Northern Dorset Breeders Club

The only sheep breed that can and will, lamb naturally out of season

Gisburn Show and Sale 2019

34854EFC-CB60-4425-AF96-366BD008ED0F

Saturday 10th August saw the Northern Dorset Breeders Club hold its annual show and sale, the 3rd one now at Gisburn Auction Mart. Judging of the pre-sale show was left in the capable hands of Mr George Robson of the Ballyhamage Flock, Co. Antrim. Claiming the Championship was the shearling gimmer Sandy Lane A4990 from Sam Driver, sired by Deverill Xenon and scanned carrying a single to Huish Alpha. After a flurry of bids, she was secured by new breeder Julie Bradley for the day’s top price of 560gns. The reserve ticket went to the Male Champion, Waggoners Adonis from Club Chairman Alec Steff. Sired by Poorton Zephyr, stock ram at the Waggoners and Dynamite flocks, Waggoners Adonis goes back home to Ballyhamage with Mr Robson.

A full ring of buyers including many new faces made sure that females were a spirited trade. Good quality females were very much in demand and there was certainly an appetite for more. Individual females continued to sell well following the champion. The smart run of five individual ewe lambs from Sheila Gray’s Burley flock peaked at 295gns for the Downkillybegs Windfall sired ewe lamb Burley B530. The very eye catching first prize ewe lamb from Stuart Alderson’s Paddock Leach flock sold away at 210gns with her pen mates following closely at 205gns. The first prize pen of five went to Alec Steff with a pen of aged ewes which sold away at 165gns.

Dorset Horns proved popular with Alex Birch’s 1 crop ewe, High Rakes Z23 getting away at 230gns. Scanned in lamb to the High Rakes flock new stock ram, Sandy Lane Action Man who was Best Horn Exhibit at Carlisle Spring Stars 2019. The Best Horn Exhibit and second prize shearling ewe Sandy Lane A5410 sold away to the same bidder, Mr Blackshaw for 220gns.

Rams followed the trend for the year and were harder to find homes for. The second prize shearling ram Sandy Lane Ambrose topped the ram trade at 320gns. This ram was sired by the homebred ram Sandy Lane Zippy, who is currently breeding well in the Sherborne flock in Dorset. Alex birch’s shearling horn ram High Rakes Axle sired by Island View Xcel was the next best priced ram at 290gns. The first prize ram lamb Paddock Leach Ben, from Stuart Alderson was next away at 220gns.

The club would like to extend its thanks to our judge Mr George Robson for spending the day sharing his expertise. We would also like to thank our auctioneer Rachel and all the Gisburn staff for their continued support and excitement to make sure the sale goes from strength to strength. We look forward to the 2020 sale and would encourage members who haven’t tried the sale yet to give it a go. There’s a growing demand for quality females at this venue and if members support this sale, we can continue to push the breed forward in the North of England.

Supreme Champion – Mr S Driver (Shearling Gimmer)

Male Champion – Mr A Steff (Shearling Ram)

Female Champion – Mr S Driver (Shearling Gimmer)

Best Horn Exhibit – Mr S Driver (Shearling Gimmer)

Shearling Ewe

  1. Mr S Driver
  2. Mr S Driver
  3. Mr A Steff

Ewe Lamb

  1. Mr S Alderson
  2. S & J Gray
  3. Mr S Alderson
  4. Mr A Birch
  5. S & J Gray

Shearling Ram

  1. Mr A Steff
  2. Mr S Driver
  3. Mr A Steff
  4. Mr A Birch

Ram Lamb

  1. Mr S Alderson
  2. S&J Gray
  3. Mr J Allen