Longtown Border Ewe Sale Report
C&D Auction Marts Ltd held their annual Border Ewe Sale at Longtown on Wednesday 28th September 2022, where there was a catalogued entry of 11,361.
Buyers were present from all four corners of the UK for this annual sale, with many buyers commenting on the quality of stock forward and trade comparable to last year’s.
A top-quality show on offer with noted lots selling to last years high rates of return. North Country Cheviot ewes sold to £200 from Messrs Campbell, Naver House, Thurso, others to £198 Hilltop Farm, £175 Raeburnfoot. Gimmers sold to £290 from TW Bell, Hilltop Farm, Keswick. Ewe lambs sold to £182 from J&A Pate, Nettling Flatt, Heriot, others to £80 Philiphaugh. A dispersal from Messrs Walker, Raeburnfoot, Langholm sold to a top of £175 for gimmers and £165 for ewes.
Another top-quality show of south country cheviots, which is associated with this annual sale, were forward to a bustling ring side of purchasers, better bred sheep that were in good form were easy to cash whilst sheep showing signs of a dry summer were harder to place. Draught ewes selling to a top of £250 from RH Paton, Castle Crawford, Thornhill, others to £40 Stirkfield, £200 Castle Crawford. Gimmers sold to a top of £270 from A&A Elliot, Hindhope, Jedburgh, others to £205 Stirkfield, £200 Skelfhill. Ewe lambs sold to £118 from IHG Warden, Skelfhill, Hawick, others to £102 Castle Crawford, £100 Raggithwhaite & Dalgare. A dispersal from R Osbourne, Castlehill, Thornhill sold to a top of £122 for gimmers and £150 for ewes.
A large entry of Blackface sheep were present, sheep showing signs of a dry summer proved difficult to sell whilst younger well-bred sheep sold well. Incorporated in the sale was the annual prize show and sale for the north of England blackface gimmers and draught ewes, please see the prize list below. Ewes to £200 & £170 & £120 from Wanwood Partners, Wanwood Hill, Aslton. Gimmers to £195 from Wanwood Partners, Wanwood Hill, Alston, others to 190 Longbrugh Fauld & Kirksteads. Ewe lambs to £118 & £115 from Wanwood Partners, Wanwood Hill, Alston, others to £110 Prospect House & Sewing Shields. A dispersal from The Firm of James Tullie, Bowanhill, Hawick sold to a top of £135 for gimmers and £110 for ewes.
Included in the sale was the show for North of England type Blackfaces on behalf of the North of England Blackface Sheep Breeders Association. Results are as follows;
Class One - Shearlings
1st - RA McClymont & Son, Kirksteads - £190
2nd - W Walton, Tofthouse - £175
3rd - A Murray & Sons, Sewing Shields - £180
Class Two – Ewes
1st - Wanwood Partners, Wanwood Hill - £200
2nd - Wanwood Partners, Wanwood Hill - £170
3rd - Alex A Roskell & Partners, Laverhay - £116
A smaller entry of Swaledales were forward to a top of £155 for a pen of gimmers from W & JK & MA Ridley, Patties Hill, Roweltown, others to £142 Patties Hill, £140 Fieldhead. Ewes sold to £100 from L Pollock, Dumblar Rigg, West Hall.
Averages
NCC
Ewes - £120.63
NCC Gimmers - £169.23
NCC Ewe Lambs - £103.93
SCC
Ewes - £102.43
SCC Gimmers - £126.71
SCC Ewe Lambs - £82.15
Blackface
Ewes - £72.06
Blackface Gimmers - £121.48
Blackface Ewe Lambs - £64.87
Swaledale
Ewes - £82
Swaledale Gimmers - £118.32
TOP PRICES
Ewes:
South Country Cheviot £250 Castle Crawford, £240 Stirkfield, £200 Castle Crawford, £158 Stirkfield, £150 & £145 Castlehill, £142 Stirkfield, £140 Castle Crawford.
Blackface £200 & £170 & £120 (x2) Wanwood Hill, £116 Laverhay, £102 Todsykehead, £100 (x2) Bowanhill.
