Last week a number of progressive UK sheep breeders came together to host the first ever Rising Stars elite pedigree sheep sale. The online timed auction was hosted by Harrison & Hetherington auctioneers. Taking place over 24 hours, the sale had 130 select lots across six breeds from 20 flocks.
Carried out to perfection with professional imagery for most lots, the sale was a huge success. Clearance rates across most breeds were extremely high for an online sale, with record prices achieved for a number of the selling flocks.
Leading the way at a call of £8,300 was Woodies Exquisitor, a shearling Beltex. This stylish March 2019-born ewe is sired by Kingledores Demonstrator who goes back to former Highland show champion Betty Boo. Securing the high seller was Aberdeenshire Messrs Miller.
Another lot from the Woodies flock was the second top seller of the Beltex lots. Woodies Extravagant, a January 2019-born ewe, was the pick of Lanark-based Messrs Lawrie at £4,000. She was sired by Carrigans Bob Lee Swagger and is out of a dam who has already bred rams to 8,000gns and 6,000gns.
Overall, 19 Beltex sold to average £1,675.
Blue Texel high seller Saltire Blue Diana Ross sold for £4,650. \ MacGregor Photography
Texels
Top of the Texel lots was a shearling ewe from the Milnbank flock. Sired by Auldhouseburn Billy the Kid, this ET-born ewe is a full sister to the 7,000gns Milnbank Cobra. Securing the lot for £5,050 were Messrs Vaughan from Herefordshire.
Northern Ireland-based Messrs Cubitt secured the second-top-priced Texel at £3,250. This shearling ewe came from Robert Bennett’s Plasucha flock and is a daughter of Donrho Aristocrac.
Overall, 22 of the 26 Texel ewes on offer found new homes with an average sale price of over £1,660.
Northern Irish breeders were in a buying mood in the Blue Texel section, with five of the top six prices heading there. Four of these top prices were achieved by the Saltire flock based in Aberdeenshire. These included the breed’s sale-topper Saltire Blue Diana Ross, which sold for £4,650.Sired by Caryls Blue Captain, the February 2019-born ewe is out of the homebred Saltire Blue Betty, said to be one of the best ewes in the flock. Securing Diana Ross was Messrs McFarland, Omagh, Co Tyrone. McFarland also secured a second Saltire ewe at a price of £3,600. This ewe lamb goes by the name Ewe Star and is a daughter of Saltire Blue Crown and Saltire Blue A Beauty.
Badgerface Texel sale topper Woodies Madonna sold to the Diamond flock in Co Carlow for £1,500.
Securing the second-highest price in the Blue Texel section were prominent Northern Irish breeders Samantha Allen and Allen Shortt with Derg Esmerelda. This stylish ewe lamb is the first lamb to be sold out of the 2019 Balmoral champion Derg Cocochanel while the sire is the proven Saltire Blue Derek. Securing Esmerelda at a price of £3,950 was Messrs Philips.
The Allen and Shortt duo reinvested most of the sale when they forked out £3,750 for Saltire Blue Disco Diva. This flashy, hard-muscled ewe is a full sister to the flock’s jointly owned stock ram Saltire Blue Derek.
Overall, 28 of the 35 Blue Texel on offer sold for just shy of £2,000.
The Texel sale-topper was a Milnbank ewe at £5,050. \ MacGregor Photography
The newly established Diamond Dassenkop flock of Nigel Hogan and Vicky Rhodes in Co Carlow secured the breed topper, Woodies Madonna, at a price of £1,500. This aged ewe has already bred well in the Woodies flock and will go for flushing this year once she arrives on Irish shores. Seven head of Badgerface Texel (Dassenkop) averaged just shy of £1,000.
Dutch Spotted
A total of 10 Dutch Spotted sheep were sold to average £2,230. Top of these was a call of £3,550 for Tiptop Denver from A Jackson. This stylish ram lamb is sired by Tiptop Charlie and was secured by Messrs Lofthouse.
Dutch Spotted sale leader was Tiptop Denver at £3,550. \ MacGregor Photography
Second highest in this section was new breeder Emma Allen who sold Diamond Daffy for £2,800. This March-born ewe lamb is a daughter of Challoch Bearskin and out of imported ewe Bella. She was the choice of Messrs Middleton in Lancs.
The last breed present were the Bluefaced Leicesters, who sold to a top of £1,600 for a shearling ewe from the Allanfauld flock. This January 2019-born ewe was sired by Carry House and was secured by Messrs Procter. Overall, six Bluefaced Leicester sold to average over £1,000.
