The great annual show and sale of 6000 Swaledale, Rough Fell and other hill bred draft ewes at J36 Rural Auction Centre, Kendal was held on Friday 28th September.
The pre-sale show for the Swaledale had one of the best line up of sheep seen for some time out for show. A special thanks must go to our judges Mr Andrew Nicholson, Cockermouth and Mr Tom Willoughby, Leyburn as well our sponsors, Lake District National Park Association. The first prize rosette in the ewe class was awarded to E & A Wear, Hartsop who also took the Champion rosette. The reserve champion Rosette was awarded to the first prize pen of shearlings from MP & A Capstick, Newbiggin on Lune.
The trade was to be expected with the price of Mule Gimmer Lambs this season. Good quality ewes were still very good to sell and in strong demand with a ringside of buyers present from throughout the northern counties. The trade was topped by the champion pen from E & A Wear selling to £200, who also sold two further pens of ewes to £155. Shearlings sold to a top of £130 from regular consignor JA Alderson, Barras with the first pirze pen of shearlings selling to £125 from MP & A Capstick. There was plenty of sheep selling in excess of the £100 mark for best quality pens. Powerful, stretchy sheep were in plenty of demand. The bottom end of the sheep held up throughout the sale with overall averages for ewes £73.18, Shearlings £74.87.
A handful of gimmer lambs on offer today were met with plenty of interest selling to £68 for the first prize pen from J Hunter, Tebay.
The annual show and sale of Rough Fell Draft Ewes, Shearlings and Gimmer Lambs attracted a keen ringside of bidder of Scotland, Wales, the Midlands as well as strong interest from throughout the northern counties. Today’s show as kindly sponsored by PV Dobson & Sons and was ably judged by Mr R Steadman. The championship rosette along with the association and North Sheep Trophy was awarded to a pen of three crop ewes from SL Hoggarth, Howgill which later sold for £105. The reserve champion was a pen of shearlings from the same good home which sold to the top price of £130. A strong trade was seen for all Rough Fell breeding sheep with well bodied ewes regularly selling between £75 and £95 and averaging £74. Shearlings sold between £70 and £80 and averaged £73. Gimmer Lambs sold to £55 from A O’Neil, Firbank with others generally selling £45 to £50, averaging £43.
Several consignments of Cheviots attracted keen interest selling to £109 for Shearlings from KM & KJ Curwen, Abbeystead who also sold ewes £80. Herdwick Shearlings achieved a top price of £48 from Miss AEA Harrison, Kentmere.

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The Ambleside Side Fair annual Show and Sale of Mule, Masham, Rough Fell Mule, Cheviot Mule and Continental Gimmer Lambs, followed by Store Lambs, had an entry of 5000 lambs forward for the sale. Our thanks must go to our pre-sale Judge Mr Michael Hopper of Banbury for giving up his time and expertise. There was the largest entry of show lambs put before Mr Hopper in the Mule and Rough Fell Mule classes, with the overall champion rosette being awarded to Bob Lawrence and Emma Handley, Grange-Over-Sands, with their pen of North Country Mules. The Rough Fell Mule Lamb class was won by TLB & J Knowles, Selside with the Cheviot Mules being won by JE Atkinson, Lowick and the Masham class won by BJ Bainbridge, Shap.
The sale of Mule Gimmer Lambs sold to an overall market average of £63. The dry summer down south and many struggling to sell Shearlings led to the reduced price. There was plenty of buyers present, but wanting to purchase fewer sheep this year. The trade was topped by Bob Lawrence and Emma Handley selling to £140 and £120. Strong lambs sold in excess of the £80 mark with bonny running lambs selling in excess of the £70 mark. There was an entry of over 100 Mashams forward selling to a top of £84 from JA Bennet, Long Sleddale, with all Mashams forward selling to a market average in the early sixties.
The annual sale of Rough Fell Mule gimmer lambs saw a catalogued entry of over 700 attract a keen ringside of buyers with lambs finding new homes in Scotland, Devon, Wales and the Midlands as well as the local three counties.
The sale peaked at £148 from TLB & J Knowles who sold others at £125. MJ & JD Handley achieved £109 with Booth Bros selling to £97. An average of £68.37 was achieved for all sold with increasing interest year on year.
The sale of Cheviot Mules saw £100 achieved by Booth Bros with others at £93 from AR & BJ Thompson and £88 from S Crawford. Plenty of stronger lambs were selling between £75 and £80, with all sold averaging £64.94.
Several pens of Texel X gimmer lambs sold to keen interest with TMW & H Hodgson achieving £90 and others nicely selling at between £70 and £75 for well grown, all sold averaging £68.
The fortnightly sale of Store Lambs had an entry of 1363 forward selling to an average of £55. The sale topped at £76 for Texel lambs from R Gibson & Son, Kendal. Strong lambs once again sold in excess of the £60 mark. Some buyers were slightly more cautious with the recent drop in the Prime Lamb trade.

