Calderdale success at Skipton Winter Texel highlight
The champion and reserve champion were also the top price achievers at the 23nd annual Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders Association’s winter show and sale of pedigree in-lamb females. (Sat, Dec 15)
Victory went to the first prize shearling ewe from former Northern Area chairman Spiros Spyrou’s Gib Farm pedigree flock in Hebden Bridge, with his February, 2014-born daughter of the 4,500gns Deveronvale Superb, who was also responsible for Mr Spyrou’s supreme champion at the association’s annual two-day pedigree September highlight at Skipton two years ago.
From the best and most consistent female line in the flock, his latest title winner, scanned in-lamb to the Knock Trident son, Anglezarke Uno, went on to reach the sale high of 1,300gns when joining RN Kirby & Son in Northallerton.
The runner-up in the same class from Procters Farm in Slaidburn, the 2013 and 2014 winter show champions, also progressed to secure reserve championship honours at the latest renewal.
The February, 2014, daughter of Scholars Twenty Twelve, a £40,000 purchase three years ago and also responsible for this year’s Royal Highland and Royal Welsh champions, was also in-lamb with twins to another highly regarded Knock Trident son, Tophill Union Jack. She sold for second top price of 750gns to R&D Waggett, of Richmond.
It was a result that confirmed the choice of show judge Thomas Harrison, whose father Richard runs Harrison Agricultural Supplies in Skipton and again sponsored the winter highlight.
Mr Spyrou also sold further shearling ewes at 950gns and 800gns, while Procters Farm, as usual represented by shepherd Jeff Aitken and his wife Jennifer, sold aged ewes at 500gns and 400gns.
John and Linda Mellin, of the Hull House flock in Hellifield, were responsible for two of the three show class winners. Their first prize three-year-old ewe, by Hull House Rothchild 1, came to market in-lamb to Langside Thunderbird, breed supreme champion and reserve interbreed at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show, and sold for 400gns to AJ Chapman, of Driffield
The family’s red rosette-winning ewe lamb, a March-born daughter of their 12,500gns Garngour Vodka, sold for 260gns to Richard Wilson in Beckwithshaw, bettered at 340gns by their second prize ewe lamb, also by Langside Thunderbird, knocked down at 340gns to J Bell, of Scarborough.
The Mellins were also responsible for another prize-winning shearling ewe, a Sportsman Terrific daughter again sold in-lamb to Thunderbird, which joined Anne Blythman in Bishopton, Co Durham, at 650gns. The same vendors also sold gimmer lambs at 340gns, 300gns twice and 260gns.
Mark Keighley and family’s Manderlea flock in Leathley, Otley, presented the third prize shearling ewe, a March, 2014, daughter of Nunstainton Undercover, sold in-lamb to Manderlea Viscount. This also fell to AJ Chapman at 550gns.
South Yorkshire breeders Jennifer Lodge and her sons, Matt and Luke, who runs the Heyworth Lodge flock in Moss, near Doncaster, was a third and fourth prize winner in the ewe lamb show class with two 2012-born entries, both in-lamb to the Anglezarke Uno son, Stainton Vigilante. They made 450gns and 400gns when falling to, respectively, T&A Walton, of Crook, and D&W Harrison, of Driffield.
A strong ringside of buyers produced a good trade for the vast majority of entries, with commercial sheep also well bid for. Gimmer lambs averaged £208, shearling gimmers £387 and aged ewes £311.