Last week a number of progressive UK sheep breeders came together to host the first ever Rising Stars elite pedigree sheep sale. The online timed auction was hosted by Harrison & Hetherington auctioneers. Taking place over 24 hours, the sale had 130 select lots across six breeds from 20 flocks.
Carried out to perfection with professional imagery for most lots, the sale was a huge success. Clearance rates across most breeds were extremely high for an online sale, with record prices achieved for a number of the selling flocks.
Leading the way at a call of £8,300 was Woodies Exquisitor, a shearling Beltex. This stylish March 2019-born ewe is sired by Kingledores Demonstrator who goes back to former Highland show champion Betty Boo. Securing the high seller was Aberdeenshire Messrs Miller.
Another lot from the Woodies flock was the second top seller of the Beltex lots. Woodies Extravagant, a January 2019-born ewe, was the pick of Lanark-based Messrs Lawrie at £4,000. She was sired by Carrigans Bob Lee Swagger and is out of a dam who has already bred rams to 8,000gns and 6,000gns.
Overall, 19 Beltex sold to average £1,675.
Blue Texel high seller Saltire Blue Diana Ross sold for £4,650. \ MacGregor Photography
Texels
Top of the Texel lots was a shearling ewe from the Milnbank flock. Sired by Auldhouseburn Billy the Kid, this ET-born ewe is a full sister to the 7,000gns Milnbank Cobra. Securing the lot for £5,050 were Messrs Vaughan from Herefordshire.
Northern Ireland-based Messrs Cubitt secured the second-top-priced Texel at £3,250. This shearling ewe came from Robert Bennett’s Plasucha flock and is a daughter of Donrho Aristocrac.
Overall, 22 of the 26 Texel ewes on offer found new homes with an average sale price of over £1,660.
Northern Irish breeders were in a buying mood in the Blue Texel section, with five of the top six prices heading there. Four of these top prices were achieved by the Saltire flock based in Aberdeenshire. These included the breed’s sale-topper Saltire Blue Diana Ross, which sold for £4,650.Sired by Caryls Blue Captain, the February 2019-born ewe is out of the homebred Saltire Blue Betty, said to be one of the best ewes in the flock. Securing Diana Ross was Messrs McFarland, Omagh, Co Tyrone. McFarland also secured a second Saltire ewe at a price of £3,600. This ewe lamb goes by the name Ewe Star and is a daughter of Saltire Blue Crown and Saltire Blue A Beauty.
Badgerface Texel sale topper Woodies Madonna sold to the Diamond flock in Co Carlow for £1,500.
Securing the second-highest price in the Blue Texel section were prominent Northern Irish breeders Samantha Allen and Allen Shortt with Derg Esmerelda. This stylish ewe lamb is the first lamb to be sold out of the 2019 Balmoral champion Derg Cocochanel while the sire is the proven Saltire Blue Derek. Securing Esmerelda at a price of £3,950 was Messrs Philips.
The Allen and Shortt duo reinvested most of the sale when they forked out £3,750 for Saltire Blue Disco Diva. This flashy, hard-muscled ewe is a full sister to the flock’s jointly owned stock ram Saltire Blue Derek.
Overall, 28 of the 35 Blue Texel on offer sold for just shy of £2,000.
The Texel sale-topper was a Milnbank ewe at £5,050. \ MacGregor Photography
The newly established Diamond Dassenkop flock of Nigel Hogan and Vicky Rhodes in Co Carlow secured the breed topper, Woodies Madonna, at a price of £1,500. This aged ewe has already bred well in the Woodies flock and will go for flushing this year once she arrives on Irish shores. Seven head of Badgerface Texel (Dassenkop) averaged just shy of £1,000.
Dutch Spotted
A total of 10 Dutch Spotted sheep were sold to average £2,230. Top of these was a call of £3,550 for Tiptop Denver from A Jackson. This stylish ram lamb is sired by Tiptop Charlie and was secured by Messrs Lofthouse.
Dutch Spotted sale leader was Tiptop Denver at £3,550. \ MacGregor Photography
Second highest in this section was new breeder Emma Allen who sold Diamond Daffy for £2,800. This March-born ewe lamb is a daughter of Challoch Bearskin and out of imported ewe Bella. She was the choice of Messrs Middleton in Lancs.
The last breed present were the Bluefaced Leicesters, who sold to a top of £1,600 for a shearling ewe from the Allanfauld flock. This January 2019-born ewe was sired by Carry House and was secured by Messrs Procter. Overall, six Bluefaced Leicester sold to average over £1,000.
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