Page 65 - Beltex Year Book 2024

www.beltex.co.uk
CARLISLE PREMIER
63
Having headed up the Thursday evening of shearling ewes
at 12,000gns it was Andrew Wainwright’s Todhall pen that
was very much in demand to top the shearling ram offering
at 42,000gns with another at 28,000gns during the Beltex
Sheep Society’s Premier Sale at Carlisle on Friday, 11
August.
With commercial producers seeing the value of using the Beltex
ram as a terminal sire with pens of prime and store lambs
topping the auction rings the length and breadth of the country,
the top pedigree prices were backed up by an exceptionally
strong demand from commercial buyers, resulting in an average
of £1722 for 532 sold. This compared to 575 at £1865 in 2022
and 669 at £1500 in 2021, thanks to seven five-figure prices
and plenty more in the 5000gns plus bracket.
There was no doubting the leading pen though as the Todhall
consignment from near Cupar, Fife, had already picked up the
President’s Award for the best pen of shearlings as judged by
Society President, Sue Wilkinson, and the crowd that followed
them to the ring was testament to that.
Todhall Hercules ET is, in fact, a full brother to the 12,000gns
Todhall Helen ET sold the previous evening, being by the
9000gns Wannop’s Godfather and bred from Todhall Estelle,
herself a daughter of the 10,000gns Callacrag Bull’s Eye that
bred well in the flock. Following a flurry of bids from the
ringside, Hercules was knocked down to Alfie Taylor of the
Heatheryhall Flock, with Richard Wood at Kingledores, Paul
Tippets at Hackney, and Stuart Wood, Woodies, later taking a
share each.
The Todhall trade didn’t stop there, however, as the very next lot,
Todhall Hugo ET, sold to Neale and Janet McQuistin for their
Airyolland Flock near Newton Stewart for 28,000gns. He is again
by the Wannop’s Godfather but his dam, Todhall Cleopatra, offers
some different breeding as she is by Rathbone Alien.
Early on in the sale, local lad Brian Hall saw his Ainstable
Hammer ET start at an opening bid of 5000gns and swiftly rose
to 30,000gns as the hammer fell at that price to the initial
bidder, Paul Slater, of the Whiteley Hey cross-bred flock near
Macclesfield, Chesire. Champion at both Skelton Show where
he also claimed the Inter-breed title, and Penrith Show, Hammer
is by the Kingledores Engleburt ram that bred well for Brian,
while his dam is the Bailey Brook CR7-sired Black Jack Esmeralda
that made 4500gns at the Beltex Beauties a few years back.
TODHALL’S TOPPERS AT CARLISLE
10 -11
AUGUST
Sale topper at 42,000gns was Todhall Hercules ET
from Andrew Wainwright
Andrew welcomed a further 28,000gns for Todhall Hugo ET
Selling for the second highest price of 30,000gns was
Ainstable Hammer ET