North Country Cheviot £200 Naver House, £198 Hilltop, £175 Raeburnfoot, £172 Brown Hill, £165 Bradley & Naver House & Raeburnfoot & Brown Hill.
Swaledale £100 Dumblar Rigg.
Herdwick £98 Romanway.
Gimmers:
North Country Cheviot £290 Hilltop & Jethart, £260 West Blackbyre, £235 Longburgh Fauld, £220 & £210 Kirkahugh, £210 Longburgh Fauld, £205 Hawthornside & Kirkhaugh.
South Country Cheviot £270 Hindhope, £205 Stirkfield, £200 Skelfhill, £165 Hindhope, £160 Mainside, £155 Priesthaugh, £150 & £145 Stirkfield, £142 North Shortcleugh.
Blackface £195 Wanwood Hill, £190 Longburgh Fauld & Kirksteads, £182 Yatesfield, £180 Sewing Shields & Kirksteads, £175 Wanwood Hill & Toft House.
Swaledale £155 & £142 Patties Hill, £140 Fieldhead, £120 & £118 Shankfieldhead.
Ewe lambs:
North Country Cheviot £182 (x2) Nettling Flatt, £180 Philiphaugh, £160 North Synton, £150 Jethart, £148 Hilltop, £138 Kirkton, £135 Jethart, £130 Philiphaugh.
South Country Cheviot £118 Skelfhill, £102 Castle Crawford, £100 Raggithwhaite, & Dalgare & Potholm (x3) & Castle Crawford.
Blackface £118 & £115 Wanwood Hill, £110 Prospect House (x2) & Sewing Sheilds, £102 (x2) Wanwood Hill.
LONGTOWN RAMS
N.C. CHEVIOTS TO £1,900 BLUEFACED LEICESTERS TO £1,100
The North Country Cheviot Sheep Society Sale of shearling and two-shear Park and Hill rams at Longtown on Wednesday 28th September, saw strong demand and a level trade for a good entry with 136 registered sheep sold to average £401, a small fall of £23 on the year for ten more sold.
Topping the sale at £1,900 was W.D. Allen, Humbleheugh, Alnwick with a shearling by Gilston Wallop out of a homebred ewe by Soutra Weapon; the purchasers were W. & J. Thomson, Hownam Grange, Roxburghshire.
At £1,200, G. Davies & Partners, North Synton, Ashkirk sold a Hightae XTC sired shearling to A.D. Jones, Blaen Bache, Lllangollen with R. McCormack, Crotheads, Lockerbie selling an Overacres the Man son at £1,100 to Wynholm Farms, Corrie. Philiphaugh Estates bought a Synton sired ram from Andrew Pate, Nettlingflat, Heriot at £1,000.
Other North Country Cheviots sold to £900, £850 and £800 Humbleheugh; £750 & £650 (twice) Allanshaws; £700, Crofheads. Priesthaugh topped the Hill section with two-shears at £650 & £600.
Humbleheugh had the leading Cheviot average at £786 for eight. The Croftheads pen averaged £750 with North Synton averaging £580 and Nettlingflat levelling at £560.
The annual sale of traditionally bred “true-blue” Bluefaced Leicesters saw a quality entry
95 Bluefaced Leicesters of all ages sold to average £461 with the 80 shearlings levelling at £475; a good commercial trade but a considerable fall from last years flyer.
Messrs McClymont, Kirkstead, Yarrow topped the sale with an £1,100 shearling which went to W.M. & E. Dugdale, Close House, Giggleswick. Messrs McClymont also sold at £900 to R. & M. McIntosh, Borthwickshiels with others to £700 and averaging £800. Messrs Hewson, Burgh Head`s pen topped at £850 with M. & N. Gray, Low Epsley making to £750 and £720 (twice) with an average of £720. Messrs McConchie, Mossyard, Gatehouse of Fleet had a sale at £750 and Hazel Brown, Leadburnlea and G. Smith & Sons, West Bolton each sold to £650.
