The Buckle family, from Buckles Farm, Barras, near Kirkby Stephen, were part of a partnership which paid the top price of 50,000gns at the Beltex Premier Sale held at Carlisle on Thursday and Friday.
Kevin Buckle and his sons Jack and Tom joined forces with Neale and Janet McQuistin, of Newton Stewart, James McGarva, from Lockerbie, and Rafe Cartman, of Skipton, to buy the champion of the pre-sale show, Alan Miller’s shearling ram Lurg Goliath ET.
The ram from Alan, wife Rachel and daughter Ellie, from Midmar, Inverurie, was the result of a flush from the 16,000gns Woodies Explosive, bought back in 2020, and the 3,000gns Sinclair’s Daisy, a Kingledores Battleaxe daughter bought the previous year and a favourite of Rachel’s.
Prior to selling, show judge Alfie Taylor, Lanark, said of Goliath: “He’s very well put together and balanced and just what a Beltex should be, with great character and carcass.”
The Buckles also achieved some good results when selling, receiving 6,000gns for their third prize ram lamb Buckles Harchibald ET, a son of the 10,000gns Gyffin Dexter shared with Andrew Morton’s Mortons Flock. Out of the noted College Adele, he caught the eye of David Lawrie, Grangehall Flock, Lanark.
The very next lot, a substitute named Buckles Hercules, which was again by Dexter, realised 5,750gns when knocked down to Louie Van Geffen, Geffens Flock, Carlton in Cleveland. His dam is the Buckles Espresso-sired Buckles Frappacino.
Overall, no fewer than 12 shearling rams sold for five-figure prices as 575 shearling rams cashed in to average £1,865, a rise of £365 on the year for 94 fewer. Four ram lambs broke the five-figure barrier as 131 lambs levelled at £2,044, up nearly £400 on the 2021 sale.
Females, however, met a stickier trade and were led by two at 3,500gns as 188 traded to average £675, against 250 at £991 last year.
Kevin Buckle, the Beltex Sheep Society chairman, said: “The shearling tup and tup lamb averages were very pleasing and we saw one of the best pens of Beltex tups there’s ever been in Carlisle.
“Gimmers were a more selective trade which maybe reflects a sign of the times with all the flushing that now takes place, but overall the majority of sellers returned home happy with their two days’ trading.”
