On Tuesday 10th September Penrith & District Farmers’ Mart LLP held their Great Annual Show & Sale of 4,890 Mule Gimmer Shearlings, ‘2’ Shear Mule Ewes, Suffolk cross & Texel Shearlings & Ewes 3 Shear & above, kindly sponsored by Murray Farmcare and Peter Horn Mobile Sheep Dipping.
Opening the sale was a tremendous run of 2 shear ewes and above. First into the ring was the annual consignment of 3 shear ewes from Messrs Brough, Clappers, bred for size and superior quality this pen of eighteen achieved £120 per head, purchased by Mr R Sizmur. A pen of fifteen 3 shear ewes from Messrs JF Bowe & Sons, Foulsyke Farm, achieved £131 per head.
Mule 2 shear ewes were forward in great order with power and quality throughout, achieving an overall average of £138 per head, this being £7 up on the year. This section topped at £170 on two occasions for a total of forty ewes from Mr BW Hewitson, Shatton Lodge Farm, purchased by regular customers. This outstanding run of sheep, bred for size, averaged £142.09, up £7 per head on the year.
Mule shearlings topped at £170 per head for the 2nd placed pen in the show, from Messrs TR & PE Little, Low Moor Dyke, purchased by Mr R Sizmur. This fantastic run of shearlings averaged £152.44. Plenty of shearlings, that had reared lambs, were realising in the £140’s and more commercial types were regularly £120-£125 per head.
A quality show of Continental shearlings were forward with a top of £240 per head being achieved twice, firstly for the 1st placed pen in the show from Mr D Barker, Derwent Dale Farm, selling to local farmer, Mr WH Brass, Low Row. This run of sheep averaged £196.75. Secondly, from Messrs R Pigg & Son, Gaitsgill Hall, for a cracking, square, Texel shearling purchased by Mr J Armstrong, Croft House. This run averaged £204.44.
A very pleasing sale was had from start to finish.
Show Results;
Mule Shearlings – competing for The John Mounsey Memorial Trophy
1st Messrs RB & DJ Bousfield, Laypool
2nd Messrs TR & PE Little, Low Moor Dyke
3rd Mr PJ Elliott, Bank House
Mule ‘2’ Shears – competing for The John Dickinson, High House Memorial Trophy
1st Mr BW Hewitson, Shatton Lodge Farm
2nd Messrs W & R Lawson, Stubbsgill
3rd Messrs Brough, Langfauld
Continental Shearlings
1st Mr D Barker, Derwent Dale Farm
2nd A Neale, Nixon Terrace
Sale Averages:
Mule Shearlings – £129
Mule 2 Shears – £138
Mule 3 Shears – £122
Continental Shearlings – £148
Leading Prices:
Shearlings
Texel – £240, £210 (2), £200 (3), £190 (2), £185 (2), £180, £175, £165 & £160 Derwent Dale Farm; £240 & £200 (2) Gaitsgill Hall; £220 (2), £180 (2) & £160 Dearham Hall Bungalow; £160 Hardendale; £158 & £150 Rye Hill; £150 Towcett Farm; £150 Nixon Terrace
Beltex x Millenium Bleu – £184 Nixon Terrace
Beltex – £175 Laypool
Mule – £170, £165, £158 & £140 Low Moor Dyke; £165 & £140 Hundith House; £165 Park House Farm (Brennand); £160 Laypool; £155 & £148 Milton Mains; £150 & £142 Bank House (Elliott); £148 (2), £145 (5) & £142 Cragg Farm; £148, £145 (2), £144 & £140 Rye Hill; £140 High House (Wilson); £140 The Harras
Cheviot-Mule – £160 High House (Wilson)
Suffolk – £120 The Harras
2 Shears
Mule – £170 (2), £160, £158, £150, £135, £132 (2) & £130 (2) Shatton Lodge Farm; £168, £165, £158, £148 & £145 (2) Stubbsgill Farm; £158, £150, £145 (2), £132 & £130 (2) East Cliff; £145 & £130 Langfauld; £142, £140 & £136 High House (Dickinson); £130 Rye Hill
Texel – £160 & £158 Rye Hill; £138, £130, £125 & £115 High Hullock Howe; £115 Greystone House (Dawson); £110 High House
Suffolk – £135 High Hullock Howe
Masham – £120 Firbank
3 Shears
Mule – £131 & £124 Foulsyke Farm; £120 & £116 Clappers Farm; £105 Lingstubbs