Longtown Store & Breeding Sheep Sale Report

C&D Auction Marts Ltd held their annual Border Cheviot Ewe Sale at Longtown on Monday 30th September 2024, where there was a catalogued entry of 6,725.

A strong show of North Country Cheviots was forward. Topping the North County ewe section was W D Allen, Humbleheugh, with 13 eye catching correct park type Cheviot ewes realising £260 per head.

NCC Shearling Gimmers from Humbleheugh

North Country gimmers topped at £380 from W D Allen, Humbleheugh. North Counrty ewe lambs were in strong demand with purchases travelling from far and wide. Ewe lambs topped at £290 for a fantastic black and white lamb from Thompson Walls Ltd, Mindrum. Closely followed by a trio of black lambs from N Macdonald, West Blackbyre, realising £270.

South Country Cheviots took the spotlight of the day in two out of the three sections, with ‘top of the pops’ being three tremendous tup breeding types of South County one crop ewes coming to £600 per head from LW Goodfellow, Townfoot. Chasing closely behind, two South Country gimmers, also from Townfoot, reaching a final hammer price of £400. Ewe lambs topped twice at £108 from John Halliday & Sons, Springwells and WJ Douglas & Son, Upper Hindhope.

Ewe Lambs

North Country Cheviot - £290, £230 Thompsons Walls, £270, £210 West Blackbyre, £250 North Synton, £245, £210 Humbleheugh, £210 Yethouse Fields, £208 Nettling Flatt, £200 Brockhouse

Hill Cheviot - £108, £100 Granton, £108 Upper Hindhope, £100, £98 Sundhope, £100, £98 Catslackburn, £95, £92 Thurstone, £92 Drycleuchlea

Gimmers

Hill Cheviot - £440, £430 Townfoot, £440, £280, £205 Stirkfield, £300, £210 North Shortcleugh, £250 Upper Hindhope, £200 Dalgare, £200 Longburgh Fauld

North Country Cheviot - £380, £320, £310 Humbleheugh, £330 West Blackbyre, £320 Aird, £300, £295, £290 Pastures View, £290 Longburgh Fauld, £280 Mains of Machermore

100 four crop ewes from Wedderlie Farms

Ewes

Hill Cheviot - £600, £340 Townfoot, £360 x2, £320, £260, £200 Castle Crawford, £280, £205 Stirkfield, £220 Catslackburn

North Country Cheviot - £260, £245 Humbleheugh, £250, £245, £230 x2 Innergellie House, £250 West Blackbyre, £240 x2 Hilltop, £205 Kelsocleugh

