Record Breaking Bluefaced Leicester Sale at J36
It was a recording breaking year for the annual show and sale of Leicesters at J36 with the previous highest price being smashed.
The pre-sale show was judged by Stephen Thompson, Leyburn of the Cherry Tree Flock. An entry of over 20 ram lambs for the show class saw the first prized rosette being awarded to E Fairburn and Son of Marriforth. The Shearling Ram class saw in to the teens forward for judging which saw Ian Dixon of Low Newton take home the first and second prize rosette with his powerful shearlings. The overall championship rosette was awarded to Chris Raven of Staveley with his modern, stylish gimmer shearling sired by a Low Tipalt ram. The champion later went onto to sell for £950 to Messrs Hodgson of Rydal Farms.
The females saw a very selective trade with purchases looking to buy modern, stylish females with well-known crossing bloodlines. Antony Price of Penrith sold a gimmer shearling to £620 with gimmer shearlings selling to an overall average of £403. Gimmer lambs topped at £450 from W Watson of Sanders Close, Slaggyford.
A strong ram trade was seen during the course of the sale with buyers present from throughout the north of England and Scotland with many fresh faces present for the sale. There had been much anticipation regarding Nether Newton J001 Dancer from Ian Dixon, who had a much-admired run of lambs at this year’s NEMSA Gimmer Lamb sale with this tup siring many in his top pen. The shearling, standing second place in the pre-sale show, achieved £4,000, a new centre record for a Leicester ram at J36, selling to AJ Mason of Oddacres. Other shearling rams from the same good home sold to £1,500 and £1,350. Ashley and Rachel Caton of Otterburn, who sold Leicester rams for the first time at J36, sold to £1,800 for their shearling ram. Records were also broken for the highest priced ram lamb at J36 with Messrs Lords of West Dowgill selling the second prized ram lamb, sired by H45 Hewgill, for £2,500. The reserve champion and first prized ram lamb from E Fairburn and Son of Marriforth sold for £1,250 to local breeders J & JA Burrow of Thursgill.
Aged rams sold to a top of £750 from M Bateman and Son of Moors farm with a home bed ram. All aged rams forward sold to a market average of £365, shearling rams averaged £526 and ram lambs £436.