sold.

Leading prices

Prime Lambs

Texel x £128 Rawfoot, £125 & £121 ( X2) Pitland Hills, £120 & £118 Tosson Tower, £116 Coldwell, £115 Tosson Tower, £114.50 Coldwell, £112 Colwell Hill, £110 (X2) Holling Hill, £109 Tosson Tower & Holling Hill, £108 Holling Hill & Black Callerton

232.7p Pitland Hills, 231.0p East Newham, 229.8p & 228.3p Black Callerton, 227.3p Pitland Hills, 245.5p Holling Hill, 224.1p Pitland Hills, 221.7p East Newham, 221.3p Black Callerton, 220.7p Rawfoot, 220.4p Holling Hill, 220.2p Coldwell, 220.0p East Newham, 219.6p Colwell Hill, 219.5p Runnymede Cottage, 218.5p Tosson Tower.

Suffolk x £126 Colwell Hill, £113 & £110 Holling Hill, £109 Black Callerton, £105 East Newham & Colwell Hill, £102 Colwell Hill

222.5p Black Callerton, 217.0p Colwell Hill, 215.7p Holling Hill, 214.3p East Newham, 210.0p Colwell Hill, 209.3p Holling Hill.

Mule £105 Coldwell, £102 & £101 Pitland Hills £96

205.9p Coldwell, 203.3p Ray Mill, 200.0p Black Callerton, 198.0p Pitland Hills.

Cast Sheep

Leading prices;

Texel x-£160 East Beechfield, £130 Longshaws, £120 Forestburngate, £116 (X2) Longshaws, £114 Longshaws.

Texel x Tup £122 East Beechfield, £86 Longshaws.

Store Cattle

Hexham & Northern Marts at their weekly sale offered a small but select entry of 273 store cattle at the last sale before the onset of the special ‘back end’ show sales season which commences next week with native breeds.

A nice trade was attained for the quality on offer which was in the main very mixed yet still sought after. Two tremendous pure bred Charolais heifers from Ian & Bruce Campbell, Thrunton, at just 16 months of age topped the rankings on the day at £1,580 for the noted pedigree bull breeders with obvious genetics coming to the fore and catching the eye of the discerning commercial finishers at the ringside.

Angus cattle continue to sell well at Hexham and it was another heifer at a similar age that followed at £1,510 from Martin Johnston, High Fotherley, who sold two heifers and eight steers; all with his typical stamp that returned at £1,353 per head. The same price was attained later in the sale for a sublime jet black heifer at just 14 months that sold well for Messrs Ballantyne, Cowburnrigg, who sold another at just ten pounds less and their two steers and three heifers all at the same age averaged a worthy £1,410 throughout.

A cracking run of well-bred Charolais cross heifers were brought down to Hexham from the high hills above Elsdon by regular supporter of the Tyne Green ring Robin Oxley, Colwell Hill. Long renowned for his quality sorts, the offering topped at £1,400 and averaged £1,207 for 11 heifers sold at 15 months of age to make the journey back to The Rede valley a contented one for Mr Oxley.

A nice trade was evident for younger classes and these peaked at £1,240 for a phenomenal Limmy cross bullock at 12 months from Mark Cameron, High Yarridge, Hexham.

With the autumn show sales fast approaching, producers are urged to consider Hexham as their outlet of choice for all native and continental breeds with the entire sale on this day returning an average of £1,108 throughout for cattle sold from eight to twenty-nine months of age.

Leading prices;

Cattle 23 – 30 Months

Angus x steers-£1440 Whitelees.

Limousin x heifers –£1250, £1240 Whitelees.

Angus x heifers –£1400 Stoop Rigg.

Cattle 17 – 22 Months

Limousin x steers –£1380, £1350, £1340 Whitelees.

Charolais x steers –£1345 & £1280 White House.

British Blue steers –£1150 East Newham.

Angus x steers –£1450, £1380 (x2), £1340 (x2), £1310 & £1300 High Fotherley.

