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Iconic champion leads Dorset May Fair

DORSET sheep met a strong demand at the Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset May Sheep Fair, at Exeter where the pre-sale champion ram topped the entry at 6,000gns.

This was Ballytaggart Iconic from Thomas Wright, Ballymoney, Co Antrim. This ram lamb is by Ballytaggart Hindu out of a home-bred ewe by Oliver Tree Chatterbox. Marking the fifth time Thomas has claimed the May Fair top title, Iconic sold in a two-way split to Richard Fitton, Bolton, and Andrew and Caroline Kennedy, Ballymena.

Next at 5,500gns was Hilltop Hero-sired Rivervalley Ice Cream from Ella and Harris Kennedy, Ballymena, which sold inÌý two-way split to Gareth Hutchings, St Giles on the Heath, and Julian Rice, North Tawton.

Jack and Alexandra James, Shaftesbury, saw their shearling ram, Southbank Hambldon by Sherborne Explosive sell to W.L. French, Launceston, for 2,200gns. It is by Sherborne Explosive.

Making 2,000gns when sold to K.H. May and Partners, Netherexe, was Huish Homer from R. and D. Rossiter, Devon.

Two rams hit 1,900gns apiece including the reserve champion, Hydes Hip Hop from Hydes Farming, Thaxted, which sold to L.R., H.M. and I.R. Lewis, Dolgwion.

Also at 1,900gns, selling to A. Palk, Marldon, was Burhos Hotstuff from Matthew and Adam Care, Looe.

Females

The female champion led the section at 2,000gns when the first prize ewe lamb, Hydes Ice Cream by Richhill Fivestar from Hydes Farming, sold to the Middleditch family, Sudbury.Ìý

Sandford-based Joe Larder saw his Byeways Hope, a Ballytaggart Flashman daughter, sell to S. Taylor, Shepton Mallet, for 680gns.

In the commercial female section a top of 550gns was paid for shearling ewes from Fook Bros, North Poorton, while Julian Rice sold ewe lambs to 480gns.

Averages – 20 MV Dorset Horn females, £404.25; 472 MV Poll Dorset females, £380.29; 219 Dorset Horn cross females, £255.37; 913 Poll Dorset cross females, £293.54; 4 Dorset Horn rams, £879.38; 117 Poll Dorset rams, £947.69.

Auctioneer: Kivells.

VIP hits 14,000gns at Ballymena

IT was the reserve champion that led the show and sale of Limousin cattle at Ballymena when Eniver VIP from Michael McKeefry, Garvagh, attracted a top bid of 14,000gns selling to John Gallagher, Mountfield. Its pedigree features Ampertaine Majestic on to the Ampertaine Elgin daughter, Eniver Olay.

The reserve female champion, Rathkeeland Veronica from Herbie and Stephen Crawford, Maguiresbridge, sold for 11,000gns to Caitlin Kernan, Armagh. Changing hands in- calf to Glenrock Redemption, it is by Gunnerfleet Lion.

Joan Gilliland and Kim Montgomery, Antrim, saw their Glenrock Redemption-sired Ballyrobin Verstappen sell to A. Dobbs, Carrickfergus, for 9,000gns.ÌýÌý

The Ballyrobin team welcomed a further 8,000gns for Ballyrobin Vance, an Ampertaine Jackpot son which sold to T.G. Stevenson, Lurgan.

Averages – 41 bulls, £5,962; 5 heifers, £4,742.

Auctioneer: J.A. McClelland and Sons.

Breeding sheep record at Hawes

A NEW centre record of £550 per outfit was paid for the champion pen at the May show and sale of sheep with lambs at foot at Hawes.

Leading the charge was the winning pen of continental shearlings with Beltex-sired lambs at foot from local lass, Libby Winspear, Hawes.

A special consignment of Zwartbles ewes with lambs from K. Slee, Mallerstang, hit £500 for a ewe with twin gimmer lambs.

