Strong sale at Shrewsbury reflecting a quality offering peaking 30,000gns
Date: Friday 28th and Saturday 29th July 2023
Sponsors: Norbrook Auctioneers: J Straker Chadwick & Sons
Show Judge: Mr A Barkley. Society President, Blackbrae Flock
First time appearing at the National Show and Sale at Shrewsbury was just reward for Michael Ludgate of the Rempstone flock whose pen realised two 5-figure sums. Top price of the day was Lot number 228 at 30,000gns sired by Howgillfoot New Dawn out of a Rookery Ewe. The lamb was bought by James Innes and will be going to work at Strathbogie. The second lot from the pen, Lot number 230 realised 16,000gns for a lamb of the same breeding as the first, both lambs being single lambs got by ET. A day that won’t be forgotten in a hurry for the Rempstone team as relative newcomers to Suffolks.
The Next highest price was for our first in class Ram lamb, Male Champion and Overall Champion at the show, Lot number 56. Melvin Stuart’s Birness consignment was scooped up by a Syndicate of three buyers, Grant Brothers, Dicksons and Stephen Caldwell all taking a share in the Champion at 19,000gns. The naturally bred single lamb first into the ring from the pen was sired by Sportsman’s 5 Star from a home bred Birness ewe.
L&M Liggett were also in the mix making the trip across from Northern Ireland with a very well-looked-at pen in the sale equalling the price of 19,000gns for Lot number 85, again sired by Sportsman’s 5 Star. A naturally bred twin lamb out of a Birness ewe, he caught the eye of Welsh breeder Myfyr Evans adding a special something to the Rhaeadr flock.
Stuart Lathangie, Pyeston, was pleased that he made the trip south with his lot number 62 attaining 11,000gns and heading off to Flintshire to last year’s highest price Arnold Oare’s Groes flock. The lamb is sired by Sportsman’s Masterplan, a naturally bred single lamb out of a Pyeston ewe.
Equalling the 11,000 was Northern Irish breeder Ben Lamb’s Richhill flock, whose Lot number 158 was Judge Alastair Barkley’s first choice in the Elite Commercial ram lamb class at the show. He was singled out as the lamb of choice and is heading up to the Aberdeenshire flock of W & C Ingram of Logie Durno, a naturally bred single lamb by Sitlow Sambuca from a Brijon Dam.
Lot 136 from Bridgeview at 10,000gns
Completing the list of five-figure lamb prices was lot number 136 consigned by local breeder DP &RA Delves’ Bridgeview flock. Sired by Sportsman’s Golden Moments out of a Birness dam the twin ET lamb heads off at 10,000gns to the Home of Jed Sharp, Sharps flock.
National Show and sale to 10 Ram Lambs
| Lot No | Flock | Price Gns | Purchaser |
| 228 | Rempstone | 30,000 | Strathbogie |
| 56 | Birness | 19,000 | Grant Bros / Dickson / Caldwell |
| 85 | Carony | 19,000 | Rhaeadr |
| 230 | Rempstone | 16,000 | Ballynacannon |
| 62 | Pyeston | 11,000 | Groes |
| 158 | Richill | 11,000 | Logie Durno |
| 136 | Bridgeview | 10,000 | Sharps |
| 74 | Cairnton | 9,000 | Cairness |
| 103 | Limestone | 7,000 | Solwaybank |
| 190 | Frongoy | 4,200 | Kexbeck |
Ram Lambs saw a 70% clearance rate with an average selling price of 2406.78 on the day.
Shearling Ewes
Shearling ewes offered met with a strong demand, and leading the way was Lilia Hutchinson’s Howgillfoot offering lot no 5 the single ET gimmer by Frongoy Rocket with an impressive back pedigree. The hammer fell at 3,000gns with the ewe travelling to Wales to the home of I E Edwards, Pantclyd, Llanvwchllyn.
Anthony Glaves’ Brompton flock, a regular consignor to the National was next up at 1500gns with lot number 13 catching the eye of local breeder to Shrewsbury, Phil Poole, Salopian, a single lamb sired by Strathbogie Black Magic.