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Saturday 13th Saturday 
North West Auctions held the Annual Prize Show and Sale of Rough Fell Breeding Rams on Saturday 13th October at J36 Rural Auction Centre. A wonderful catalogued entry of well-bred rams attracted buyers from as far afield as Scotland, West Wales and Ireland, alongside the strong local support from the northern counties.
Despite the horrendous weather all rams were forward in superb condition for which all vendors must be complimented. The pre-sale show was kindly sponsored by H Pigney & Son with the judging ably conducted by Mr G Lewis (Aged Rams), Mr S Chapman (Ram Lambs), Mr A Ellis (Shearling Rams) and Mr F Clark (Overall Championship) for which NWA and RFSBA would like to extend their thanks.
The championship rosette was awarded to a shearling ram Lot 34 Brownber Bullet Proof from MP & A Capstick, Kirkby Stephen, which later sold for 1800gns and purchased by A & H Watson, Kirkby Lonsdale. Reserve Champion was a shearling ram Lot 133 High Woodend Bkari from S & W Dickinson, Tebay, selling for 400gns purchased by RH Thexton, Sedbergh.
The sale topped at 5000gns for a shearling lot 139 Catholes Bonny from MJ & JD Handley, Sedbergh which was purchased by S & W Dickinson, Tebay. This was closely followed by Catholes Beast from the same good home, selling to 4800gns for this much admired ram purchased by MP & A Capstick, Kirkby Stephen. Rounding off a great day for the Catholes flock saw Catholes Bullet sell to 4000gns to Kieran Milburn, Sedbergh. Also achieving the 4000gns mark was lot 120 High Cark Bonsai, from IJ & M Mallinson, Selside purchased by TD ME & GE Todd, Sedbergh. A further two rams sold in excess of 4000gns, a total of thirteen exceeded the 1000gns mark.
A new breed record was set for a senior ram at the sale selling to a top price of 2200gns for Lot 9 RF 2967 Galloper Park, the first placed Aged Ram, from MP & A Capstick, Kirkby Stephen, purchased by AJ & CM Harrison, Kentmere. There was an entry of 15 ram lambs forward selling to a top of 350gns from IK & AM Grisedale, Crooklands.
A high clearance rate of 89% was achieved with shearling rams averaged £487, ram lambs averaged £205 and aged rams averaged £385.
Well-bred rams showing quality, style and all the characteristics of the breed were in keenest demand and easiest to sell with commercial rams a more selective trade.


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Junior members stock judging at High Lane from Ravenstonedale. 
Everyone welcome 1.30pm Sunday 11th November  

