Scottish Borders breeder John Green, who runs the Greenall flock in Lilliesleaf, Melrose, achieved another major coup when again travelling south to Skipton Auction Mart to claim 3,000gns top call with a shearling ram at the 42nd Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders’ annual two-day show and sale of pedigree rams and females. (Thus & Fri, Sept 14 &15)
It followed hot on the heels of another headline success at the North Yorkshire venue, this time in the pedigree Beltex arena a fortnight earlier when he stood supreme champion with a Greenall shearling ram at the Beltex Sheep Society’s annual show and sale of registered rams and females, his title winner also leading the way on price at 8,000gns.
Mr Green, who farms at The Craggs with his wife Emma, and sons, Gilbert, 12, and ten-year-old William, topped the Texel prices with the first shearling ram into the sale ring, Greenhall Fantastic Mr Fox, a March, 2022, son of Greenarch Dark Knight (by Canllefaes Bright Spark), a 6,000gns partnership purchase two years ago. Out of a Pant Wolf-bred ewe – her first tup lamb made 2,400gns - the Cumbrian buyer was Jonathan Wales, who runs the Thackwood flock at Raughton Head, south of Carlisle.
Seven shearling rams in the Greenall pen averaged £1,755, also among them at 2,000gns Greenall Fire Ball, another March-born Dark Knight son, out of a Greenall Yaya Toure-bred ewe, going to Rodney Bros in Ripon.
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Next best on price at 2,800gns was a shearling ram from the Westgate flock of Derbyshire’s Martin Furness, from Wormhill, Buxton. His Westgate Firecracker, again born March, 2022, and by Whitehart Classy, out of a Whitehart Contemporary-sired dam, went off to Wharfedale to join the Keighley family’s Manderlea flock in Leathley – Mark Keighley is the current Northern Area Texel Club chairman.
Mr Furness also topped the individual vendor shearling ram averages at £1,863 for four sold. In the pen and making 2,000gns was a second March-born shearling ram, Westgate First Class, with the same breeding as his top price, heading down to Derbyshire with SJ Buckley, of Doveholes, Buxton.
Standing supreme champion for the second year running was the Procters Farm flock, based in Wennington on the edge of the Lancashire/Yorkshire border and managed by Jeff Aiken, ably assisted by wife Jennifer.
Winning with a ram lamb last year, the 2023 title winner was the first prize shearling ram and male champion, the March, 2022, Tatham Hall Finders Keepers, by Coniston Elmo, bred by the couple’s 15-year-old son, Robbie. Elmo, himself by the 6,000gns Procters Crackerjack, has sired sons to 16,000gns and stood champion stock ram at last year’s North-West Texel Club Stock Competition. Out of a home-bred dam by the 10,000gns Caereinon Bonus, Finders Keepers found a new home in Castle Douglas, Dumfriesshire, with Douganhill Texels.
Eight Procters Farm shearling rams averaged £1,425, among them one at 2,000gns, Tatham Hall Fandabidozi, also by Elmo, out of a Thrunton Younique-sired dam, going to Nick and Charlotte Brown, of Claughton, Lancaster. In addition, four ram lambs from the same home headed the individual vendor averages at £513. Among them were the third prize winners in the two show classes, both February-born sons of Uppermill Fabio, one making 700gns.
Not to be outdone, Jennifer Aiken herself achieved a 2,200gns sale with her fourth prize shearling ram, Vale Frontier, a February, 2022, son of Arkle Drum Major, out of a Goldies Supreme-sired home-bred dam.
He sold locally to Anthony and Heather Hewetson in Bank Newton. Five shearling rams from the Coniston flock averaged £1,596.
Scottish show judge David McKerrow, who runs the Uppermill and Tillycairn Texel flocks in Tarves, Aberdeenshire, tapped out the second prize winner behind his supreme in the open shearling ram show class as his reserve male and reserve supreme champion.
It, too, came from the Scottish Borders and the Greenarch flock at Huntlywood, Earlston, run by 21-year-old Eve Hodge and parents, Kenneth and Victoria. Shown by shepherd Ian Campbell, their Greenarch Fantastic is a March, 2022, second crop son of the 65,000gns Campsi Drambuie, acquired two years ago and himself by Ettrick Cockney Rebel. Out of a dam sired by the 8,500gns Mershott Benchmark, the overall reserve made 1,800gns when joining Howard Barker, of Fewston, between Skipton and Harrogate.
Another first prize shearling ram from the Hodges with the same breeding as their reserve supreme was awarded the recorded ram championship, doing better at 2,000gns when purchased by M Ryder & Son, of Haverah Park, Harrogate.
