THERE was a packed ringside at Leyburn mart where local breeders David and Joan Ford held the dispersal sale of their well-known Harmby Moor flock of Charollais sheep.
After 15 years of breeding and show-ring success, the dispersal resulted from their decision to concentrate on the dairying side of the business and provided opportunities to buy first-class group 1 and 2 genotype breeding stock.
The fourth sheep in the ring, a four-crop ewe by Penywen Hercules, went at 1,100 gns to Mr Whittaker, Hundalee House, Jedburgh. The same buyer also took a two-crop Harmby Moor Craven daughter at 580gns and a one-crop ewe by Crogham Fangio at 420gns.
A two-crop Craven daughter, which was the 1999 Great Yorkshire Show first prize ewe lamb, went to Alan Thomas at 1,050gns to join his Tilton flock at Lutterworth.
Progeny of Grangehall Admiral, bought at Lanark in 2000, proved to be the most sought-after. The "Fords" sons, Martin and Charles, who are following careers in medicine and the Army, bought a total of 11 lots through their agent, John Roe, to found their new Diamond Hill flock, taking three outstanding Admiral shearling ewes at 1,800gns, 1,200gns and 750gns. A 500gns bid secured an Admiral daughter for the Leelaw flock of Russell Gray, Lanark, and Ian Craig from Antrim paid 750gns for a Crogham Fangio daughter for his Ballynoe House flock.
W & C Ingram from Inverurie took 18 lots , paying 1,600gns for the pick of this year's crop of Admiral daughters, another of which provided the next best ewe lamb price of 1,200gns from R Gregory, Shrewsbury.
Stock rams sold to 750gns for Harmby Moor Broadsword, a shearling son of Admiral bought by J Allison, East Kilbride. Ram lambs twice sold to 700gns. The first, a Harmby Moor Arkle son, went to J Geldard, Kendal, for his Wraycastle flock, and the second, an Admiral son, joins the Mac flock of W & J McCurdie, Rugby.
Auctioneers: Lawrie & Symington, Lanark in conjunction with Leyburn auction mart.
Averages: 84 ewes £286.38; 49 shlg ewes £379.29; 51 ewe lambs £263.73; 6 stock rams £444.94; 23 ram lambs £256.1.
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