Northern Ireland breeder Matthew Burleigh’s Matt’s pedigree flock stood Supreme Champion for the second consecutive year, also taking the Reserve Championship at The Northern Beltex Society’s annual winter show and sale of pedigree in-lamb ewes at Skipton Auction Mart.

Mr Burleigh, who travelled over from Shanra, Enniskillen, in Co Fermanagh, retained the title with his first prize shearling ewe, Matt’s Candle Light, which, like his 2017 victor, is a daughter of Kingledores Apollo. Bred out of a home-bred ewe that goes back to Matts Sparkie, Candle Light sold in-lamb to Hackney Corker for 800gns to the show judge, Karen Shutlleworth, who runs the Heber Park flock at Hargrave with her husband David.

Mr Burleigh, who established his Beltex flock in 2006, took the Reserve Champion title with the first prize ewe lamb, Matt’s Destiny, an embryo daughter of Murrays Code, out of a Dean Brow ewe, which made 450gns when also selling locally to father and daughter, Mike and Becki Davis, who run the Rathbone flock at Ravenshaw Farm, Eldroth.

 

The Irish vendor also received 550gns for another home-bred shearling ewe again scanned in-lamb to Hackney Corker. She joined another local buyer, Ellis Bros, of Addingham Moorside.

The Davis family itself won prizes in all three show classes as well as the second top call of 750gns for their Y Bedol A-Team ET shearling ewe daughter, Rathbone Clara, claimed by Geoff Riby, of Bridlington, a familiar face at Skipton.

Another regular vendor from Northern Ireland, Elizabeth McAllister, who runs the Artnagullion pedigree flock with her brother William at Kells, Ballymena, achieved three 500gns shearling ewe sales. First was the second prize winner, Artnagullion Calamity Jane, a Corra Rambo daughter scanned carrying twins to Tercrosset Blaze, which joined Simon Garth in Keasden.

The other two, both in-lamb daughters of The Bare Boy, also sold locally to Tom Crosdale, of Clapham, and Barnoldswick’s Laura Robinson

The red rosette-winning aged ewe came from a first-time vendor from West Wales, Ioan Jones, who runs the Tywi pedigree flock in Maesybont, near Llanelli in Carmartenshire. His 2015-born ET daughter of Ballydown Thunderbolt, scanned carrying twins to the 5,200gns Woodies Bojangles, sold for 480gns.

Gimmer lambs averaged £273, up on the previous year’s £252, with aged ewes averaging £336, well up on 2017’s £273. Shearling gimmers averaged £465.50, compared to £721 the previous year.

Sponsoring for the first time at Skipton were agricultural asset finance company Mulberry Farming, represented by Rebecca Briathwaite, and JG Animal Health.

Another highlight was the presentation of a cheque for £2,402, the proceeds of a charity auction staged by The Northern Beltex Society earlier this year at Stuart and Gail Currie’s Beautry House in Rathmell in aid of the North West Air Ambulance.

Results to follow.

---

Back to Previous Years...