A packed ringside braved the elements to attend the annual Carlisle Bluefaced Leicester in lamb sale, which saw a good trade, whilst not quite up to last years dizzy heights for a single sheep, on the whole trade was excellent with 14 lots going above the 1000 gns mark and saw averages soaring way above last years trade.

Topping the trade was a gimmer from the annual consignment of gimmer shearlings from J Wight & Sons, Midlock, which were greatly admired for their confirmation and depth of breeding and saw 5 lots into the 4 figure bracket. Their top bid was for a gimmer by the N25 Nunscleugh and carrying twins to the £17,000 V3 Bull & Cave. The successful bidders were David & Val Hill from Whitewalls, Great Asby, forking out 2400 gns for the privilege of taking her home. Midlock had a bid of 2000 gns for another gimmer by the W25 Midlock Controversy and in lamb with triplets to X1 Riddings, sire to the Midlock £10,000 lamb last backend, which sold to Ian Gregory, Slacks Dale Farm, Derbyshire.

The reserve champion came from W M Hutchinson from Redgate, Kirkby Stephen, with an in lamb gimmer, the first that has ever been sold off the farm so it was a chance to buy into some deep genetics. She is by the W1 Keer and carrying triplets to A1 Hewgill bought last back end for £11,000 from M/s Lord. She was knocked down to P J Broughton, Wash House Cottage, Whitby for 1900 gns.

Following on from their success at the Hawes sale the Lords from Hewgill flock took the championship ticket again, with judge Neil Marston picking out the twin sister to the champion at Hawes. It caught the eye of the judge from Hawes, who was the under bidder to its sister on Saturday and was knocked down for his son, Walter Sutcliffe who is starting out with his own flock with the Mought prefix, for 1800 gns.

John Kerr from Craigskean enjoyed a good day out too, with a set of twins the highlight, with both making 1800 gns. They were by the Z1 Firth and out of a ewe by V1 Ty-Gwyn, and sold over the water to noted Northern Ireland breeder, Robert Loughbridge.

Lot : Price : Purchaser
81 : 2,400 gns : D & V Hill, Whitewall, Great Asby, Appleby, Cumbria.
74 : 2,000 gns : I Gregory, Slacks Dale Farm, Peak Forest, Derbyshire.
1 st in class 2 and Reserve Supreme Champion
10 : 1,900 gns : P J Broughton, Wash House Cottage, Whitby
86 : 1,900 gns : R McInnes, Graystoneknowe, Grassyards Road, Kilmarnock
1st in class 3 and Supreme Champion
6 : 1,800 gns : W Sutcliffe, Cragg Hill Farm, Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Settle -
3 rd in class 3
64 : 1,800 gns: R Loughridge, The Hill, 41 Friary Road, Ballymoney, Co.Antrim
65 : 1,800 gns : R Loughridge, as lot 64.
2nd in class 2
4 : 1,600 gns : K Brown, Mount Pleasant, Bowes, Barnard Castle
7 : 1,450 gns : FA Caton, Weston Hall Farm, Weston, Otley, Yorkshire .
68 : 1,300 gns : S McCrysytal, 92 Gulladuff Hill, Drummuck, N.Ireland.
75 : 1,300 gns : N Laing, Tinto View, Pettinan, Lanark.
3 : 1,200 gns : R J & K Tiplady, Powis House, Long Marton, Cumbria.
84 : 1,100gns : R & R Gornall, Croft House, Cowgill, Dent, Cumbria.
49 : 1,000 gns : S McCrystyal, as lot 68.

Averages: 6 Ewes £582.75, 36 Gimmers £660.92, 19 Lambs £837.24.
Drinkstone Flock - 7 head £123.00. Walton Flock - 28 head £224.63.

Mr Lawson, Hundith flock - 2008 winner of the Helme Trophy, Greenop Trophy and the J R Bell & Son trophy