Longtown Christmas Primestock Show & Sale

C&D Auction Marts Limited had forward 8,091 sheep comprising of 5,069 prime lambs and 3,022 cast ewes & rams at their weekly sale at Longtown on Thursday 5th December 2019.

22 prime cattle and cast cows were forward for the Christmas show and sale, where a great show of cattle were presented to the judge Mr Morgan Helliwell, Rochdale. He awarded the overall Championship to A & A Ewing, Dumbretton, Annan for a smart black Limousin heifer weighing 590kg and selling at 240p to local butchers W Kirkup, Longtown, with the 2nd prize Continental heifer going to A Hall & Son, Barker House, Hexham.

Reserve Champion went to the first prize native bred bullock, a Galloway from I R Armstrong, Shankfield Head, Hethersgill, scaling at 570kg and realising 190p to Border Meats, Lockerbie. Second prize in the native bred cattle was a Galloway bullock from A Carruthers & Son, Peela Hill, Bewcastle.

Cast cows sold to 106p for the first prize cow, an Angus shown by JA & E Dinwoodie, Archerbeck, Canonbie with others to 105p for the 2nd prize cow, a Beef Shorthorn from JDM Thomson, Pilmuir, Hawick.

PRINCIPAL PRICES (PER KILO):
BULLOCKS
Lim x – 192p Gallowberry.
Gall – 190p Shankfield Head, 188p Peela Hill.
Belt Gall – 189p Batey Shield.
SH x – 176p Spoutbank.
Blue Grey - 174p Sewing Shields.
HEIFERS
Lim – 240p Dumbretton.
Char – 204p, 202p, 201p, 200p Barker House.

PRINCIPAL PRICES (PER HEAD):
BULLOCKS
Lim x - £1,238 Gallowberry.
Gall - £1,137 Peela Hill, £1,083 Shankfield Head.
Blue Grey - £1,061, £1,005 Sewing Shields.
SH x - £1,038 Spoutbank.
HEIFERS
Lim - £1,416 Dumbretton.
Char - £1,180, £1,171, £1,155, £1,152 Barker House.

The Christmas Show and Sale of prime lambs attracted an entry of 5,069, which included 52 pens of lambs for the show. Judging was in the capable hands of Darren Gardiner of RF Stavely Ltd, Bury St Edmonds. After much consideration he awarded the Championship to the 1st prize pen of Beltex lambs from R N Scott, West Meiklethwaite, Wigton which scaled at 42kg and sold at £175 to West Scottish Lamb.

Reserve Champion came from the 2nd prize pen of Beltex lambs from Messrs Taylor, Easter Ochtermuthill, Perth, whose lambs weighed 49kg and sold at £135 to the judge.

Many thanks must be given to our sponsors Murray Farmcare Animal Health and to all vendors for presenting a quality entry of livestock.

PRIZE LIST:

TEXEL
1st - Vevers, High Stenries – 47kg £108 to West Scottish Lamb
2nd – Scott, West Meiklethwaite – 43kg £116 to S Stoddart
3rd - Scott, West Meiklethwaite – 48kg £114 to S Stoddart

BELTEX
1st & Champion - Scott, West Meiklethwaite – 42kg £175 to West Scottish Lamb
2nd & Reserve – Taylor, Easter Ochtermuthill – 49kg £135 to R F Stavely
3rd – Lines, Killocraw – 42kg £111 to A Dawson

SUFFOLK
1st - Earnshaw, Achamore – 49kg £103 to R F Stavely
2nd – Dinwoodie, Archerbeck - 53kg £101 to R Skelton
3rd - Dinwoodie, Archerneck – 49kg £94 to Pickstocks

NORTH OF ENGLAND MULE
1st - Gass, Nunscleugh – 54kg £101 to Farmers Fresh
MULE 2nd – Gass, Nunscleugh – 50kg £92 to R Skelton
3rd - Kyle, Spoutbank – 53kg £95 to Farmers Fresh

SCOTCH MULE
1st - McArthur, Arnicle – 43kg £80 to A Dawson.
2nd – Nichol, Lawston – 51kg £92 to R Skelton
3rd – Semple, Dalbhraddan – 44kg £82 to R Skelton.

NORTH COUNTRY CHEVIOT
1st - Murray, Roughet Hill – 47kg £93 to Pickstocks
2nd – Graham, Carruthers – 48kg £90 to Pickstocks
3rd – Graham, Carruthers – 45kg £85 to B MacTaggart.

