Oxfords to £450 at Carlisle

Oxford Downs consigned to the Carlisle native breeds sale 2023 by Andrew Rutherford of Guards Farm, Gretna, Dumfriesshire peaked at £450 twice, for both rams and gimmers from his Langrigg flock.

There was strong demand for the gimmers and more could have been sold. Leading the females at £450 was a gimmer sired by the former breed record holder Billesdons Braveheart and which has been running with service sire Greenlands Garrosh. It sold to Jack Richardson to add to his Rose-Dene flock at Newton-on-Derwent, York. Another two gimmers went to the same home at £400 apiece.

Just behind the top bid was a £420 sale to Adam Atkins of Atkins Agriculture, Mason Green Farm, Halifax, West Yorkshire buying for the Mountainstorm flock.

Local breeder Matthew Tomkins from Hallsford Farm, Hethersgill, Carlisle, Cumbria took a further two Langrigg gimmers at £400 each to join his Hallsford Oxford flock which runs alongside a Llanwenog flock that is used to supply the Tomkins’ farm shop business.

Top price for rams was a £450 Langrigg shearling selling to Tom & Sue Lamb for the Fleetham flock at East Fleetham, Seahouses, Northumberland. This one is a son of Billesdons Braveheart out of a Langrigg Ranger ewe. Two Langrigg shearling rams made £300, firstly to Matthew Tomkins, Hallsford and the second crossing the Border to go for commercial work with Messrs Andrew, Newmills of Monkwood, Maybole, Ayrshire.

Sale Summary

7 gimmers sold to £450 and averaged £395.71

3 shearling rams sold to £450 and averaged £350.00

Overall, 10 head sold to £450 and averaged £382.00

Auctioneers: Harrison & Hetherington