A duo of Valais Blacknose sheep breed records were smashed at the Blacknose Beauties national show and sale in Carlisle.
A new record for the highest priced Valais Blacknose sold was set when a two-year-old ram went under the hammer for 14,000gn, while a new female record was also set when a Scottish-bred gimmer sold for 10,500gn.
The overall record-breaker, when sold at Harrison and Hetherington’s Borderway Mart, was Snowdonia Goliath.
Put forward by Welsh breeders Gerallt and Kerry Jones, Goliath is a March 2019-born embryo-bred son of Westmorland Ego, out of Gemstones May.
He was crowned reserve overall champion in the pre-sale show, and sold in a two-way split to the Dyrffryn and Valeview flocks, which are both based in Denbigh in Wales.
The next best price in the male section of 9,000gn was paid twice.
First at this price, selling to Messrs Simonini, Bampton, Penrith, Cumbria, was the reserve male champion.
This was ram lamb, Prendwick Invinsible, from Northumberland breeder Jamie Wood’s Prendwick flock. He is a March-born embryo-bred son of Prendwick Everest, out of Prendwick Dot.
The other at 9,000gn was shearling ram Highland Hendrix from Tomintoul breeders Raymond Irvine and Jenni McAllister. An embryo-bred son of Prendwick Eros, and out of Highland Eden, he sold to Messrs Beattie, Omagh, Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, the new female record price of 10,500gn was paid for the overall champion from the pre-sale show.
This was a gimmer named Highland Harmonie from Jenni McAllister and Raymond Irvine. By the 10,000gn Highland Egbert, and out of Highland Fandabbidozie, she sold to Messrs Coates, Filey, North Yorkshire.
The Coates family also paid 8,500gn for the reserve female champion.
This was March-born embryo-bred ewe lamb, Cumberland Isa, from Kewsick breeders Adam and Alisha Kirkbride. Isa is by Highland King Kong and out of Prendwick Edwinna.
Jenni McAllister, who works as secretary at the Valais Blacknose Society as well as running the Highland flock, said: “It’s been great to be back showing after two years and even better to see old friends and new.
“It’s amazing to see the popularity of the breed continuing to grow year on year and the number of new breeders increasing.”
Averages: aged ram, one, £14,700; shearling rams, five, £3,990; ram lambs, 10, £2,761.50; ewes, seven, £3,750; gimmers, eight, £4,948.13; and ewe lambs, 18, £3,572.92.
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