Selling to a top of £420 was a run of Cheviot Mule ewes with Texel twin lambs from J.S. and D. Cloughton and Son, Bainbridge.

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Next best prize of £415 was paid twice – for the first prize pen of continental ewes with twins from W.C. Stones and Son, Arkengarthdale, and again from Messrs Cloughton.

Hill-bred sheep met plenty demand, peaking at £335 twice – first for Dalesbred ewes with twin Mule lambs from Owlands Farm, Hurst, and again for a Swaledale ewe with Mule gimmer lamb from S.D. Thompson, Aysgarth.

Averages – Lowland sheep – Twins, £356; singles, £224. Upland sheep – Twins, £279; singles, £204.

Auctioneer: Hawes Auction Mart.Ìý

British Blue heifers lead strong store sale at Bishops Castle

STORE cattle met a strong trade at Bishops Castle averaging 474.3p/kg and £2,046/head.

Heifers led the way with a dozen at £4,000 or above, peaking at £5,100 for a 630kg British Blue from E.H. Pennie and Son, Llandyssil, followed at £5,000 for a Limousin heifer from the same home.

Top pric per kilo at 975.9.p/kg was a 415kg British Blue cross from J.A. Wood and Sons, Ratlinghope.

Steers reached £2,470 for a 545kg British Blue cross from Messrs Wood as well as 571.4p/kg for a 315kg Limousin cross from Bowen and Bowen, Berriew.

A smaller entry of store bulls was topped by Limousin crossesÌý at £1,960 for one weighing 435kg from J.S. and B.M. Vance, Minsterley, as well as 569p/kg for one at 290kg from M. and A. Powell, Kerry.

Auctioneer: Halls.

Champion tops Ruswarp show and sale

AT the ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Guardian supported show and sale of suckledÌýcalves at Ruswarp the pre-sale show championship went to Dean Allen, Thornton le Dale, with an 11-month-old Limousin heifer.

It went on to sell for the top price of £4,400 to P. Fraiser, Melton Mowbray. The run of eight heifers from Mr Allen included others at £3,900 and £3,000 and averaged £2,875.

Pete Hill, Ugthorpe, claimed the reserve championship with an 11-month-old Limousin heifer which was knocked down for £3,250 to D. and C. Newhouse, Skipton.

The bulls were judged by Richard Atkinson, Goole, who chose as champion an 11-month-old Limousin also from Mr Hill, which sold for £2,300. Two more bulls from the same home sold for £2,300/head with the consignment of 14 averaging £2,192.

According to the auctioneers the best and smallest cattle were a very good trade but the overall average was down by about £150/head on the year which they put down to the falling beef price.

Averages – Limousin – bulls, £1,881; steers, £1,522; heifers, £1,675; Charolais – bulls, £1,525; steers, £1,617; heifers, £1,398; British Blue – bulls, £1,510; steers, £1,503; heifers, £1,477; British Blonde – bulls, £1,500; heifers, £1,220; Aberdeen-Angus – bulls, £1,050; steers, £1,455; heifers, £1,251; Simmental – steers, £1,510; heifers, 1,351; Stabiliser – heifers, £1,170; overall, bulls, £1,689; steers, £1,504; heifers, £1,437.

Auctioneers: Richardson and Smith.

Ewe and lamb record at Hailsham

TEXEL cross ewes with Charollais-sired lambs from Sam Baldock, Ringmer, set a ewe and lamb record at Hailsham when they sold for £348/outfit (£116/life).

He also sold Romney cross Suffolks to £143/life twice.

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The 61 prime lambs reached £212/head for E. Sargent and S. Harmer, Lewes, while entries from M. Critcher topped the price per kilo at 479p, as the sale averaged 445.6p/kg.

The 292 prime hoggs averaged 404.4p/kg and peaked at £219 and 427p/kg from Jeremy West.

Auctioneer: South East Marts.