Limousin x heifers –£1490, £1440, £1410, £1400, £1380 (x2), £1290 & £1250 Lunns House.

Charolais heifers –£1580 Thrunton.

Charolais x heifers –£1400 & £1370 Colwell Hill, £1330 White House, £1320 Colwell Hill.

British Blue heifers –£1150 Woodwell House.

Angus heifers –£1210 Whiteless.

Angus x heifers –£1510 High Fotherley, £1280 & £1230 Church Farm, £1200 Buteland.

Cattle 11 – 16 Months

Limousin x steers –£1360 & £1280 Cowburn Rigg, £1240 High Yarridge.

Charolais x steers –£1220 Harewalls.

Angus x steers –£1200 Thruntom, £1115 Rock, £1105 Buteland.

Simmental x steers –£1050 Rock.

Limousin x heifers –£1510, £1500 & £1400 Cowburn Rigg, £1240, £1220 & £1165 Longlea, £1155 Sherburn Tower, £1110 (x2) Longlea, £1105 Low Staples, £1000 (x3) Longlea.

Charolais x heifers –£1220, £1200 & £1150 Colwell Hill, £1100 West Wharmley.

Angus x heifers – £1210 & £1130 Rock.

Cast Ewes

Another tremendous number of Cast ewes were seen here at Hexham with nearly 1,000 more than this time last year.

Topping the sale on three separate occasions at £172 was a pair of Leicester’s, a Cheviot and a pair of Suffolk Tups all from Messrs Watson,West Newlands.

Topping the ewe section of the sale was a Texel ewe from Mr C S Whitfield, High Castle Dene Farm, at £170.

A pair or Mules from Matfen estates made £124.

Blackfaced ewes topped at £98 from A & S Murray & Son, West Deanraw.

Texel x-£170 High Castle Dene, £168 Hallington New Houses, £160 Low Ardley, £158 Low West House, £157 Shaftoe, £156 Low Ardley, £152 High Castle Dene & Harewalls, £149 & £148 High Castle Dene, £148 Harewalls & Nunwick, £145 (x2) Hard Riding, £140 High Castle Dene & Hallington New Houses, £139 Glenhill, £138 Hallington New Houses (x2) & Stone Stile, £136 Middle Farm, £134 Hard Riding, £132 East Broomshiels, £130 Low Ardley, High Castle Dene & Matfen Estate.

Suffolk x –£172 West Newlands, £131 St Oswalds, £126 East Barnwell.

Leicester-£172 West Newlands, £140 West Deanraw.

Cheviot –£80 Highwood.

Cheviot x –£172 West Newlands.

Mule –£124 Matfen Estate, £118 Barrasford, £112 Broadgates, £109 Barrasford Green, £107 & £103 Nunwick, £102 Dunns House, £101 North Sorrowlessfield, £100 St Oswalds & South Chareheads, £99 Brownchesters & Broomhall.

Blackface –£98 West Deanraw, £94 The Steel, £90 Dunns House, £88 & £86 Brownchesters.

Swaledale –£77 Glenhill, £76 Mickley Moor, £70 East Unthank.

Store Lambs

A monster entry of Store lambs sold to another fantastic trade.

Topping the trade was a pair of Beltex x lambs at £127 from Messrs S & M Pickworth, Dotland Park. Not far behind at £126 were 13 Texel x lambs from Mrs E Lishman, Fell Lane, and a pair from Messrs P & E B Robson, Middle Horsleyhope.

Mule lambs topped at £86 for a pen of 45 from Messrs Reed Partners, Dyke Nook Farm.

Blackface lambs sold to another fair trade topped at £69 for a pen of 62 from Mr T J Elder, Pottsdurtrees.

Texel x-£126 Fell Lane, £122 Errington Red House, £121 Shawwood, £120 Errington Red House & Butterknowes, £119 & £114 Highmoss, £113 Causey View, £112 Errington Red House, £111 Garden House & Milfield, £110 Kingside & Low Struthers, £107 Birchcraig, £106 Snitter Farm, £105 Highmoss.

