North of England Mule Sheep Association (NEMSA) chairman Kevin Wilson and his son, James, who run the Hewness flock in Blubberhouses, secured championship and top price honours at Skipton Auction Mart’s annual winter sale of Blue Faced Leicester females. (Wed, Feb 13)
Their victorious L11 gimmer hogg, exhibiting great length and style with a good skin to match, is a product of the highly regarded and well utilised Harland F1 Bighead tup, which also sired last year’s Great Yorkshire Show Mule gimmer lamb class victors for the Wilsons. He continues to be shared in partnership with his Richmondshire breeder Alan Busby, of Marrick,
The classy hogg, out of H11 Hewness, achieved top price of £1,000 when claimed locally by show judge Joe Throup, of Draughton.
John and Claire Mason, who run the Oddacres flock in Embsay, took second top call of £900 with their second prize and reserve champion Smearsett K7-sired gimmer hogg. This good skinned cleaner type, with a great carcass and exemplary breeding line behind her, found a new home in Twiston, Lancashire with John Palmer and family.
Oddacres also achieved £420 with the third prize gimmer shearling by their high performance Micklaw tup acquired from Kirkby Malham breeder Will Wildman. Scanned carrying triplets to Asby Hall H3, which has been doing well for the Masons, the buyer was John Lancaster, of Bordley.
Defending champions, the North Craven Smearsett flock of father and son, David and Robin Booth, who farm at Old Hall Cottage, Feizor, and have dominated the annual breed highlight, winning multiple championships in recent years, were again to the fore on price at £600 with their third prize Smearsett L49 gimmer hogg, another first-rate product of their home-bred G11 ram, fondly known as Ted, who has sold ram lambs to 24,000gns. The hogg also found a new home in Bordley, this time with Rose Tennant.
James Stenton, from Pickering, stepped up with the first prize gimmer shearling, carrying a single lamb to the NIsbets J1 tup, and sold for £280 to Ken Dickinson, of Blacko.
Ashley and Rachel Caton, of Otterburn, also caught the eye with a £400 gimmer hogg. A total of 21 BFL females were forward for Skipton’s first registered sheep breed show and sale of the year, when gimmer hoggs averaged £538 and ewes £240.