Also hitting 2,000gns was a shearling ram from Steve Richardson’s Stonebridge flock in Great Houghton, Barnsley. His Stonebridge Falcon, a February, 2022, son of Corriecravie Deep Impact (by Stainton Carson), out of a Hilltop Cobra-sired dam, flew just up the road to join Coniston Cold father and son, David and Harry Coates.
Mr Richardson also finished runner-up in the recorded shearling ram show class with Stonebridge Federer, again by Deep Impact, out of a Stonebridge Yogi-sired dam, netted by Austwick’s James Ogden at 1,200gns.
Peter and Elizabeth Longdin’s Wellingley flock in Tickhill, Doncaster – they topped last year with a shearling ram sold for a new club record price of 7,000gns - were again among the prizes, finishing third in the open shearling ram show class with their February, 2022, Wellingley Flash, by Dragon Dinomite, out of a Douganhill Commander-sired dam. The fifth prize winner in the open class at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show made 1,600gns when going to Nidderdale with D&J Leeming, of Ramsgill.
The adjudicator had particularly praise for the quality of the shearling tups on show, saying his chosen supreme just had the edge over the overall reserve, being “a wee bit sweeter with more depth of gigot and nice white hair.”
In fact, several breeders achieved four figure averages for their pens of shearling rams as anything with length, power, a good skin and a bit of spark was keenly contested throughout by buyers keen to purchase the best for pedigree, pure and crossing use. Better tups for crossing use were a nice trade, although a smaller commercial ram was discounted on the year.
Steven Nesbitt, who runs the Alwent flock in Winston, Darlington, always catches the eye with his ram lambs – he topped at 2,000gns last year – and did so again at the latest renewal when winning both show classes with February-born lambs, the open class victor, Alwent Giant, by Rhaeadr Entrepreneur (by Sportsmans Dale Devil), the recorded ram lamb first, Alwent Gold Star, by Strathbogie Yes Sir (by Millar’s Windbrook), both dams twin sisters by Usk Vale Crackerjack.
The former made 800gns when returning to Co. Durham with C Dawson, of Ferryhill, the latter heading the ram lamb prices at 900gns when joining Dr SR Symes’ Anglezarke flock in Heath Charnock, Chorley. Mr Nesbitt sold six ram lambs to average £483.
Turning to the females, section champion was the first prize shearling ewe from Chris Riby’s Stonehills flock in Fraisthorpe, Bridlington, a February, 2022, daughter of the 10,000gns Craig Douglas Dancer (by Sportsmans Canon Ball), who has sold ram lambs to 8,000gns and gimmer lambs to 5,000gns. Out of a 4,000gns Glanllyn Wallis-sired dam – the tup has left some very good females in the flock – the victor also headed the female prices at 1,000gns when becoming a further acquisition by pig farmer Sam Barker, with seven Stonehills females averaging £462.
The runner-up in the shearling ewe show class from David Houghton, who runs the Tophill flock in Affetside, Bury, stood reserve female champion. His February, 2022, daughter of the Procters Chumba Wumba son, the 8,000gns Scottish-bred Garngour Ewe Nailer, is out of a Hull House dam bred locally in Hellifield by John Mellin and acquired at his Skipton dispersal.
Her own sire was the 40,000gns Garngour Alabama, with the reserve female selling at 600gns and again locally to Owen Chapman in Skyreholme. The same purchaser also paid the same price for a second Tophill February-born shearling ewe, again by Ewe Nailer, out of a Lower Reiss Blackjack-sired dam. A third Tophill shearling ewe made 550gns, with seven sold to average £499.
Two further 600gns shearling ewes, again February-born, both came from John and Alison North’s local Loxley flock in Giggleswick. First up was the third prize winner, by the Procters Cocktail son, Forkins Dubonnet, out of a Claybury Yates dam, going to fellow exhibitors Stephen Peel and Helen Johnson, of the Washburn Valley flock in Fellbeck, Harrogate.
This was followed by a daughter of Noresk Emperor 11 (by Craig Douglas Dynamite), out of a New View Buster-sired dam, which became a further local acquisition by Silsden Moor’s George Breare. Four North females averaged £512.
The Peel and Johnson partnership themselves picked up a red rosette when presenting the first prize ewe lamb for the second year running. The January-born daughter of Auldhouseburn Cheeky Blinder (by Rhaeadr Best Of The Best), out of a Sportsmans Double Diamond dam, also sold locally for 250gns to Gargrave’s Matt Beckwith.
The annual highlight – full results and prices are at www.ccmauctions.com – attracted another solid entry of 450 head. Top prices and averages: Shearling Rams to 3000gns, av £930 (2022 £1121), Ram Lambs to 900gns, av £405 (£476), Shearling Ewes to 1000gns, av £380 (£380),
Ewe Lambs to 250gns, av £236 (£278). Sale sponsors were Minexcel Nutrition and BATA Nutrition.
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