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23/09/08
The first prize winner in the Texel shearling rams class at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show progressed to take supreme championship honours at the 27th Northern Area Texel Sheep Breeders Association two-day show and sale of pedigree rams and females at Skipton Auction Mart. (Thus & Fri, Sept 18 & 19)
Adam Richardson with the Skipton Texel supreme champion
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The victor came from the South Yorkshire-based Stonebridge Texel flock of Stephen and Sherry Richardson, Mount Pleasant Farm, Great Houghton, Barnsley, and was exhibited by their chartered accountant son Adam.
Their well-bred champion – Stonebridge Number One – certainly lived up to its name at the popular annual fixture, where a 402-strong turnout was well up on last year’s hard-hit show, first rearranged due to foot and mouth, then suffering a double blow on the eve of the event when the imposition of new Bluetongue control zones led to a much-depleted entry.
It was the Richardsons’ first championship success at the popular Skipton fixture, the title winner, also male champion, being a product of their own stock tup Annan Liquid Gold, by a home-bred dam. The grand-dam also produced Stonebridge Kudos and Stonebridge Knockout, sold for 3,500 guineas and 3,000 guineas respectively at Lanark.
The supreme champion sold for 920 guineas, top price of the day, to Nick Dalby, Harrogate. The Richardsons also had another shearling ram sell for 820 guineas to Chris Heseltine, Bolton Abbey, the duo forming part of a six-strong consignment of rams that all sold well to an average of 634 guineas.
All other main trophy winners were debutants in the exhibition arena. The reserve male and overall reserve champion was Alwent Ontario, a ram lamb from County Durham breeder Doug Nesbitt, of T Nesbitt & Son, Alwent Cottage, Winston, Darlington.
By the £20,000 Glenside Ludo, second prize ram lamb at Carlisle in 2005, out of a home-bred ewe, the runner-up made 700 guineas when acquired by J & S Wilkinson, of Barningham, Richmond.
The Wilkinsons’ Langlands flock was also responsible for the top priced entry in the ram lambs class, their second prize winner knocked down for 740 guineas to Robert and Raymond Heigh, High Bentham.
The female champion was a home-bred shearling ewe from the Tophill flock of David Houghton, based at Isherwood Farm, Affetside, Bury, who was supreme champion, again with a shearling ewe, at Skipton in 2007.
By the Tophill stock ram Ettrick Mighty Mouse, out of a dam sired by former Great Yorkshire show winner Haltcliffe Jaguar, the leading female sold for 440 guineas locally to John Sutcliffe, Horton-in-Ribblesdale.
Reserve female champion was another shearling ewe, representing the locally based Pergill flock of Margaret Perrings, of JM & M Perrings, Tilt Hammer Mill, Rathmell, Settle, who had earlier sent out the Texel shearling gimmer champion at this year’s Kilnsey Show.
Exhibited by daughter Jill, the daughter of Haddo Morangie, a Lanark acquisition two years ago, joined another buyer Alan Harker, of Long Preston, for 300 guineas.
The second prize shearling ram from Jennifer Lodge, of Moseley Grange, Moss in South Yorkshire, made 650 guineas when joining the Wharfedale-based Manderlea flock of Northern Area Texel Sheepbreeders’ chairman Mark Keighley, of Leathley. Mark also bought a ram lamb from Jennifer at 740 guineas.
The third prize shearling ram from Graham Taylor’s Parkholme flock in Thirsk made 720 guineas when joining B & A Myers and Daughters, Harrogate, while the same vendor also sold a second shearling ram from the renowned Muiresk bloodline to Doug Freeman, Ambleside, for 700 guineas.
Another shearling ram from the Meinspride holding of Angela Nairey, Bank Hey Farm, Livsey, Blackburn, remained in the same area when joining David Pawson, Billinge Nook Farm, Blackburn, for 800 guineas.
Local breeder David Towell’s Moor Top flock at Upper Leys Farm, Glusburn Moor, Keighley, had by far the best record in the females section, heading the prices in both the shearling ewe and ewe lamb classes at 850 guineas and 260 guineas respectively.
The shearling joined West Cumbrian buyer AW Beattie, St Bees, and the lamb D & S Prince, Chesterfield. David successfully sold a total of seven Texel females at an average of 530 guineas.
Show judge was John Campbell, Chathill, and sponsors Mewies Solicitors, Bladgen Electrical Services, both based in Skipton, and Newline ASP, Newton Abbott.
Gimmer shearlings averaged £226.77, ewe lambs £146.05, aged rams £384, shearling rams £421.16 and ram lambs £262.
Mark Keighley commented: “Prices reflected the quality of the sheep on show, with good money for superior quality females and ram lambs selling a lot better than anticipated.”
Results: Shearling ewe – 1 J D Houghton, Bury, 2 JM&M Perrings, Rathmell, 3 Mark Keighley, Leathley. Ewe lambs – 1 David Towell, Glusburn, 2 Coral North, Moss, 3 J & RM Lucas & Son Fimber. Shearling ram – 1 S&S Richardson, Great Houghton, 2 Jennifer Lodge, Moss, 3 Graham Taylor, Thirsk. Ram lamb – 1 T Nesbitt & Son, Winston, 2 J&S Wilkinson, Barningham, 3 Jennifer Lodge.
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