Fort Forté to the Fore Again at Skipton Lleyn Show
2010-10-04

The Fort farming family retained their strong hold on both title-winning and top price honours at the annual Lleyn Sheep Society’s registered show and sale at Skipton Auction Mart. (Thurs, Sept 30)

Bev and Terry Fort with their Skipton Lleyn champion, joined by judge David Vickerton.

Brother and sister Terry, 24, and 26-year-old Beverley Fort, of Brighton House Farm, Whitley Head, Steeton, Keighley, saw their first prize shearling ram go on to be crowned show champion and head the selling prices at 1,300 guineas (£1,365) when joining T Riley, of Stoney Royd Farm, Midgley, Hebden Bridge.

Coincidentally, this equalled the top price achieved at the corresponding fixture last year by their parents Graham and Mandy Fort with the reserve champion shearling ram. That was on the back of the husband-and-wife duo landing the 2008 Skipton Lleyn’s championship with another yearling ram.

Graham is chairman of the North & East England Lleyn Sheep Breeders Club and between them the two generations of the Forts, who run their own flocks, have around 800 pedigree Lleyns.

A total of four shearling rams sold for four figures. Next best at 1,150gns was the third prize yearling from H & M Dugdale & Son, of Borrins Farm, Stackhouse, Settle, which found a new home in South Yorkshire when joining J E Harrison, of Owtson, Doncaster.

Two exhibitors and near neighbours from the original home of the Lleyn in North Wales – William Williams, of W J & D J Williams, Bodtacho, Nefyn, Pwllheli, and Wynne Davies, of A W Davies, Bronallt, Morfa Nefyn – made the trip worthwhile when seeing their rams each sell for 1,000gns to Alan Kay, Clitheroe, and Peter and David Knowles, Kendal.

Another long distance traveller, Scotsman David Alexander, of Millside Farm, Galston – the round trip from Ayrshire is almost 400 miles – saw his first prize pen of five shearling ewes and reserve show champions go on to head the female prices at £200 per head. The buyer was show judge David Vickerton, of Driffield.

Mr Alexendar also sold a second pen of shearling ewes at £178 to TA & J Swinbank, Brafferton, Darlington, bettered by the third prize pen from Wynne Davies, acquired at £190 a head by C A Ratciffe, Ashbourne. The second prize pen from John Geldard, of JA & R Geldard & Sons, Low Foulshaw Farm, Kendal, sold for £160 each to E Peace & Son, Penistone.

Prices in the ewe lambs classes were headed at £115 apiece for the fourth prize pen from Scottish-based Farmstock Genetics, of Over Whitlaw, Selkirk. The buyers were John Mares & Son, Darwen.

The first prize pen from William Williams was another acquisition at £105 per head by adjudicator David Vickerton, while the second prize pen from FS Dinsdale, Low Hall, Kirkby Stephen, sold for £102 to P Mitchell & Son, Stamford.

Results: Shearling Ewe -1st David Alexander, 2nd JA & R Geldard & Sons, 3rd AW Davies. Ewe Lambs -1st WJ & DJ Williams, 2nd FS Dinsdale, 3rd H Goldie. Shearling Rams - 1st T Fort, 2nd JA & R Geldard & Sons, 3rd H & M Dugdale & Sons.

Chief prices: Shearling Ewes - David Alexander £200, £178, AW Davies £190, £150, G & A Fort £165, L Jenkinson £155. Ewe Lambs - Famstock Genetics £115, £88 WJ & DJ Williams £105, FS Dinsdale £102, P Knowles £88. Ewes - J Arnold £85, £81, £70, £63, T Riley £82. Rams - G & A Fort 1300gns, H & M Dugdale 1150gns, AW Davies 1000gns, WJ & DJ Williams 1000gns. J Arnold 700gns

Averages - Shearling Ewes to £200 (av £136.60), Ewe Lambs to £115 (£75.71), Ewes to £85 (£77.21), Shearling Rams to 1300gns (£470.20), Aged Rams to 420gns (£304.50).

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