Carlisle Spring Sale 22 May 2021
With a whole variety of sheep on offer at Harrison and Hetherington spring sale there was really only one show in town when it came to both interest and prices as the 71 strong offering of Dutch Spotted sheep from the Dutch Spotted Sheep UK society dominated the interest and consequently the prices, with breeders enjoying a bumper trade and buyers flocking to immerse themselves into the up and coming breed which combines carcase and style in a package which just makes people smile too….the perfect all round sheep it seems!
Topping the days exciting trade were a pair of twin lambs, sold with their recipient mother, from Carlisle based Nick Brown of the Irthing Valley flock. Nick is a veteran of the breed, starting his flock nearly 5 years since, loving them as they are so quiet and easy to work with, and now running a flock of 25 pure ewes. His stylish pair of gimmer lambs were by the 2800gns Westbroad B Explorer II, which has done well in his flock and also the Tip Top flock too. They were out of a ewe imported from Holland, which has left a definite mark on the flock, and sold for 7000gns, selling to Henry Jewitt of the Sunnybank flock.
A May born gimmer shearling from Derek and Cindy Steen was next in the price list, selling Coxhill Dizzy for 5200gns. This smart sheep was out of Turbo Bont which they bought off Jan Rodenburg as one of their foundation females when they first got into the breed in 2018. It is by Irthing Valley Coco Pops which they bought privately from Nick Brown. Dizzy was bought by Willie Linton, Biggar as a new venture.
A pair of February born lambs from Andy Beattie and Lauren Kennedy caught the eye of Northern Irish breeders, Chris Johnston and Alan Short from the Johnstown and Diamond flocks. The tup lamb of the pair, Carlauston Extrovert was the special one in their eyes, a cracking, powerful type of a lamb with plenty of good breeding behind them. They were sired by Tiptop Diablo, the top priced lamb bought last year out of Carlisle for 4000gns and out of a ewe imported in 2019 from noted Dutch breeder, Joost Louter. The pair sold for a cracking 5000gns.
Setting the trade afire at the start of the sale, and laying down a precedent for the rest of the sale was Alan Smyth from the Eden flock based near Penrith, who lambed 55 ewes this year and is hoping to lamb 100 next year. His first 2 lots hit 4500gns and his third 4000gns. All three lots were out of ewes he imported from the Netherlands, where he is careful to select from a variety of bloodlines to help keep a broad range of genetics, with twins at foot. The first outfit was sold with lambs by the homebred Eden Dynamite Jack, a son of the 4400gn Eden Bentley, and sold to the Downie Farming Company, Aberdeen. The other ewes had lambs at foot by Cruzer, an imported ram, selected specially for the flock and has been an important sire for the last few years, but will be looking for a new home this year as the breeding in the flock continues to progress. The second outfit heads to Graemes Jackson, Bentham, who had his eye turned by the balance and class of the ewe, and a pair of classy ewe lambs with real power. The second pair of Cruzer lambs sold to Jonathon Marshall from the Struie flock, Kinross.
A further brace of sheep hit 4000gns, the first from Roger, Gill & Sian Jones from the Pentre flock. This was a 2018 born imported ewe from Belgium with a smart February born ewe lamb at foot, sired by Lochlad Braveheart. The buyer for this lovely outfit were Messrs Corbett, Highleadon, Gloucester. The other at 4000gns was Dorothy, an imported ewe hog from Ali Jacksons Tiptop flock. This one sold to Martin Kilroe, Alderley Edge, Cheshire.
Trade was strong throughout the section with only 4 sheep not finding new homes, and the strong demand for this relatively new breed gives further encouragement for the breeders, and prospective breeders, that the future is looking rosy….well, spotted!
Averages
14 Ewes with lambs £3030.00
22 Pedigree Lambs £2252.72
5 Empty Ewe Hoggs £3003.00
Auctioneers :
HARRISON & HETHERINGTON LIMITED
Posted: 28 May 2021
