A top price of 1600gns (£1680) was achieved at the British Charollais Sheep Society’s annual autumn show and sale at CCM Skipton Auction Mart on October 12 with a quality entry of 47 head of in-lamb females and ewe lambs achieving an excellent sale clearance rate of over 90 per cent. 

The handsome top figure was realised for a December '23-born twin ET lamb from the Kirkhouse flock of David Norman, of Setmurthy, near Cockermouth, Cumbria, whose entry was second in its class and also took the reserve champion rosette. The lamb was sired by Banwy Oh What A Boy, and out of a Ballynow House Playboy-bred Springhill ewe. Its new home is with Tom Newth, of Castle Cary, Somerset.

A second lamb, a twin sired by Crunklaw Whiskey Mac out of a Kirkhouse dam, earned Mr Norman a fourth prize rosette.

Having taken the top podium position last autumn with a ewe lamb, Mr Norman had to make way this year to Charles and Valerie Marwood whose consignment from the Foulrice flock based at Whenby, near York, saw judge George Hoggard, of Kirton, Nottinghamshire, award the supreme champion rosette to their class winning December 2023-born ewe lamb, one of twins sired by Foulrice Aristocrat out of a Foulrice dam. The lamb later sold for 900gns (£945) to R&J Towers, of Ingleton. The Marwood family had a good day in the shearling section selling eight sheep ranging from 600gns to 800gns and earning a third prize rosette for a shearling ewe that went on to sell for 800gns (£840) to AF&KL Hodsman, of Malton.

George, who was making his judging debut at Skipton, runs around 20 Charollais in his Manor House flock, but lambs around 150 recipients which have embryos implanted by Charollais and Blue Texels.

He said of Saturday's entries: "It was good to see a relatively even quality line of sheep in each class. Ewe lambs were particularly strong hence both my champion and reserve being from that class.

"My champion from the Marwood family was a very well grown, sparky lamb that first and foremost was very correct. It was hard to walk past her with how she showed herself off and stood square at every moment. My reserve from the Kirkhouse flock was a real breedy lamb. Both my champion and reserve possessed Charollais qualities I look for and the style and cockiness pre-sale show winners should demand."

Dumfries farmers, Messrs Sloan and Jackson, sold shearling ewes to 1200gns (£1260) when their Foxhill Va Va Voom daughter carrying a single lamb was knocked down to AKJ&H Richardson, of Silkstone Common, Barnsley. The same buyer clinched County Antrim farmer James Houston’s first prize December 2022-born shearling ewe, a triplet, sired by Loanhead Vanquish, and carrying a single lamb to the 5200gns Logie Durno ram, for 1000gns (£1050).

Sloan and Jackson sold a second shearling at 950gns, by Carnew Wisecrack out of a Loanhead Topgun ewe, to KA&JE Gascoigne of Flockton. The vendors completed their sales with two further sheep at 800gns, one which claimed fourth prize in the shearling class and was also bought by KA&JE Gascoigne.

The third prize ewe lamb from Deborah Whitcher’s Galtres flock was a single lamb out of a Galtres dam sired by Artnagullion Armani.

Overall averages were £672.45 for shearling ewes and £550.94 for ewe lambs.

Autumn Charms sale sees huge ringside interest Also on Saturday, October 12, a standalone non-society ‘Autumn Charms’ sale held at the Skipton mart was a resounding success yet again featuring consignments from three Charollais sheep breed stalwarts: Kenton Foster, who runs the Fosters flock in Garriston, Leyburn; the Sulwood flock of Geoff and Carol Watson, from Desborough, Northants; and the Tilton flock of Alan and Andrew Thomas, of Leicestershire.

The sale created a huge amount of interest ringside and some very strong averages at the conclusion of the sale. Kenton Foster brought forward a large draft of shearlings and ewes which sold to 1300gns (£1365) for a Fosters sired ewe bred from a Maerdy Musketeer homebred ewe, sold carrying twins to Manor House Bullseye. The purchaser was N Henderson, of Stirling, for the Castleview flock. Kenton also sold in-lamb flock ewes to 900gns (£945) for a Fosters sired ewe, and out of a Moelfryn Tip Top ewe. Carrying twins to Loaningfoot Captain it sold to K Belfield, of Buxton.

After over 30 years of breeding Charollais sheep Geoff Watson has decided to ‘hang up his lambing crook’ and offer some tremendous families from the Sulwood flock. Sulwood Bubblegum was the star performer. Sired by Bincombe Warrior, out of a Cannahars Rocket Fuel daughter and carrying triplets to Alloaks Bosun it followed its full sister at last year’s sale by making 1800gns (£1890). The purchaser was J Danforth, of Tadcaster. Another Bincombe Warrior shearling this time from a Maerdy got ewe sold with twins to the same service sire and made 1200gns ((£1260) to C Mitton, of Bolton by Bowland. The remainder of the Sulwood consignment made from 700gns to 900gns.

The final consignment from Alan and Andrew Thomas’ Tilton flock was a genuine reduction of flock ewes, all in lamb to Springhill Craftsman and all type 1 genotype sheep. They sold to 1400gns (£1470) for the Bincombe Warrior daughter, a two shear carrying twins. The purchaser was RJ Tindall, of Wetherby. The remainder of the Tilton flock ewes sold from 500gns to 750gns.

The consignment sale collective averages were: flock ewes £715.38; shearling ewes £819.44; and ewe lambs £800. Ewes made to 1400gns (av £715) shearling ewes to 1800gns (av £819) ewe lambs to 900gns (av £800).