Females reached 850gns on three occasions at the Northern Beltex Club’s sale at Craven Cattle Mart’s Skipton centre on Saturday, 11 December.

First to sell for that price was Hillview Daisy Duke, a 2018-born ewe from Neil and Jane Noble, Skelton in Cleveland, which was snapped up by Aberdeenshire’s Stuart Wood for his Woodies flock. Served by the home-bred Hillview Eusebio, her pedigree features Finniness Buzz on to the Matt’s Superman-sired Hillview Whoopsadaisy.

Northern Irish breeder, Matthew Burleigh, from Shanra, Enniskillen, sold the other two at 850gns, including the pre-sale Champion, Matt’s Falsehood ET. Selling to Michael Hall for his Hallmark flock near Airton, Skipton, scanned with a single to Buckles Fizzy Pop, this Edendiack Dancer daughter is out of Matt’s Www., herself by Pentland Showman.

Also making 850gns from the Matt’s flock, this time selling to Tom Crosdale for his Barndale flock near Cold Cotes, Clapham, was Matt’s Fanta ET, which is by Ardstewart Angus and bred from the Muirton A Penny’s Worth daughter, Hackney Birdie. She was served by the 14,000gns Murrays Expert.

Not far behind on 820gns when knocked down to Irish buyer, M Oliver, Swinford, County Mayo, was Matt’s Flip Flop, again by Ardstewart Angus but this time out of Matt’s Atomic, a Hackney Warrior daughter. She changed hands scanned with a pair to Buckles Fizzy Pop.

Averages: Five aged ewes, £464 (£400 in 2020); 16 shearling ewes, £485 (£566).