Archive Article: 2002/08/23
• ROUGE
The breed champion at last months Royal Show topped the entry of Rouge de LOuest sheep at the breed societys official sale at Carlisle, making 900gns for owner David Jane, Bridgwater, Somerset.
Broadwood Aristocrat, his sale topper, impressed for length and exceptional hindquarter. He stood champion on the day and heads to Northern Ireland with J Allan, Dromore.
Another Broadwood shearling made 520gns to Messrs Collister, Maryport, Cumbria, and ram lambs from the same flock sold at 390gns and 380gns. A ram lamb from Sue Wilkinsons Langlands flock in North Yorks made 450gns. Ram lambs averaged £314 for 11 sold (Harrison & Hetherington).
• BLEU DU MAINE
Millennium Bleus were all the rage at the Bleu du Maine breed society sale at Carlisle.
By Beltex sires out of Bleu du Maine ewes, three pens of these hefty tups caused a real stir among ram buyers with two selling for 700gns apiece. Both shearlings were from William Baillie, Biggar.
The crossbred rams were all birth notified with the society. Richard Carruthers, Penrith, bid 700gns to claim the first Millennium Bleu to be offered at auction and it was quickly followed by another equal bid from A and B Milne, Huntly, Aberdeenshire.
Bleu du Maine rams also peaked at 700gns for an entry from Mr Baillies Calla flock bought by Finlay McGowan, Blairgowrie. Another Calla ram lamb sold at 600gns to J Farquharson, Perth.
Averages: 11 shearling rams £284 and 12 ram lambs £299 (Harrison & Hetherington).
• VENDEEN
Ten shearling Vendeen rams averaged £355 at the breeds official sale at Carlisle where prices reached 560gns for a 1999-bred entry from the Blackwell flock of Warks breeders C and L Vernon Miller.
Buyers were breed stalwarts R N Howie and Partners who sold the two highest priced shearlings with entries from their Lyham flock at Alnwick, Northumberland, making 460gns and 410gns. Seven ram lambs averaged £268 (Harrison & Hetherington).