Three days over two venues, Lockerbie and Carlisle, covered the Dutch Spotted Premier Sale, with the format introduced to help comply with Blue Tongue regulations. The starter event was the show at Lockerbie, overseen by Jonathan Corbett from the Wedderburn flock, on the Thursday evening. The Lockerbie sale followed on the Friday morning, with the Carlisle show, also judged by Jonathan, and sale on the Saturday.
Interest was high over the two days, with the females dominating the trade, and the sales top price came out of the Johnstown pen from Chris Johnston. It was his second prize gimmer lamb, Johnstown I Like, which drew the bids. She is by the homebred Gunner, which sold privately to the Diamond flock, where it has been used successfully over the years. She is out of the imported ewe Dixie Chick 2nd, imported in 2020 from the renowned Boyo flock. This sharp lamb was bid to 15,000gns to an undisclosed buyer. The Johnstown pen also boasted the first prize gimmer lamb too, with Johnstown Indie going on to make 4000gns, selling to Messrs Corbett, Highleadon, Gloucester. She is the first crop by the new stock tup, Milltown Hotshot, a stylish tup full of muscle, and out Johnstown Fizz, one of the flocks smartest ewes.
On the tup side of things, it was the first prize tup shearling and Male Champion from Jack and Steph Simpson with Back Tor High and Mighty, which set the pace at Carlisle. This powerful sheep is by Tiptop Gadzooks, which has done well in this top notch flock. He was used as a lamb and has done well. His mother is one of their best bloodlines, with plenty of good ewes kept within the flock from the same lines. He was knocked down for a personal best for the Simpsons of 8000gns in a four-way split to Messrs Jewitt (Sunnybank), Nelson (Glenarm), Johnston (Broadwater) and Cannon Hall Farm. The overall champion and the reserve female champion at Carlisle were both full sisters to the tup shearling from the same flock, who enjoyed a great day at the sale. The Champion, Back Tor High Class, was a smart, darker gimmer, sold for 4000gns to Messrs Thompson, Yeovil.
Late in the sale at Carlisle Cannon Hall turned out a good pen of gimmer lambs which caught the eye and drew in the punters. Their pen leader, Cannon Hall Isabel, was the third prize ewe lamb in the pre-sale show and was by the Back Tor Gunner sire. This smart lamb was knocked down to Oliver Watson, Ulverston, who also picked up the next lamb into the ring too from the Cannon Hall flock. This one, Ilana, was by the homebred tup Fabian out of Cannon Hall Grecia and was knocked down for 2800gns to add to his growing C-View flock. Another Gunner sired lamb out of the Cannon Halls second run of ewe lambs, Cannon Hall Improving Forever, out of, one of the flocks top breeding ewes, Cannon Hall Gretal, was sold for 2900gns. This 4th placed ewe lamb was taken home by the Pickup family, Hellifield near Skipton.
A brace of other sheep hit 2800gns over the two days. The first of these was at Lockerbie when Elite Ignition, the 1st prize tup lamb, Male Champion and Reserve Overall Champion from Lara Reid, following on from a successful sale at the Summer Selection sale earlier in the month. This tup lamb was by the same sire, the 9000gns Diamond Freaky Freddie, out of a Hazelberry bred ewe which she paid 1700gns for a couple of years ago. This was knocked down to Messrs Grieg & Daughters, Shropshire.
The next at 2800gns also came from Lockerbie, when a gimmer shearling from Ali Jackson, Tiptop Holly, which had stood 3rd in its class was knocked down to Messrs McAllister, Stirling. She is by Craigdoo Gambler and out of the homebred ewe, Enchantress.
Averages
1 Aged Ram £420
27 Shearling Rams £977.77
36 Ram Lambs £755
3 Aged Ewes £433.33
65 Shearling Gimmers £645.69
50 Ewe Lambs £1100.40
