Judge buys his champion at 9000gns at Carlisle Lleyn sale

Strong demand throughout saw only seven of the 119 rams forward for sale, fail to change hands, with the sale leader, from Emrys and Dylan Jones' Lluest flock from Machynlleth, being a son of Whitcastles Hot Stuff out of a home-bred ewe.

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Lluest also sold the second top priced shearling ram at 3500gns. This was the pen's No 3, by Wraycastle Edwaldo, purchased by Sian Jones buying for the Pentre flock from Wrexham.

Laga Farms also sold a shearling ram at 3200gns

The Cursiter family's Laga flock all the way from Orkney, produced the third prize winner, which went on to sell for 3200gns to Graham and Amanda Fort, from Brighton House Farm, Keighley. The pen leader, he is by Brynowen Governor.

The same families were also involved in the 3000gns Fort Jonas, a shearling son of Fort General, purchased by Laga Farms.

Derek Steen received 3200gns for this Ballylinney ram

Top price for Derek Steen's Ballylinney flock from Moffat, was 3200gns for a shearling by a home-bred tup, purchased by JCB Farms Ltd, Oakamoor, Staffordshire.

Some 10 rams sold for 2000gns or more, with no fewer than 38 selling at four figures. Hamish Goldie's Lochar flock from Mouswald hit a top of 2800gns Messrs Moffat, Biggar, Lanarkshire.

Just behind, on 2600gns, Messrs Jenkinson, Crosby, Ravensworth, bought Netherton Jasper, from GH Blakey, Netherton Northside, Thropton, Morpeth.

The female trade was equally buoyant with no fewer than 42 pens of gimmers selling for £200 per head plus. Top price in this section was £400 paid for the first prize individual gimmer from Hamish Goldie's Lochar flock purchased by C Long, Strabane, with the second prize winner from Tom and Ian Walling of Farmstock Genetics, Selkirk, making £300 to Jenkinson Ltd, Hartley and the third prize individual from Linda Jenkinson, Kirkby Stephen selling for £350 to J Kingan, Troqueer. The £350 is being donated to Parkinsons UK in memory of Linda’s father who passed away in February.

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Keeping it in the family, Hamish's father, Jim topped the pens of gimmers with the red ticket holders which went on to sell for £300 per head to I Valentine, Boosbeck who also bought another pen at £245 from the same home. Linda Jenkinson, landed the blue ticket with her gimmers selling for £270 to Twose Farms Ltd, Whitland who also bought the flock's next pen at £250.

Tom and Ian Walling were back in the money amongst the ewe lambs, taking £260 for the first prize pen, purchased by the judge, Bethan Vaughan, Tufton, Pembroke.

This was followed at £160 for a pen of five ewe lambs from Linda Jenkinson, purchased by AW Watson, Lockerbie while GH Blakey sold two pens at £145 – the first to AG Selway, Dorset and the second, a pen of 10, to Bethan Vaughan.

averages: 111 rams, £1056.24 (-£106.73 for 26 more sold); 925 gimmers, £208.20 (+£16.75 for 316 more); 273 ewe lambs, £117.41 (-£9.42 for 204 fewer).

LEADING prices

Pens of gimmers – JK Goldie £300, £245, £232, £225; L Jenkinson £270, £250; JA and R Geldard and Sons £245 (x2), £240, £222; E and D Jones £240, £230; H and M Dugdale and Son £235, £232 (x2), £228, £225; GH Blakey £230, £220; Farmstock Genetics £228; Orchard Lleyn £228; C and A Kennedy £220

Individual gimmers – H Goldie £400; L Jenkinson £350; Farmstock Genetics £300.

Ewe lambs – Farmstock Genetics £260, £120; L Jenkinson £160; GH Blakey £145 (x2), £128; J Morton £128, £122, £115; C and A Kennedy £128; P Knowles £120; E Robinson £118 (x2).

Shearling rams – E and D Jones 9000gns, 3500gns; Laga Farms 3200gns, 2200gns, 1500gns; D Steen 3200gns; T and B Fort 3000gns; H Goldie 2800gns; GH Blakey 2600gns, 1600gns; C Lewis 2200gns; K and D Whitelaw 2200gns; G and A Fort 1800gns; C Davidson 1800gns; Farmstock Genetics 1800gns; JK Goldie 1800gns; C and A Kennedy (32) 1700gns; M and R Cursiter 1600gns.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.