Scottish Borders breeder John Green’s Greenall flock claimed the top call of 3000gns with a shearling ram at the 42nd Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders’ show and sale.
Mr Green, who farms at The Craggs with Emma, and sons, Gilbert, 12, and ten-year-old William, topped the sale with Greenhall Fantastic Mr Fox, a son of Greenarch Dark Knight, a 6000gns partnership purchase two years ago. Out of a Pant Wolf-bred ewe, the buyer was Jonathan Wales, Thackwood flock, Raughton Head. Seven shearling rams in the Greenall pen averaged £1755.
Next at 2800gns was a shearling ram from Martin Furness, Westgate flock, Wormhill, Buxton. His Westgate Firecracker went off to Wharfedale to join the Keighley family’s Manderlea flock, Leathley. Mr Furness also topped the individual vendor shearling ram averages at £1863 for four sold.
Standing supreme champion for the second-year running was the Procters flock, Wennington, managed by Jeff Aiken, assisted by wife Jennifer. Winning with a ram lamb last year, the 2023 title winner was the first prize shearling ram and male champion, Tatham Hall Finders Keepers, by Coniston Elmo.
Elmo, himself by the 6000gns Procters Crackerjack, has sired sons to 16,000gns and stood champion stock ram in last year’s North-West Texel Club Flock Competition. Out of a homebred dam by the 10,000gns Caereinon Bonus, Finders Keepers found a new home in Castle Douglas, Dumfriesshire, with Douganhill Texels at 2200gns. Eight Procters Farm shearling rams averaged £1425, with four ram lambs from the same home heading the individual vendor averages at £513.
Not to be outdone, Jennifer Aiken herself achieved a 2200gns sale with her fourth prize shearling ram, Vale Frontier, a son of Arkle Drum Major, out of a Goldies Supreme-sired homebred dam. He sold locally to Anthony and Heather Hewetson, Bank Newton. Five shearling rams from the Coniston flock averaged £1596.
Scottish show judge David McKerrow, who runs the Uppermill and Tillycairn flocks in Tarves, tapped out the second prize winner behind his supreme in the open shearling ram show class as his reserve male and reserve supreme champion.
It, too, came from 21-year-old Eve Hodge and parents, Kenneth and Victoria, Greenarch flock, Huntlywood, Earlston. Their Greenarch Fantastic, a son of the 65,000gns Campsi Drambuie, out of a dam sired by the 8500gns Mershott Benchmark, made 1800gns when joining Howard Barker, Fewston.
Another first prize shearling ram from the Hodges with the same breeding as their reserve supreme was awarded the recorded ram championship, doing better at 2000gns to M Ryder and Son, Haverah Park.
Steven Nesbitt, Alwent, won both ram lamb show classes with February-born lambs, the open class with Alwent Giant, the recorded ram lamb with Alwent Gold Star. The former made 800gns to C Dawson, Ferryhill, the latter heading the ram lamb prices at 900gns to Steven Symes’ Anglezarke flock, Heath Charnock. Mr Nesbitt sold six ram lambs to average £483.
Champion female was the first prize shearling ewe from Chris Riby, Stonehills flock, Fraisthorpe. The daughter of the 10,000gns Craig Douglas Dancer, out of a 4000gns Glanllyn Wallis-sired dam, headed the section prices at 1000gns when claimed by Sam Barker, with seven Stonehills females averaging £462.
The runner-up in the shearling ewe show class from David Houghton, Tophill, stood reserve female champion with a daughter of the 8000gns Garngour Ewe Nailer, out of a Hull House dam. She sold locally at 600gns to Owen Chapman, Skyreholme.
Stephen Peel and Helen Johnson, Washburn Valley flock, Fellbeck, presented the first prize ewe lamb for the second year running, again sold locally for 250gns to Gargrave’s Matt Beckwith.
Averages; shearling rams £930, ram lambs £405, shearling ewes £380, ewe lambs £236 (CCM Marts).
