LEYBURN Auction Mart was honoured to disperse the commercial breeding sheep flock on behalf of John and Christine Milner and daughter, Carolyn Eastwood, trading as JF & PMC Milner, at Bales Farm, near Masham, in North Yorkshire ,on Saturday, September 21.

The sale comprised 35 Texel cross, Beltex, Suffolk and Fronteira rams and 550 mostly Texel cross Beltex females together with Beltex, North Country Cheviot, Fronteira and Suffolks.

With the Milner Family noted for consistently producing top-quality prime lambs, it was no surprise that buyers arrived in large numbers for this rare opportunity to secure some of these outstanding breeding sheep.

Commencing with the rams, a Pedigree Beltex two-shear, Heathery Hall Commander, reached £1650, when he was knocked down to GW Lee & Sons, East Layton. The home-bred Texel X Beltex shearling rams peaked at £1150 to AJ Lancaster, Easingwold. Two more made £950 to average £813.

Howard Donaldson, of Stokesley, paid £1050 for two-shear pedigree Beltex, Clyde Cracker. The lone Suffolk, a two-shear, sold at £500.

Ram lambs proved just as easy to sell with £600 paid by FA Broadwith & Sons, Ripon, for a Millenium Blue X Beltex. The second top-priced lamb at £420, a Texel X Beltex, went to the same buyers.

After the pleasure of selling the males, bidding for the females kept up the pace with the wonderful run of sheep continuing. These topped out at £310 for a single shearling sired by Hallcrake Brigadier with Paul Chester, of Kirkby Stephen, the happy recipient. SR Williamson, of Hamsterley, paid £300 for a Texel X Beltex. Several more lots of shearlings made over £200, some in pens of ten, and averaged £195.

Two-shear ewes reached £260 for a single to Howard Donaldson with other young ewes, many in pens of ten, made £210, £200 and the £190s.

A single five-shear Millenium Blue described as a “lovely tup & gimmer breeder” took the eye of GW Lee & Sons, who eventually saw her knocked down to them at £250. Other older ewes, again in multiple lots, sold at £195, £185 with plenty in the £140s and more.

Two North Country Cheviot cross Texel/Beltex ewes sold for £200 each with further crosses to £145 and £140. Four pens of North Country Hill Cheviot 2 shear ewes sold to £140 twice, then £135 and £125.

Gimmer lambs traded to a peak of £250 for a Millenium Blue X Beltex having caught the eye of SR Williamson.