Longtown Great Annual Ram Fair Show & Sale Report

C&D Auction Marts Ltd held their Great Annual Ram Fair at Longtown on Wednesday 9th October 2019, when a great show of commercial rams were forward from a catalogued entry of 966, with quality to suit all purchasers.

The sale topped at £1,500 twice for Texel ram lambs from first time ram sale consigner Bryden   Nicholson, Knock Farm, Duns for unshown ram lambs and after much spirited bidding, they were knocked down to Jimmy Sinclair, Crookston Farm, who had previously bought the days Texel champion in the morning show again from The Knock. The champion changed hands at £1,100. Texel shearlings topped at £1,200 from regular consigner Alistair Bell.

Judging was again in the capable hands of Harry Woodmass, Harene, who awarded the prizes as follows:

Texel Shearling Rams:

1^st - Lot 750 - G Wilkinson, Arkleby House - £580

2^nd - Lot 787 - J Runciman & Sons, Allanshaws - £750

3^rd - Lot 853 - Messrs Scott, Greypeel - £400

Texel Ram Lamb:

1^st - Lot 696 - Highfield Farming Ltd, Knock - £1,100

2^nd - Lot 840 – J & M Tough, Easterseat - £580

3^rd - Lot 839 - J & M Tough, Easterseat - £800

Champion Texel Ram - Highfield Farming Ltd, Knock - £1,100

Champion - Lot 696

Reserve Champion - Lot 750

The Solway & Tyne Cup was awarded to the Champion Texel which was a ram lamb shown by Highfield Farming Ltd, Knock. This show was also kindly sponsored by Trojan 4x4, Linstock.

Top Prices

Ram Lambs £1,500 (x2), £1,100 Knock, £850 Kirkton, £800 Easterseat & Kirkton, £750 Knock, £600, £580 Easterseat, £520, £480 Kirkton, £480 Knock, £450 Raefield.

Shearling Rams £1,200 Kirkton, £820 Duke Street, £750 Allanshaws, £700 Uppercleuch & Flex, £680 Kinninghall & Crumhaughhill & Lochside Cottage, £650 Drumalin Farm Cottages & Duke Street.

Champion Cross Bred Ram - G & CE Edminson, Middle Farm - £820

Cross bred and other continental rams met an animated trade for strong, good skinned, shapey sorts, with plainer sorts again being hard to shift as with all tup sales this season. Beltex shearlings selling to £900 from C Currie, Inamay and cross bred rams selling to £820 & £800 for Texel x Beltex rams from G & CE Edminson, Middle Farm.

Judging was again in the capable hands of Nigel & Kirsty Peart, Weeds Farm, who’s award were as follows:

Beltex/Crossbred Shearling Rams:

1^st - Lot 554 - G & CE Edminson, Middle Farm - £820

2^nd - Lot 590 - M Reid, Grassmainston - £550

3^rd - Lot 594 - M Reid, Grassmainston - £600

Champion - Lot 554

The Tucker Armstrong Memorial Cup was presented by Mrs L Little to G & CE Edminson, Middle Farm for their Champion Texel x Beltex shearling ram

Top Prices

Ram Lambs

Suffolk x Beltex £290 Mid Brockloch.

Dutch Texel £260 Kirk House.

Beltex £220 & £200 Arkleby House.

Blue Texels £200 Millside.

Aged Rams

Texel x Bluefaced Leicester £340 Brewery House Barn.

Shearling Rams

Beltex £900 Inamay, £600, £580 Threeburnford, £550 Sorbie, £520, £500 Threeburnford, £500 Sorbie.

Texel x Beltex £820, £800, £680, £620 (x3), £600 Middle Farm, £600 Broomhill, £580, £550 (x3) Middle Farm, £500 Waltonwoodhead.

Charollais x Beltex £600, £550, £500, £450 (x2) Grassmainston.

Charollais £550 Loaningfoot.

Beltex x Texel £520 Corstane, £420 (x2) Park Nook, £400 Uppercleuch.

Dutch Texel x £480, £400 Raggetsyke.

Suffolk x Beltex £360 Flex Farm, £300 Fowrass.

Champion Suffolk Ram - Messrs Hewson, Burgh Head - £350

A much larger show of Suffolks was forward, which saw best quality strong rams sell to extreme rates with more moderate sorts harder to cash selling to a top of £800 for a shearling from annual consigners Hazel & Dennis Martindale, The Land with another at £720.

Judging was in the capable hands of Nigel & Kirsty Peart, Weeds Farm, who’s award were as follows:

Suffolk Shearling Rams:

1^st - Lot 231 - WJ & JG Bell, Kinninghall - £600

2^nd - Lot 301 - GT Beattie, Guardsmill - £520

3^rd - Lot 245 - RK & MD Denby, Riddings Hill - £350

Suffolk Ram Lamb:

1^st - Lot 311 - Messrs Hewson, Burgh Head - £350

2^nd - Lot 239 - JY Barclay & Co, Mid Brockloch - £300

3^rd - Lot 216 - DG Reid & Son, Calf Park - £300

Champion - Lot 311

Reserve Champion - 231

Top Prices

Ram Lambs £380 (x2) The Land, £350 Burgh Head, £350 (x2), £320 The Land, £300 Mid Brockloch & The Land & Calf Park.

Shearling Rams £800 The Land, £720 Guardsmill & The Land, £600 Kinninghall, £580 The Land, £520 Guardsmill & The Land, £500 (x2) Guardsmill, £450 Rue Castle Cottage & The Land.

Champion Bluefaced Leicester Ram - Messrs Leach, Whintingstown, Roadhead

The annual prize show and sale of Bluefaced Leicester rams and ram lambs, including other native breeds, where there was forward a catalogued entry of 128.

This year the judging was in the capable hands of Mr Stephen Ridley, Shitlington Hall who’s awards were as follows:

1^st & Champion a shearling from Messrs Leach, Whintingstown, Roadhead.

2^nd prize shearling was from Messrs M & E Drummond, Cassington, Maybole.

1^st prize ram lamb also came from Messrs Leach, with 2nd prize ram lamb from Philip Roskell, Laverhay, Moffat. 

Trade in general would be good for the best strong crossing shearlings and ram lambs but plainer sheep proved much harder to sell. Top price was £580 from regular consignors Messrs Anderson, Parkhill, Roberton who sold others at £400 and £300. Other shearlings to £450, £420, £400 and £350 Colmslie Hill, £380 and £320 Foulshields, £350 Primside Mill, £330 Cassington, £310 Howa Hill.

Ram lambs to £180 Whintingstown and £140 Hill Brae.

Native breeds sold to £190 and £180 for North Country Cheviot shearling rams from Nisbet Mill, others to £180 Gospel Hall.