Dutch Texel x-£122 & £120 West Mill Hills, £118 Willimoteswick & Hard Riding, £117 Willimoteswick, £113 West Mill Hills & Willimoteswick.

Suffolk x –£110 Winchester, £107 Middle Horsleyhope, £106 Cooper House, £105 Low Struthers, £100 Salmonfield, £98.50 Butterknowes, £98 Lodge Farm.

Beltex x –£127 Dotland Park, £126, £123.50 & £119.50 (x2) Middle Horsleyhope, £118 Hallington New Houses & Winchester, £117 Butterknowes, £115.50 Middle Horsleyhope, £115 Hallington New Houses, £113 Low Struthers & Littleburn, £112 Hallington New Houses.

Bleu D-Maine-£91.50 & £90 Oaklea.

Cheviot -£74 Cottonshope.

Leicester-£96 Penpeugh.

Lleyn-£82.50 Cartington.

Charollais x -£80 Oaklea.

Mule –£86 Dyke Nook, £84 Low Chesterhope, £83, £81.50 & £81 Harsondale, £80.50 Woodhall, £79.50 Morven, £78.50 Woodhall & Hareshaw, £78 Mickley Moor.

Blackface-£69 Pottsdurtrees, £65.50 Featherwood & Hareshaw, £65 Cross House.

Swaledale -£55.50 Agars Hill.

Breeding Sheep

Hexham and Northern Marts held their second sale of 1,236 Mule Ewe Lambs from members of the NEMSA and non-members.

This year the pre-sale show was expertly judged by Mr Mike Kay, of Haresteads Farm, Cheshire, who had seven pens presented to him to examine.

Best pen of 10 ex Blackface

1st- Carrick

2nd- Penpeugh

3rd- Brownsleazes

Mike awarded 1st prize and overall Championship to a wonderful pen from Armstrong and Hunter, Carrick, with the judge commenting on their correctness and fantastic skins. This pen went on to sell for a second sale record of £230.00, selling to the Judge.

Standing second was a pen from W & P F Walton, Penpeugh, which caught the eye of a new Gretna-based purchaser realising £205.00.

The best run of 60 for the second year running went to the Hope Family from Albierigg, Canobie, whose top pen sold to a high of £195.

Trade throughout was bouyant for tupping and running lambs. Running lambs would see the biggest increase on the year, £35 increase on last year’s second sale.

Well, done to all Vendors that had sheep forward but more lambs could have been sold to producers’ advantage with the ring being the place to market Mule ewe lambs this year.

Mule –£230 Carrick, £205 Penpeugh, £195 Albierigg, £188 Penpeugh, £185 Chirdon, £174 Nilston Rigg, £172 Albierigg, £170 Harsondale, £168 Penpeugh, £166 & £165 Carrick, £165 & £162 Albierigg, £160 & £158 Harsondale, £158 Pitlands, £155 Brownsleazes, £154 Pitlands, £152 Hole Farm & Capheaton Hill (x2), £150 Brownsleazes, Nilston Rigg & Chirdon, £146 Old Police House, £145 Harsondale.

Cheviot Mules

A classy entry of Cheviot Mules this year, with the pre-sale show being won by Messrs D Carr & Son, Highwood, which were immaculately turned out by Shepherd Ben Moralee, these went on to sell for £160.

£160 Highwood, £150 Flotterton & Highwood (x2)

Continental Cross

A small entry of Continental ewe lambs that met a selective trade with the better end selling well to £145 for ¾ Texels from Messrs R Thornton & Son, Cornhills.

Texel -£125 (x2) Shawwood.

Texel x-£145 Cornhills & West Mill Hills, £142 West Mill Hills.

Suffolk x –£110 (x2) Lunns House.

Cheviot -£90 Moorlaws.