Also were Pam Lupton’s Kexbeck at 1300gns, S Bolland’s Wharf – two at 1250gns, Lilia Hutchinson’s Howgillfoot at 1000gns, Anthony Glaves with three further lots at 800gns, and Pam Lupton with a further one at 800gns
Shearling Ewes saw an 84% clearance rate at an average of £1060.50 reflecting a strong demand for females, always a good sign that the breed is on the up!
Ewe lambs
Ben Lamb of the Richhill flock led the way with the Ewe Lambs with his Lot 19, the wallets following the judge’s view in the show and selling for 900gns. One of a triplet naturally sired by the home bred Richhill Rambo out of a Porterhill ewe, she was purchased by Alistair Jackson, Cummertrees, Dumfries.
Two Lots at 850gns followed on for Lot 26 consigned by Pam Lupton’s Kexbeck, a naturally sired twin lamb by Rhaeadr Rock n Roll, heading to Wales to S Thomas of Llygaidand, and Lot 25, a naturally sired single lamb by Rookery Rodeo out of a home bred ewe to Paul Lothian at Culgaith from JJ Tooze’s Spittal flock.
Ewe lambs saw a 100% clearance rate at an average of £719.25 again reflecting the demand for Suffolk as a breed.
Show Results at Shrewsbury
Alastair Barkley, our President for 2023, as is tradition, took to the show ring and judged all that was brought before him on the Friday prior to the sale. There were plenty of quality sheep to look through, but he worked his way through the classes in a very diligent manner giving every sheep the same inspection and ensuring that he was happy with the outcome. A very busy ringside attended the show which was a good sign of things to come at the sale.
Overall Champion
As above
Lot 56 Birness
Reserve Overall Champion
Lot 103 Limestone
MALE champion
Lot 56 Birness
Reserve
Lot 103 Limestone
Elite Commercial Ram Lamb class at the national
1st lot 158 -R Lamb
2nd lot 195 – G Richmond
3rd lot 223 – D Taylor
4th lot 67 – F Christie
5th lot 86 – L & M Liggett
6th lot 69 – J Wallace
Young handlers were out in force making Suffolks future bright! At the national sale at Shrewsbury:
11 and over (Seniors)
1st lot 205 Ollie Beale
2nd lot 225 Isabella Taylor
3rd lot 86Aimee Liggett
4th lot 224 Noah Taylor
5th lot 137 Mathew Shelley
Under 11
1st lot 223 Lara Taylor
2nd lot 213 Tom Bowdler
3rd lot 134 Ronnie Mogford
Suffolk Young Breeders
Lamb bred and shown by breeder
1st lot 67 Finn Christie
2nd lot 51 Harry Lyons
Jed Sharp receiving the Gippeswyk plate for the best pen of three
Group of three
1st lot 97, 102 & 100 -J Sharp
2nd lot 225,223 & 224 – D Taylor
3rd lot 58, 57 & 60 – M Stuart
4th lot 86,87 & 89 L&M Liggett
5th lot 132, 131&134 T&A Mogforg
6th lot 204.206 &207 – S Beale
The Birness team and Chair of Council Jane Soulsby, with their haul of silverware
Ram Lamb class
1st lot 56 – M Stuart
2nd lot 103 – M Priestley
3rd lot 62 – S Lathangie
4th lot 186 – D Jones
5th lot 160 – M Evans
6th lot 85 – L & M Liggett
Shearling Ram class
1st lot 36 – B Roth
2nd lot 39 J & E Midgley
3rd lot 32 D Roberts
4th lot 33 A Glaves
FEMALE CHAMPION
Female Champion
lot no 5 Lillia Hutchinson – Howgillfoot
Reserve Female Champion
Lot 19 Ben Lamb – Richill
Ewe Lamb class at the national
1st lot 19 – B Lamb
2nd lot 23 – J J Tooze
3rd lot 36 – P Lupton
4th lot 24 – J J Tooze
5th lot 28 – C Whitticase
Shearling Ewe class at the national
1st lot 5 – L Hutchinson
2nd lot 13 -A Glaves
3rd lot 17 – S Bolland
4th lot 12 – P Lupton
5th lot 7 -D & R Delves
6th lot 1- T Blunt
Our sincere thanks to all at Shrewsbury Auction Centre for their efforts over the Sale and show, Wendy Philips the vet, the Auctioneers, stewards and inspectors who worked away and got the job done, Dinkys Dinah in the canteen – always a pleasure to come to Shrewsbury.