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The annual Rough Diamonds and Multi-Breed individual female sale including Bluefaced Leicester’s saw a large entry of sheep forward for sale with a busy ringside of buyers and onlookers.
The annual Rough Diamonds sale of Rough Fell females on behalf of the Rough Fell Sheep Breeders association saw an entry of 18 forward. The pre-sale show was ably judged by John Law who we thank for his time and expertise. The pre-sale Championship was awarded to J Hunter of Galloper Park, Tebay with a one crop ewe sired by RF2604 Maryfell Walter, carrying a single to RF2563 Lockbank W3. This sharp coloured ewe was much admired in the sale pens and went on to sell for 700gns to S & W Dickinson of Tebay. The Reserve Champion was from T L B & J Knowles of High Borrowbridge, Selside with their Gimmer Shearling. She was sired by the record breaking 10,000gns High Cark Yankie RF2696 and noted as carrying twins to a Catholes ram. This Gimmer Shearling sold for the top price of 800gns joining the flock of A & M Skidmore of Flakebridge, Tebay. Gimmer Hoggs sold to a top of 420gns for the first prize from J Hunter of Galloper Park, Tebay sired by RF2563 Lockbank W3 selling to Duncan Burton of Rutland. A strong trade enjoyed throughout the Rough Fells saw Gimmer Hoggs average £241.50, In Lamb Gimmer Shearlings average £504 and In Lamb Ewes average £388.50.
There was an entry twice the size of the previous year of Bluefaced Leicester’s, with the sale gaining a strong reputation from breeders throughout the north of England and into Scotland. The pre-sale judging was in the able hands of David and James Lawson of Westhouse. There was a strong line up out for the show with the Championship rosette awarded to Messrs Lord of West Dowgill with a Gimmer Hogg sired by J1 Barf House selling to A Bastian of Dumfries.
A new centre record of 2600gns was achieved for an individual Bluefaced Leicester female consigned by J Wight and Sons, Midlock Farm, Biggar. This modern stylish Gimmer Shearling sired by the renowned Midlock Mustang F027, carrying triplets to the recently purchased Shafthill K1 sold to CT & JE Willoughby of the Penhill Flock. The Gimmer Hoggs forward sold to a top of 1,300gns for first time consigner at J36; RD Archer and Son of Carry House, a replacement lot sired by G1 Highberries Highlander selling to a joint partnership of Kevin Barker, Lancaster and Luke Ayrton, Lancaster.
In lamb ewes sold to a top of 1000gns from local breeder RI Dixon of Low Newton with a three-crop ewe sired by F003 Middleton Hall carrying triplets, she sold to Matthew Atkinson of Kendal, with an in-lamb gimmer shearling from the same good home selling to 1,000gns. Bluefaced Leicester gimmer hoggs sold to a market average of £689.50, in lamb gimmer shearlings averaged £1,401 and in lamb ewes averaged £748.13.
The multi breed individual sale saw pedigree in lamb Beltex’s sell to a top of 350gns from CM Jennings of Crake Hall, Selside, with in lamb Texel’s selling to 300gns from MP Berry of Highgate Farm, Stalmine. A special entry of Zwartble gimmer shearlings and hoggs all scanned in lamb sold to a top of 140gns twice.
There was an entry of 350 in lamb commercial breeding sheep forward for the sale. Following on from the wet winter endured and some worrying about the current forage situation, a better trade was had then maybe expected with quite a bit of interest ringside. In lamb Mule gimmer shearlings due march to the Texel ram sold to £122 from Paul Whitton of Burneside. A flock dispersal on behalf of WA Simpson of The Cart House, Kendal saw flock age mule ewes sell to £122. Texel shearlings topped at £112 from SL Moorhouse of Moor Farm. Aged continental ewes from the flock dispersal on behalf of J Bargh and Son of North Farm top at £110 with Suffolk ewes from the same good home sell to £105.



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Amanda Denver has now taken over as secretary. Her contact details are on the contact page.

Event at Penrith 21st January 2018

The three breed societies for Herdwicks, Swaledale and Rough Fell sheep invite you to an event at Penrith auction on Sun 21st Jan running alongside their winter sale. There will be stands and short films about farming, and a chance to talk to a wide variety of people interested in Cumbrian farming. After the sale there will be a discussion and presentation. 

Charity Evening 26th January 2018

Cafe Ambio, Junction 36 at 7.30pm. 
Tickets 10 pounds each, please let the secretary know if you will be attending. 
Please bring items for the charity auction, proceeds to RFSBA and St John's Hospice. 

If anyone has not paid their subscription, please do so now. 



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Alison O Neill has made some tweed ties in her Rough Fell tweed. They are 70 pounds each, but RFSBA members can get 15% off. For more details contact Alison@shepherdess.co.uk 


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