Mark and Linda Rukin produced top priced Swaledale at Hawes

However, with supply outstripping demand, a raft of tups left the sale ring unsold when many sheep have been sold off the hills to make way for forestry.

Mark and Linda Rukin, West Stonesdale, continued their success topping the trade early at £42,000 on the first day. Their sale topper, Stonesdale Noble, is a son of a £14,000 West Briscoe tup purchased out of Middleton three years previously and out of show ewe that won Tan Hill in 2011 by a Bull and Cave tup. Noble sold in a two-way split to David Allison, West Briscoe and Peter Lightfoot, Gillside.

The No 2 from the same flock, Stonesdale Naughty Boy then made £32,000 to Messrs Raine, Stanhope Gate. He is by the £20,000 Peter Lightfoot tup bought two years earlier, and out of the ewe that won the 2020 Covid photograph show and sold in their top pen of drafts last year. She was by a Curwen tup that won at Muker show as an aged tup. This powerful tup was bought by Messrs Raine, Stanhope Gate.

Adding to the celebrations, the Rukins third tup, Stonesdale Nitro made £16,000. Champion tup hogg at Tan Hill in the spring, Nitro is another by the West Briscoe sire and out of a ewe by the £12,000 Chris Akrigg. He sold to Jim and James Curwen, Marshaw.

Robbie Hallam's Ladybank Dream Boat topped the second day at £35,000

On the second day, the champion small breeder’s tup topped the trade at £35,000 for Robbie Hallam. His tup, Ladybank Dreamboat, is by a £9000 Mark Ewbank bought three years ago while the dam is by a Paul Ewbank. He sold in a three-way split to Robert Wear, Howe Green, Messrs Lawson, Hundith and Tom and Phillip Hutton, Setmabanning.

The Usha Gap flock of Phillip Metcalfe and son James has been enjoying a good run of sales over the past few years and they again came up trumps with a £33,000 top sale to Craig Ridley, Haltcliffe, Hesket New Market. Their pen leader, by a £6000 Setmabanning ram that has already sired tups to £52,000 and £22,000 is out of a ewe by £4000 David Harker that is the sister to a tup sold for £5000 last year.

Late on the second day, David and Michael Allinson, West Briscoe, sold to £28,000 for West Briscoe Unique, which had stood fourth at the pre-sale show. He is by the £52,000 Usha Gap, bought here two years ago and out of a ewe by Park Lodge tup which was champion at Hawes when they bought him in 2018 for £28,000. Uniq2ue sold in a two-way split to neighbours, Alan Bainbridge, Ash Dub and Andrew Harrison, Beckhead, both Ettersgill. Other West Briscoe shearlings by the £45,000 Mark Ewbank champion, made £12,000 and £10,000.

Harkerside Ghyll House 2 from Fred and Ruth Prescott and son James, was another tup that caught the eye and sold for £25,000. He was by the £13,000 Ghyll House tup, out of a gimmer by the £19,000 Paul Ewbank sire and sold jointly to Martin Wilson, Arngill House and Stephen Bland, Cote Gill. Harkerside sold another by the same sire for £11,000 to Christine Whitehead, Stephen Clarckson and Graham Scarr.

Richard and Gail Harker, Grayrigg Hall, also enjoyed a good day with a trio of five-figure sales. The first of these at £20,000 was Grayrigg Hall BC 13, a son of a jointly owned £20,000 Bull and Cave tup, purchased by former breed society chairman, Will Cockbain, Rakefoot and Jocj Ireland, Stackhow Hall.

Making £14,000 for Grayrigg Hall was a son of a £15,000 Aygill purchased by Alan and Stephen Coates, Aygill, and Grove Farms, Woodland. Minutes later, the Harkers received £11,000 for a son of a £5500 John Tunstall from the Dents, Naby.

LEADING prices

Shearling rams – Wednesday – MR and LE Rukin, £42,000, £32,000, £16,000, £9000, £7000; WA Dinsdale and Son, £25,000, £11,000; Messrs Lightfoot, £18,000; A and J Harrison, £16,000, £6000; Messrs Lawson, £15,000; SW Porter, £14,000; W Richardson and Son, £14,000, £3000; D and M Brown, £12,000; B Thornborrow, £12,000, £10,000, £7500; R and H Hird, £10,000; A and JE Marston, £9000; A Fawcett and Sons, £5800; E and K Bland, £5000, £3200; JE Cowperthwaite, £4000; JM and S Tennant, £3600; Messrs Folder, £3200; R Hutchinson and Son, £3000.

Thursday – R Hallam, £35,000; T Metcalfe and Son, £33,000, £3000; F and MP Allinson and Son, £28,000, £12,000, £11,000, £10,000; RS Harker and Son, £20,000, £14,000, £11,000, £4200, £3500; AD Coates and Son, £13,000; RT Tennant, £12,000, £10,000, £9000; MJ and G Taylor, £12,000, £5000; MR Ewbank, £11,000; P Ewbank, £10,000, £3500; P Hallam, £9500, £9000, £7000; T Robinson and Sons, £8000, £3800; JR and SL Pratt, £7000; JG Brunton, £6500; MF Beadle and Sons, £5500; GJ and JM Scarr, £4500; RS and BA Harker, £4500; JH Pedley, £4200; S Bell and Sons, £3500; AM Dixon, £3200; J and SJ Bland, £3000.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.