Dorsets sell to 720gns at 2nd annual CCM Skipton Northern Club highlight
A top call of 720gns for the third prize shearling ram, followed at 600gns for the first prize shearling ewe and supreme champion, then 520gns for the first prize ram lamb and champion male, were the highlights at the second annual show and sale of Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset sheep staged at Skipton Auction Mart on behalf of the Northern Dorset Breeders Club on Saturday, 5th August.
Clinching the day’s leading price was Richard Fitton, Dynamite flock, Keasley, Bolton, supreme champion with a shearling ewe at last year’s inaugural fixture, with his Dynamite Elliot E2640, an October, 2021, first crop son of Sherborne Direct D6923, bred in Dorset by Rob Hole and a 3,800gns purchase at the annual May Fair National sale in Exeter in 2020.
Mr Fitton, who established his Dorset flock some five years ago – it now comprises 80 breeding ewes and was also responsible for the male and overall reserve champion at this year’s Royal Welsh Show - saw his top price Skipton performer, out of a Polgreen ewe by Lisnafillan Zorro Z6, sell locally to Ingleton’s David Cockett.
Richard Fitton with the top price Dynamite Elliot, E2640 selling to 720gns
Last year’s male champion, Derbyshire’s Sam Driver, Sandy Lane flock, Chisworth, Glossop, consigned the first prize shearling ewe, which progressed to be crowned champion under Suffolk show judge Tim Pratt, Deben flock, Woodbridge.
His Sandy Lane E7781 is a December, 2021, daughter of Poorton Drover D3666, proving to be a sire of top-class females and whose own grandsire, Downkillybegs W119, was one of the flock’s most influential stock tups and sired the NDBC sale champion 2017. Out of a fully home-bred dam from a solid female line, the title winner, ran up to the sale with Sandy Lane Fresh Prince, sold for second top call of 600gns to A Suppan, Stockport.
From left, Judge, Tim Pratt and Sam Driver, with the Overall Champion, Champion Female, and 1st prize shearling ewe, Sandy Lane E7781
Mr Driver stood third in the same show class with a second home-bred December, 2021, Poorton Drover daughter, which made 340gns, while from the same home, further first and second prize tickets were gained in the ewe lamb show class with September, 2022, youngsters, the former Sandy Lane F8096 by Wilsey Apollo A438, the latter, Sandy Lane F8091 by Ballytaggart Echo E2763, reserve male champion at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show. Both made 420gns, going to, respectvely, repeat buyer A Suppan and Smith & Taylor, Chesterfield.
For good measure, Mr Driver, who established his own pedigree flock in 1997 - with 500 registered breeding ewes it remains one of the largest Dorset holdings in the UK – also won the aged ram show class with a proven stock ram, Bamburgh Celtic Warrior C615 (by Huish Zaki Z11464), which made 450gns going to Cumbria with Thornbank Farms, Seascale.
Also making his mark was a second Derbyshire exhibitor and Northern Dorset Breeders’ Club chairman, Alex Birch, High Rakes flock, Baslow, Bakewell, with his male champion ram lamb, High Rakes Ferdinand F12, a September, 2022, son of Staverton Darwin D2762, purchased two years earlier from the Wantisden Hall flock also run by show judge Mr Pratt.
From left, Judge, Tim Pratt and Alex Birch, with the Overall Reserve Champion, Champion Male, Best Horn Exhibit and 1st prize ram lamb, High Rakes Ferdinand, F12
Out of a dam by the home-bred High Rakes Xavi X1 and also standing first prize ram lamb at this year’s Royal Lancashire Show, as well as horned champion at Skipton, Ferdinand sold for a classtopping 520gns when joining fellow exhibitor and vendor Sam Driver.
Mr Birch, who established his own pedigree Dorset flock in 2011, following in the footsteps of father Nigel, also stepped up with the second prize shearling ewe, High Rakes E88, an April,
2022, daughter of Sandy Lane Buzz Lightyear B5755, which made 240gns, also claiming 200gns with a prize-winning ewe lamb.
Catching the eye with a 500gns sale of the second prize shearling ram and her sole entry was a third Derbyshire vendor, Karen Hodgson, Marren flock, Eyan, with her February, 2022, Marren
Evoke E376, by Lisnafillan Capaldi C93, out of a Downkillybegs Thunder T778-sired Manor Croft W758 dam. The buyers were D J & E A Hirst, Delph, Oldham.
The second prize ram lamb from Stuart Alderson, Paddock Leach flock, Ainsworth, Bolton, a
home-bred September, 2022, son of Poorton Detonator D452, sold at 300gns, while selling prices of 210gns and 180gns fell to the first and second prize aged ewes, both 2020-born home-breds, from, respectively, Phillipa Hunter, Shrubs Hills flock, Longston, Stoke-on-Trent, and Julie Bradley, Menwith flock, Darley,
The first prize pen of four females was consigned by Alec Steff, Waggoners flock, Burnley, who also sold a prize-winning shearling ewe at 260gns.
An increased entry on the year of 105 head produced the following chief prices and averages:
Ewes to 260gns (av £178), Shearling Ewes to 600gns (£227), Ewe Lambs to 200gns (£154), Shearling Rams to 720gns (£470), Ram Lamb to 520gns (£430) Aged Ram to 450gns.