DORSET ASSOCIATION BREED SALES BREAK INTO NEW GROUND

The Dorset Horn and Polled Dorset Sheep Breeders’ were given a warm welcome to Harrison and Hetherington’s Borderway Mart, Carlisle, Cumbria, at the end of August by the company’s pedigree sales manager, Mrs Heather Pritchard, for the Association’s first breed sale in the North.

Entries for the Dorset sheep section in this multi breed event were a respectable 84 lots complemented with a pre sale show in the very capable judging hands of Mr Rowland Davies.

Winning the first ever Carlisle Championship with his shearling ewe Ballytaggart Judith was T G Wright from Ballytaggart, Ballymoney. This powerful Huish Fred in lamb shearling continued a terrific run of wins for Mr Wright’s Ballytaggart flock, after two Fred daughters won the female champions, reserve overall spot and opposite sex to the champion one month earlier at the the NI Premier Show and Sale and the 2008 May Fair Champion at Exeter in May. Purchaser of this special exhibit at 200 gns was G & E (Roci) Jones, Ystrad, Ceredigion, Wales.

Claiming the Reserve Champion spot and top sale price was the first prize ram lamb from Graham and Mary Cubitt, Kildowney Hill, Glarryford., Ballymena. Their top male, Kildowney King, by Downkillybegs Huggi – a sire who has created a lot of semen orders this year sold for 480 gns to J B Dufosee, Warminster, and B R Wear, Bristol.

Matching the 480 gns top deal was the second prize ram lamb from Mr Wright. Another sired by Huish Fred, this time Ballytaggart Keltic Star, selling to full time policeman and Scottish flock owner, James Royan, Duns, Berwick. Third prize ram lamb Redhill Kyle also claimed the third top sale price of 390 gns this time for B R Wear’s Redhill flock making the journey from Blagdon, Bristol very worth while with the new owners being Oatridge Agri College, West Lothian , who came to the sale requiring a few Dorset rams. A female from the same Bristol home, Redhill Kate by the Redhill Approved 902 flew the Dorset Horn flag up north and was rewarded with a 220 gns bid from C & T Clarke, Devon, and on the same wagon heading home with Tom Clarke to Crediton was the top priced female of the sale Ballytaggart Kathy at 380 gns for another Huish Fred daughter from T G Wright, Ballytaggart, Ballymoney.

All in all the first northern sale proved a good success for all involved with the Auctioneers very happy to accommodate the Dorset breed and were quick to invite the Association back to build upon this year’s foundation venture.

Sale Averages:
Shearling Ewes: £199.50
Ram Lambs: £396.90
Ewe Lambs: £149.80

Ramsden Flock dispersal sale average £60.94 for Michael and Robin Butler, Coldstream, Berwick.