A DALE farmer paid a new breed record price for a ram lamb at the annual Blue Texel Society Northern Supreme Sale.
Henry Jewitt, who runs the Sunnybank flock at Romaldkirk, bought the lamb for 25,000gns at the sale, which was held at Borderway Mart, Carlisle.
The lamb, Whatmore E-Male sired by Whatmore Chaos, a Whatmore Siren son out of Whatmore Banoffi, was put forward for sale by long-term breeders Steve and Sara Gibbons, from Brecon, in Wales.
The sale attracted the largest catalogued entry of Blue Texel Sheep to date with 428 rams and females.
Quality ram lambs were very much sort after with 6,500gns, 5,500gns, 2,800 also paid for to Messrs Graham.
Shearling rams topped at 5,000gns, while aged rams peaked at 1,500gns.
Females attracted a flying trade and very much in demand, attracting a top price of 6,000gns.
Mr Jewitt said he had not gone with the intention of buying the ram lamb but had decided to bid on the day.
In addition to the purchase, Mr Jewitt was also selling from his Sunnybank flock.
Leading the consignment was Sunnybank Excalibur ET, which sold for 2,000gns to Mr D Cowan, out the homebred gimmer Sunnybank Carmel Sensation which was the farm’s best gimmer from 2019 sired by an imported ram.
Hitting 1,900gns was Excalibur’s full sister Sunnybank Easy Girl ET, who was sold to Fraser Forsyth for his Corra flock.
The next best was 1,000gns for Sunnybank Do Or Die sired by Hackney Xcel and out of Sunnybank Yogi Bear. He sold to Joe Thornley for his Dooley flock.
Sale averages
91 shearling gimmers: £1186.15; 59 ewe lambs: £724.14; four aged rams: £1,010.62; 64 shearling rams £976.99; 86 ram lambs £1,218.36.
