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06/12/06
Back-to-back championship wins were achieved by Wharfedale husband
and wife farmers Mark and Helen Keighley at the 14th annual winter
sale of pedigree Texel females at Craven Cattle Marts’ Skipton
Auction Mart. (Sat, Dec 2).
Mark Keighley with his Texel pedigree
female winter shearling
ewe champion,
joined by judge Mark Ireland.
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The couple, of Manderlea Farm, Castley Lane, Leathley, Otley,
were on top form at the fixture, staged on behalf of the Northern
Area Texel Sheep Breeders, of which Mark is vice-chairman and
Helen sale secretary.
They again took the overall title with an in-lamb shearling ewe,
Manderlea Kam05137. The sire is Strathbogie Knock Out, whose
mother was Royal Highland Show Champion in 2003 and sold for £10,000.
The prolific line goes right back to the great grand sire, Barrowby
Well To Do, one of the first tups bought by the Keighleys.
Like the 2005 victor, this year’s champion is also in lamb
to Millburn Lovejoy, who is by Cornerstone Ivanhoe, a full brother
to Cornerstone Isaac, who has sold tup lambs to 48,000 guineas.
The title winner made the day’s top price of 1,250 guineas
when selling to long distance traveller EA Cox & Son, of
Farringdon, Oxfordshire.
Judge Mark Ireland, of Whalley, commented: “It was a tremendous
show of well-bodied sheep, though the champion made it easy to
judge, being a good all-round shearling, very correct on its
legs.”
The Keighley’s Manderlea flock was also responsible for
the runner-up in the shearlings class with Manderlea Kam05064,
like the victor a product of Strathbogie Knock Out and also in
lamb to Millburn Lovejoy. The second prize winner realised the
second-best price of 1,120 guineas when joining Cumbrian farmer
I Graham, of Plumpton, Penrith.
Mr Graham also paid 440 guineas, top price in class, for the
first prize ewe and reserve show champion, Heyworth Lodge LSH0416,
from Jennifer Lodge, of Moseley Grange, Moss, Doncaster, winner
of this year’s Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders large
flock competition. The Skipton reserve title winner is by Wartle
Jewel In Crown and is in lamb to the 5,000 guineas Templand Limited
Edition.
To cap an excellent day, Mark and Helen Keighley also had a clean
sweep of prizes in the ewe lambs class, with both the winner
and runner-up selling for the joint top price of 200 guineas,
the former to Jennifer Lodge, the latter again to Mr Graham.
Bert Verity, of Barrowby Grange Farm, Kirkby Overblow, Harrogate,
had shearling ewes sell at 460 guineas and 400 guineas, along
with a two-shear ewe at 300 guineas, while Stuart Currie, of
Beautry House, Rathmell, saw a shearling sell at 430 guineas.
John Mellin, of Hull House Farm, Hellifield, presented a strong
pen of eight shearling ewes, which sold to a top price of 550
guineas and averaged over £400 a head.
Selling prices showed a marked improvement on last year’s
corresponding fixture. Ewes averaged £220, shearling ewes £292
and ewe lambs £156.
Results:
Ewes – 1 Jennifer Lodge, Moss, 2 HR Verity, Kirkby
Overblow, 3 JM&M Perrings, Rathmell.
Shearling ewes – 1 & 2
Mark and Helen Keighley, Leathley, 3 Jennifer Lodge.
Ewe lambs – 1,
2 & 3 – M&H Keighley.
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