ON the second day of the Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association C District ram sale at Kirkby Stephen, 464 shearling rams were on offer.
Topping the day’s trading at £35,000 was Oakbank General from PE & KA Sowerby, Oak Bank Farm, Barras, which was bought in a half share between J Nelson & Son, Bull and Cave Farm, Clapham and Paul Hallam, High Birkwith, Settle.
Next, selling for £26,000 was Grayrigg Hall JD9 consigned by RS Harker & Son, Grayrigg Hall, which was bought by GE Harker, Murton Hall.
T Brogden, Helbeck Farm, Brough, sold Brownber Rambo to make £25,000 going to a three-way share between GJ Scarr, Fawcett House Farm, Garsdale, RW&S Clarkson, Low Whita Farm, Richmond, and N Iveson, Low Blackburn, Hawes.
A wonderful show of strong well bred rams were forward which ensured a overall sale average of £2,353.65 was achieved for 326 rams sold which was £589.21 up on the year and for a 88 per cent clearance.
Some 15 rams sold for between £10,000 and £35,000 and 50 rams sold for £5,000 to £35,000.
THE third day of the Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association C District ram sale completed a bumper three days of trading of Swaledale rams.
This day was capped by a leading price of £60,000 being achieved for shearling ram Bull and Cave King Kong, from J Nelson & Son, Bull and Cave, Clapham, with the successful purchaser being Messrs Pears, Sheffield.
Next, at £32,000, was the third last ram to be sold on the day – Blackcombe Duke from J Capstick, Fellside, Bootle, which went on to sell to a three way share between W Richardson & Son, Ghyll House, Dufton; WM Hutchinson & Son, Redgate, Rookby; and M&MA Ridley, Haltcliffe, Hesket Newmarket.
R Hargreaves, Meadow Bank, Bartley sold Meadow Bank MN I for £26,000 which was bought by a four-way split involving J Tully, Burrncroft, Eggleston; DC&K Hutchinson, Old Spital Farm, Bowes; E&K Bland, Cotegill, Gaisgill; and TW Hutchinson, Bail Hill, Forrest-in-Teesdale.
At £24,000 was Valley Illusion from R Hutchinson & Sons, Valley Farm, Bowes, which was purchased in a half share between GL Hutton, Setmabanning Farm, Threlkels, and Messrs Lightfoot, Gillside Farm, Glenridding.
The final day went with a bang with a sale average of £2,633.36 being achieved (up £482.61 on 2019) for 293 rams sold which was an 83 per cent clearance.
Some 15 rams sold for between £10,000 and £60,000, while 45 rams sold for between £5,000 and £60,000.
These results, combined with Thursday’s figures, resulted in an overall two-day shearling average of £2,486.04 (up £530.73 on 2019) for 619 rams sold being a 86 per cent clearance, and believed to be a record.
