After the fireworks in the Mule trade this year it was inevitable that all eyes were going to turn to the Hawes Leicester sale which over the years has become the spiritual home for the crossing type of Leicester's, drawing devotees of the Mule world from all four corners of the country with an interest in the Mule sheep, which after a few flat years, is enjoying a definite resurgence as shepherds once again turn to the Mule for its easiness to keep and the prolificness.

The strong demand, which saw a packed ring for nearly all of the 15 hours of this Leicester Fest, saw averages rise for shearlings by a massive £653 and the ram lambs by a healthy £257 with nearly an extra 50 head of sheep forward. The trade, which was strong, wasn't as crazy as many people had expected, but saw a good trade in the bottom of the market, rather than a few headline prices to kick the averages up.

Topping the day's trade was James Porter from the noted Riddings flock with a home bred shearling ram which sold for a personal best of £15,000. This powerful tup had been used on 10 ewe's last backend and had a lamb in each of the Riddings show pens this season, which stood as Champions and fifth at the Hawes Mule gimmer sales. He is by a home bred sire which goes back to the W20 Keer which has bred well for the family and out of a ewe bought of Gordon Rawsthorne by T48 Lunesdale. He travelled back up into the Dales in a joint deal to Messrs Allison, Sealhouses and Messrs Bell, Gillgate.

It was a great day for Welsh breeders too, cementing a growing reputation that breeders have down there in producing top quality sheep, which saw the Welsh boys take both the Champion and Reserve champion tickets. It was the reserve lamb from J Thomas & Son, Tan House Farm, Powys which topped the lamb section, fetching again a personal best of £12,000. By last years reserve Champion, A3 Old Hemley they bought at Hawes, which goes back to the Y1 Midlock which is doing well within the breed at the moment and out of a ewe by N1 Tanhouse. It was a case of buying back in a bit of their own breeding for Messrs Wight, Midlock, part of a three way split with Messrs W H & D A Gass, Nunscleugh and C & D Hall, Firth.

The Champion came from Michael James who was making his debut at the sale, and what a one to remember too! He was third into the ring in the lamb section and set the tone for the day. The champion, Duhonw B10, was by A5 Hawkswell which cost just £800 last year, getting well for the flock, with 6 lambs in their second prize pen at Builth, and out of a ewe by P1 Ty-Gwyn, a son of the legendary Snab tup. He sold for £6000 to the Parkgatestone flock Michael's second lamb, Duhonw B2, by A5 Old Hemley and again back to the Y1 Midlock tup out of a ewe by P22 Castle Bolton sold for £6500 to Messrs Pedley Yore House, and saw the Duhonw flock end the day with an average of £3675 for 4 lambs.

It was also a good day out for the Browns from Asby Hall. Andrew and Mark had 10 lambs forward and ended the day with a cracking average of £2370 for them. They have had a good season with the Mules, topping Kirkby Stephen with a pen at £290 and a pen at Bentham at £250 which helped them to an average of £86 for 500 gimmers. Their number one lamb was eagerly anticipated and after some frantic bidding it was landed in a joint deal between James Porter, Riddings and Jack Lawson, Hundith for £9000. He is by a £5500 Lunesdale tup and out of a ewe by W13 Lunesdale, underling the influence the Lunesdale bloodlines have in the breed at the moment.

Jack Lawson was himself in the money later on, when his pen leader by the Y1 Midlock sold for £8500 to K Harryman, Keskadale and P Dawson, Kentmere. He levelled out at £2950 for eight lambs.

Other noted prices included a bid of £8000 for Messrs Lords, Hewgill, who were right at the end of the tup lamb section and saw a strong sale following a great run of Mules again this year. Their pen levelled out at £2809 for 11 lambs. Geoff Taylor, Swathburn, who sold his top pen of Mules for £480 at Hawes a few weeks earlier, saw his top priced lamb sell for £7000, and RA Busby, Harland sold to £6200 for their top lamb.

The top average of the day went to Neil Marston who was making his first appearance at the Hawes sale. He sold 4 lambs to average at £4175, all sired by the Z4 Hundith, by Y1 Midlock (again!) which also sired all his gimmer lambs in his top 2 pens this year, taking 4th and selling for £250 at Carlisle and his second pen taking the championship at Cockermouth. His first two lambs sold to in a three way split to Gordon Rawsthorne, Lunesdale, David Heron, Star Green and G Taylor, Swathburn for £6000 and £5000.

As the breeders finished the day's sale, just after midnight, many will be satisfied with the seasons work, and the planning for next year goes' on. With the sheep trade buoyant the Mule ewe looks set to retain its crown as Britain's most successful sheep, and with that comes the demand for the ever versatile Bluefaced Leicester, developed by Robert Bakewell many years ago and still evolving, setting even higher standards in the changing face of modern agriculture.

B1 Highberries - £6000

A17 Marriforth - £5600

B4 Highberries - £5000

B1 Smearsett - 3rd Prize - £3000