The Diamond Delights sale sponsored by the Lake District National Park Authority is to be held on 29.02.22

To include:
Rough Diamonds The Rough Fell Sheep Breeders Association Annual Show & Sale of In-Lamb Rough Fell Ewes, Gimmer Shearlings & Gimmer Hoggs.
Swaledale Stars
The Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association Annual Show & Sale of In-Lamb Swaledale Ewes, Gimmer Shearlings & Gimmer Hoggs.
Bluefaced Leicester Beauties
Annual Show & Sale of In-Lamb Bluefaced Leicester Ewes, Gimmer Shearlings & Gimmer Hoggs
Multi-Breed Sale of Individual In-Lamb
Breeding Sheep MV & Non MV Entries
Commercial In-Lamb Breeding Sheep



For catalogue see www.nwauctions.co.uk


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If any farmers living in the Lake District National Park could complete this survey that would be very helpful. It is part of the monitoring of the World Heritage Site- recording information about farms and farmers. 


https://cumbria.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/lake-district-whs-farm-survey-copy
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The annual Rough Diamond Sale will be held at NW Auctions, Crooklands on 30th January 2021. Entries close on 8th January. 

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North West Auctions held its Annual Rough Fell Ram sale on behalf of the Rough Fell Sheep Breeders Association. The pre-sale show held under Covid 19 restrictions saw a strong entry once again.
Our pre-sale judges were:
Aged Rams – Miss H Dickinson
Shearling Rams – Mr M German
Ram Lambs – Mr D Watson
Overall Championship – Mr M Dunning
The overall Championship rosette was awarded to Lot 55 from JT Capstick, Newbiggin on Lune. This was with Yewhouse Delboy RF3594 sired by Catholes Action and the mother being sired by Flakebridge Vain. This tup attracted much attention selling to 2800gs purchased by Messrs TD, ME & GE Todd. The Reserve Champion rosette was awarded to ME & A Capstick, Newbiggin on Lune. This was with Brownber Dambuster RF3596 once again sired by Catholes Action doing a great job for both these flocks. The mother going back to the Highlane Thunder Cracker line. This went on to sell for 2400gs to TLB & J Knowles and K Milburn.
The sale commenced with the Aged Rams, the market topping at 400gs for the first prize ram from W J Dawson with Black Horse Banksy RF3223 sired by Flakebridge Year selling to 400gs. All aged rams forward sold to a market average of 248gs.
The ram lambs sold to a top of 500gs from Kieran Milburn, High Roans selling a ram lamb sired by Catholes Bullet. All ram lambs forward averaged 196gs.
The sale topper this year was lot 135 Cotegill Deano RF3559 sired by Brownber Bombshell, consigned by E & K Bland, Gaisgill selling to NC & S Dodd, Kirkby Stephen. Selling to 3200gs was RF3623 Catholes Destroyer consigned by MJ & JD Handley, Sedbergh. This powerful, much admired tup was sired RF3252 purchased by MP & A Capstick.
At 2800gs was High Cark Deigo RF3520 from IJ & M Mallinson, sired by Catholes Zero which went on to sell to W Beck & Son. The consignment from NC & S Dodd, Kirkby Stephen peaked at 2000gs with Long Gills Dynamic sired by High Cark Winder, purchased by B Dickinson & Co with Long Gills Dazzler RF3586 from the same home sired by Holme Buzzard RF3226 purchased by E & K Bland.
The consignment from MP & A Capstick, Newbiggin on Lune sold to 1200gs and 1000gs. GM Sedgwick & Son, Sedbergh twice achieved 1100gs; also at 1100gs was B Dickinson & Co, Kentmere with A E A Harrison, Kentmere and RA Steadman, Gaisgill both achieving 1000gs.
The trade this year saw quality tups in high demand with top breeders looking to improve their flocks but lesser quality tups meeting a sticky trade but with an overall market average for shearlings of 470gs. This year saw rams find new homes in Scotland, Wales and Ireland with a market clearance of 95%.


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ROUGH FELLS REACH NEW HEIGHTSThe strongest market average seen at this market for some years, which saw Rough Fell ewes average £101.15, Gimmer Shearlings £106 and Gimmer Lambs £69.78.
The pre-sale show judged by John Capstick of Killington awarded the Championship to a pen of 10 Ewes from E&K Bland of Gaisgill selling to £130 per head. The first prize rosette for the pens of Gimmer Shearlings was awarded to P&S Hoggarth of Howgill, which went on to sell also for £130 per head. Winning 1st & 2nd place in the Gimmer Lamb class and the highlight to the end of a Rough Fell flock from J Pratt & Son of Ravenstonedale, both these pens went on to sell for £90.
Top of the market today was a cracking pair of Rough Fell ewes from J Hunter of Tebay, selling to £220. This was followed by £140 and £130 from W Beck & Son of Gaisgill, with N&CS Dodd of Kirkby Stephen also achieving £130 for his pen of ewes. A Kipling three times sold ewes to £110. Norman Dodd also selling shearlings to a top of £130, with others selling to £120 from D&V Carrick of Soulby and £120 from D Stephenson of Ravenstonedale. Plenty of pens of strong shearlings selling in the £110-£120 mark.









