A buoyant trade for Suffolk females at the Three Nations sale at Carlisle saw prices peak at 25,000gns with a further five selling at 5000gns and above.
Sale leader was a gimmer from Stewart Craft’s Fife-based Lakeview flock from Glenrothes. His No 1, sired by the 40,000gns Strathbogie Stallone which was 2023 Sire of the Year and out of a ewe by the 22,000gns Strathbogie Stradivarius, sold jointly to Finn Christie of the Maidenstone flock from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire and Lilia Hutchinson and her father Richard of the Howgillfoot flock from Kirkby Stephen. The gimmer sold carrying twin lambs to the 6000gns Kings Cross lamb bought at the National sale in July.
Second top price was 20,000gns paid for Tom Boden and family’s third gimmer from the Sportsmans flock, Stockport, Bury. Bred from a ewe by Strathbogie Ace and sired by the 200,000gns Salopian Solid Gold, she changed hands due to Annakisha Champ – a private purchase from the O Keeffe family, Ireland. The buyer was Oliver Watson of Irt Vale pedigree livestock, Millom, Cumbria.
Young Northern Ireland breeder, Andrew Hamill, got the sale off to a cracking start, forking out 10,000gns for the second gimmer in the catalogue for his new Huntley flock from Co Antrim. This was a Limestone entry from Mark Priestley’s Northern Ireland-based flock from Seaforde, shown via video link. An ET sister to 7000gns UK sire of the year Limestone Online, which has bred sons to 40,000gns and 25,000gns, this gimmer is bred from a ewe that produced the 48,000gn Marksmans, Rolls Royce, and 5500gns Commando, with females selling to 10,000gns and 5800gns. She sold carrying a single lamb by Ballygroogan Banker.
Another Limestone gimmer sold via video link made 4000gns, selling to the Grant Bros for their Craigdoo flock from Co Down, Northern Ireland. Bred from a 6500gns Shannagh female by Limestone T-Rex and sired by Howgillfoot Batman, she is also due served to Banker and due with a single lamb.
Entries from Welsh breeder Myfyr Evans’ Rhaeadr always prove popular and the Three Nations was no different, with ewe lambs at 9000gns, 4500gns and 4000gns.
Dearest was a daughter of Dunfell Dynamite, the ram bought privately in 2022 that not only produced the 2024 Royal Highland Show champion but also the ewe lamb that went on to stand champion and inter-breed sheep at Royal Welsh. Dynamite has also produced sons to 20,000gns and ewe lambs to 28,000gns. Bred from a home-bred ewe by the 90,000gns Ardlea Arbennig, the lamb was knocked down to Holly Bowdler buying for the Tombridge flock from Ellesmere, Shropshire. Mr Evans’ second ewe lamb, bred from a Kexbeck ewe by Rhaeadr Jet Set that was bought for 1600gns at Carlisle after standing female champion, made 4500gns. She is sired by 19,0000gns Carony Cha-ching and headed home with James Theyer of the Clanefield, Oxfordshire.
And, in an all-Welsh transaction, Dewi Roberts, Rhewl, Ruthin, bought a Rhaeadr ewe lamb by Cha-Ching out of a home-bred ewe by Arbennig for 4000gns.
MORE NEWS | Suffolk supreme sale at Lanark achieve 89% clearance rate
MORE NEWS | A 2018 Scania S580 V8 6x2 tag lorry sells for £44,000
Top price for Lilia Hutchinson and her father Richard’s Howgillfoot flock was 7500gns paid by Messrs McMenamin of the Mullanvale flock from Donegal. The gimmer, which sold carrying twin lambs by the 28,000gns Castleisle Blackadder, is a daughter of the 25,000gns Frongoy Rocket and bred from a ewe by Crewelands Captain Crusader. She is from the same family as the Shrewsbury Champion, Lakeview Bob, and Howgillfoot Batman.
Dumfriesshire breeder Andrew Hambleton of the Dovedale flock from Merkland, Thornhill, forked out 5500gns for Jim Innes’ pen leader from the Strathbogie flock from Dunscroft, Huntly. A gimmer daughter of Muirton The Joker, bred from a ewe by Castleisle Knockout that has produced ram lambs to 15,000gns and 13,000gns and gimmers to 6000gns, she sold due to Maidenstone Magician.
Strathbogie also took 4500gns from Craig Coutts, Alford, Aberdeenshire, for a gimmer by Frongoy Explosion, bred from a former Highland Show champion by Strathbogie A Kind of Magic. She also sold in lamb to Magician.
Stewart Lathangie of the Pyeston flock, Glenrothes, was another who got in on the action, giving 4000gns for a gimmer from Dafydd Jones’ Frongoy flock from Pennant, Llanon, Aberystwyth, which was a member of his show team. Her pedigree features the sire Stockton Sniper’s Son and a home-bred ewe by Ballynacannon Black Diamond.The service sire was Strathbogie Never Say Never.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Averages: 53 gimmers, £3359.00 (+£144.05 for six fewer); 17 ewe lambs, £2390.29 (-£1196.28 for two less). Overall, 70 head, £3123.75.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here