SOUTH COUNTRY CHEVIOT
1st - Reid, Glendearg – 43kg £85 to A Dawson
2nd – Cavers, Sorbie – 46kg £87 to R F Stavely
3rd - Warden, Skelfhill – 42kg £81 to B MacTaggart

BLACKFACE
1st - Cavers, Sorbie – 49kg £95 to West Scottish Lamb
2nd – Cavers, Sorbie – 47kg £92.50 to West Scottish Lamb
3rd - Reid, Glendearg – 45kg £83.50 to A Dawson

Out with the show a tremendous entry of lambs was forward to an increased ringside of buyers, with many pens of best quality Beltex and Continental lambs selling at 220-300p per kilo. All classes were seen to be dearer on the week, with the majority of heavy lambs £92-£105 and lightweight lambs 180-210p. More lambs of all classes required to satisfy increased buyer demand.

Overall average 197.3p (SQQ 200.1p)

PRINCIPAL PRICES (PER KILO)
Belt 416p West Meiklethwaite, 297p Easter Ochtermuthill, 287p Gelston Castle.
Tex 264, 231p Kirk House, 231p Bellfield, 230p Wallend & High Stenries.
Chev 212p Shawhill, 204p Glendearg, 203p Chapel & Ifferdale.
Suff 210p Achamore, 208p Outertown, 205p Tone Hall & Hallburn.
BF 203p, 200p Byrecleugh, 197p Mid Harrietsfield & Sorbie.
Shet 203p Upper Auchenlay.
Chev Mule 200p Kirkbride, 195p West Millhills, 193p Kirkbride.
NCC 197p Roughet Hill, 195p Garvilland, 192p Braehillor.
Mule 195p Rhoin, 194p Byrecleugh, 193p Minsca & Chapel.
Dutch Tex 193p Trawhill.
Swale 186p Minsca.

PRINCIPAL PRICE (PER HEAD)
Belt £175, £116 West Meiklethwaite, £135, £116 Easter Ochtermuthill, £116 Granton Mill.
Char £112 Rigg Garth.
Tex £110 Jenny Mill Stables & High Floweryhirst, £108 High Stenries, Trailtow & Kirk House, £107 West Millhills.
Chev £109, £100 Glendearg, £94 Sorbie.
Suff £108 Braehill, £103 Achamore, £101 Archerbeck & West Watten.
Mule £101 Nunscleugh, £98 Lawston, £94 Longlea.
Leic £100 Nunscleugh, £86 Townhead, £85 Burgh Head, £83 Greenburn.
NCC £96.50, £95 Whiteknowe, £93 Roughet Hill.
Chev Mule £95 Kirkbride, £94.50 Raebunfoot, £93 Fenwick.
BF £95, £92.50 Sorbie, £88.50 West Scales.
Grit £87 Corrielea.
Swale £84 Minsca.

A larger show of 3,021 cast ewes and rams sold to the usual ringside of buyers. As numbers start to tighten in other centres, all classes of ewes were seen to be dearer.

Top of £179 for a pen of 13 Texels ewes from J & C Hastings, Kilncroft, Dumfries with hill ewes to £83 for Blackface ewes from J C Oliver, East Farm, Newcastle. Rams sold to £122 for Texels from J Anderson & Son, Priesthaugh, Hawick.

HEAVY EWES
Tex £179 Kilncroft, £171 Woodhead, £170 Belzies & Kilnford Croft.
Suff £132 Kilnford Croft, £126 Golden Lane, £122 Chapel Farm.
Belt £124 Croft House, £119 Easter Ochtermuthill, £117 Upper Auchenlay.
Char £116 Upper Auchenlay, £110 Bombie, £109 Upper Auchenlay.
Chev Mule £100 Bidlake, £95 Haugh Head £90 Spittal Mains.
NCC £95 Tone Hall, £94 Guardsmill, £93 Ballinloan, Tain Olrig & Damside.
Zwart £93 The Stables, £90 Cairndrum Cottage.
BFL £91 Kildalloig, £90 Townhead, £88 Nutholm.
Mule £91 Tone Hall, £87 High Yarridge, £86 East Farm.

LIGHT EWES
BF £83 East Farm, £72 Tone Hall, £71 East Farm.
Chev £73 Mainside, £70 The Faulds, £68 Beechwood.
Lonk £71 Glendiven Cottage.
Swale £54 Hollin Close, £53 Higher Roserrow.

RAMS
Tex £122 Priesthaugh, £110 Newton.
BFL £119 Batey Shield, £107 Townhead.
Belt £116 Low Tirfergus.
Char £110 Wynholm.
Chev £103 Wynholm.
Suff £96 Woodhouse, £94 Newton, £92 Priesthaugh.
NCC £92 Bayles.

Averages:
Lambs
Light to 203.1p (178.2p)
Standard to 297.0p (199.2p)
Medium to 416.7p (201.7p)
Heavy to 275.5p (192.5p)
Overweight to 203.7p (179.9p)

Ewes
Light to £83.00 (£52.47)
Heavy to £179.00 (£85.37)
Rams £122.00 (£74.77)

corresponding week 2018 sale report