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​North West Auctions continue to enjoy a strong working relationship with the Rough Fell Sheep Breeders Association. A strong line up of sheep out for the show for judge Daniel Stephenson, Ravenstonedale who we thank for his time and expertise, with thanks going to the show sponsors PV Dobson & Son, Levens. The Champion pen was awarded to the pen of three crop ewes from W Beck & Son, Tebay. This cracking pen of sheep went on to sell for £130. The Reserve Championship rosette was awarded to SL Hoggarth, Howgill for the first prize pen of shearlings that went to sell for £105. A fantastic day for Rough Fells sheep breeders with a new record price achieved for draft ewes, this much-admired pen not only had size and power but portrayed fantastic breed qualities creating much interest ringside selling to £280 from E & K Bland, Tebay. W Beck & Son sold a much-admired individual Rough Fell ewe that went on to sell for £170. Other notable prices for Rough Fell Ewes were £130 from SL Hoggarth and £115 from E & K Bland. The trade saw plenty of demand for big powerful ewes, easily selling in excess of the eighty-pound mark. The overall average for Rough Fell ewes was £75.30 and Rough Fell shearlings sold to £73.05. The Rough Fell Gimmer Lambs sold to a top of £40 from B Dickinson & Co, Kentmere. Cheviot ewes were met by plenty of demand ringside, in which more could have easily of been sold. Topping the market at £95 was DJ Clarke, Underbarrow with others selling to £94 twice from KM & KJ Kurwen, Abbeystead with the consignment from P Asbury, Abbeystead selling to £90. There was an overall market average of £79.92. Herdwicks saw Gimmer Lambs sell to a top of £37 and £36 from B Dickinson & Co, Kentmere.



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North West Auctions held its annual show and sale of Rough Fell rams on behalf of the Rough Fell Sheep Breeders Association which had a catalogued entry of 158. Thanks go to the sale sponsor, H Pigney & Son, Appleby in Westmorland and also to all the judges for their time and expertise. The Championship rosette was awarded to lot 137, RF3493 Brownber Chance, from MP & A Capstick, Newbiggin on Lune. This ram was sired by RF3149 Catholes Action and went onto sell for 1000gns. The Reserve Championship was awarded to lot 80, RF 3419 Middleton Hall Casterton, from A & H Watson, Kirkby Lonsdale selling to 750gns. This ram was sired by RF2868 High Cark Ziggy which was the Champion ram when purchased.

The sale was topped by MJ & JD Handley, Sedbergh selling lot 143 RF3431 Catholes Cracker to 4000gns, this much-admired ram, sired by RF2870, was purchased by Amy Harrison, Kentmere. The consignment of rams from I, J & M Mallinson, Selside always attracts plenty of interest. Leading this consignment was lot 116, RF3366 High Cark Class, sired by RF2900 Catholes Zero, selling to 3,500gns. Lot 117 RF3367 High Cark Credit, sired by RF2900 Catholes Zero, and lot 118 RF3368 High Cark Champion, sired by RF3107 Longgills Ace, both sold to 2,000gns. Also achieving the 2000gns mark was lot 136 RF3492 Brownber Classic, sired by Catholes Action, from MP & A Capstick, Newbiggin on Lune and lot 151 RF3413 Holme Class, sired by RF3148 Catholes Ace, from TD, ME & GE Todd, Sedbergh.
​Plenty more shearling rams sold to the 1,000gns mark and beyond. The G Armstrong Trophy for the shearling with the best mouth was awarded to lot 89 from NC & S Dodd, Kirkby Stephen that went onto sell for 500gns. The aged rams and ram lambs were met by a selective trade.
Topping the aged rams was the first prize from VR Guy, Tebay selling to 700gns, a 2 shear ram RF3255 which was bred by J Capstick with other aged rams from this home selling to 550gns. Ram lambs sold to a top of 400gns for the first prized lamb from Kieran Milburn, Sedbergh with other ram lambs selling to 350gns from WJ Dawson, Sedbergh. Shearling rams sold to a market average of £565, aged rams average £315 and Ram lambs averaged £202.    

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May I take this opportunity of wishing everyone a happy New Year.   On behalf of the Association, I would like to thank you very much for your support over the last twelve months.   The Flock Book will be with you very soon – it may be available to collect on the night of the Rough Diamonds Social Evening.   The event will be held in the Café Ambio, Junction 36 Crooklands Livestock Auction on Friday 25th January 2019 at 7.30pm - tickets cost £10 each.  If anyone would prefer a vegetarian option or have any other dietary needs, please could you let me know.  This year the Charity chosen is the Great North Air Ambulance - all money raised will be split equally between the Charity and the RFSBA.     It would be nice to see as many members as possible and please bring along family and friends – just let me know numbers for catering purposes either by giving me a ring or complete and return the slip below.  Please you could let me know by 21st January at the very latest.   The Stock Judging Competition will be running again and Ian Grisedale has very kindly offered to supply four hoggs for judging again this year.  We will also have the usual entertainment and money raising events so please could you bring along any items for the auction or raffle.   Please note there will be the sale of In-lamb Rough Fell ewes on Saturday 26th January, with classes for Ewes, Gimmer Shearlings & Gimmer Hoggs. 


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The RFSBA has a new chairman, Kieran Milburn. He can be contacted on 07415 206956 


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