Leading Flock Averages

South Country Cheviot

Gimmers

Goodfellow, Townfoot                            4 @ £435

Stirkfield Farms                                     36 @ £269

Douglas, Upper Hindhope                      10 @ £250

Aitchison, North Shortcleugh                 22 @ £218

Eastham, Longburgh Fauld                      4 @ £200

Halliday, Dalgare                                     4 @ £200

Queensbury Farming, Chanlochfoot       17 @ £175

Auchenbrack Estates                             23 @ £175

McVittie, Beechlea                                14 @ £170

Ewe Lambs

Douglas, Upper Hindhope                      46 @ £108

Halliday, Granton                                  38 @ £104

Douglas, Catslackburn                           50 @ £99

Randall, Drycleuchlea                            50 @  £94

Ewes

Goodfellow, Townfoot                            4 @ £535

Paton, Castle Crawford                          54 @ £282

Stirkfield Farms                                    114 @ £201

Linlithgow Farms                                   40 @ £195

Douglas, Catslackburn                           89 @ £172

Luescher, Glendinning & Megdale          229 @ £166.57

Douglas, Upper Hindhope                      63 @ £153

Langholm Initiative, Cooms                    48 @ £152

North Country Cheviots

Ewe Lambs

MacDonald, West Blackbyre                  12 @ £225

McQuat, Brock House                           23 @ £200

Allen, Humbleheugh                              77 @ £192

Davies, North Synton                             42 @ £190

Anderson, Earlston Road                         5 @ £190

Pate, Nettling Flatt                                185 @ £185

Yethouse Fields                                       7 @ £182

Bell, Kirkton                                          36 @ £165

Thorburn, Parks                                    24 @ £167

Cheviot Farming                                    15 @ £160

Night Fold Farm, Barrowburn                 80 @ £160

Gimmers

MacDonald, West Blackbyre                  11 @ £330

Allen Humbleheugh                              34 @ £325

Galloway, Aird                                      18 @ £320

Stephens, Pasture View                         67 @ £285

Milroy, Mains of Machermore               16 @ £280

Grant, Innergellie                                    7 @ £275

Bell, Hilltop                                             7 @ £265

Smallwood, Binsey                                20 @ £265

Miline, Kinaldy                                      22 @ £260

Armstrong, Blaebeck                             10 @ £260

Powell, Springwood                              25 @ £260

Reid, Boreland                                      2 @ £260

Ewes

Allen, Humbleheugh                              26 @ £252

Macdonald, West Blackbyre                  8 @ £250

Campbell, Wedderlie                             96 @ £195

Glen, Southdean Lodge                         70 @ £170

Mundell, Lawesknowe                           12 @ £140

All Enquiries welcome. Please contact our auctioneers or fields personnel who will be pleased to take your calls

John Walton 07880527066

Daniel Lynn 07584200489

Sam Hogg 07584207323

Norman Douglas 07786366833

Willie Skilling 07774603103

Helen Rickard 07741313029

The North Country Cheviot Sheep Society Sale of shearling and two-shear Park and Hill rams at Longtown on Monday 30th September 2024 saw a crowded ringside with buyers from a very wide area for the quality entry on offer. 110 registered rams sold to average £583, up £209 on the year for a similar number sold.

Top Price North Country Cheviot Ram from Synton

Topping the Cheviot sale at £1,900 was a shearling from Scott Davies, North Synton, Ashkirk. A son of Gospelhall Bob, he sold to K.O. Stones, Nun Cote Nook, Marrick, North Yorkshire. Coming in at £1,400 was Allanshaws Edward, a Sebay Colossus son from Messrs James Runciman, Allanshaws, Galashiels; he went to M.J. Alpe & Sons, New Laund, Whitwell, Lancashire. Messrs Runciman sold four others from their pen at £1,100 each, and another at £1,000.

£1,200 was paid by J.H.F. Lowery, Whitbeck to George Milne, Kinaldy, Fife for Kinaldy Elpasso by Kingside Chianti.  Others sold to £1,000 from Hownam Grange, £950, Soutra and Humbleheugh and £900, Kinaldy, Synton and Humbleheugh.

Leading Cheviot averages were Allanshaws (11) - £922; Synton (8) - £804; Hownam Grange (7) - £718; Soutra (5) - £674; Humbleheugh (11) - £672; Kinaldy (6) - £663; Croftheads (3) - £633; Hilltop (2) - £625; Broomhillbank (5) - £600; Priesthaugh (4) - £568; Symington (2) - £550; Gilston (5) - £540; Gothigill (2) - £535; Gospel Hall (3) - £500.

Unregistered N.C. Cheviot rams, including some well-sold black rams averaged £400 and were topped by West Deloraine at £600.

Top Price Bluefaced Leicester from Kirkstead

The annual sale of traditionally bred “true-blue” Bluefaced Leicester shearling for crossing to breed the Cheviot Mule saw an entry of strong powerful rams forward. Trade was buoyant with all rams in exceptional demand. R. McClymont & Sons, Kirkstead, Yarrow took the leading honours with a £2,800 sale to J.R. Weir, Elva Plain, Cockermouth with others from the Kirkstead pen at £2,000 to J.C. Hewitt, Crosby Ravensworth and £1,800 twice to Messrs McIntosh, Borthwickshiels. 

J.I. McNeil, Glenjaan, Moniave had two sales at £1,500, to Adam Fiskin, Milngavie and Messrs Irving Stockdale, and another at £1,300.  £1,300 was also paid to M. & N. Gray, Low Epsley, Morpeth who also sold at £1,200, as did Kirkstead and J.W. Crozier, Raggetsyke. Others to £1,050 Southdean Lodge, £1,000 Raggetsyke (twice); £1,000 Low Epsley and £1,000 Burgh Head.

Bluefaced Leicesters shearlings sold to average £991, an increase of £388 on the year. Ram lambs averaged £503. Leading averages:- Kirkstead (5) - £1,920; Glenjaan (3) - £1,433; Low Espley (4) - £1,075; Southdean Lodge (3) - £1,050; Raggetsyke (4) - £1,000; Burgh Head (4) - £800; Threepwood (4) - £788; Laverock Bank (3) - £700