For the first time, the Classy Lassies sale of Crossing Leicesters and the Blue Belles sale of Traditional Bluefaced Leicesters were held on the same day in Borderway Mart Carlisle.

The sales attracted a massive crowd of Bluefaced Leicester breeders to Borderway, which led to a strong sale for both the traditional and crossing type Leicesters.

There was a bumper entry for the annual Blue Belles sale of Traditional Bluefaced Leicester females, attracting a large ringside crowd leading to a very strong sale.

This strong trade was evident throughout the entire sale with in-lamb ewe averages up £22 (€26), and in-lamb shearling ewes up £450 (€536) on the 2024 sale averages.

Judge for the day, Jack Kay, had no easy task with a strong entry of just over 80 lots.

It was an impressive pen of in-lamb shearling ewes from the Kirkstead flock that stole the show firstly, taking the champion spot in the pre-sale show with their leading lot that then went on to top the sale selling for 5,000gns (€6,259).

This champion shearling ewe was packed with a show-winning pedigree; with her sire, £5,000 N11 Bonvilston, winning reserve interbreed at the 2022 Highland Show and her dam, L22 Kirkstead, taking the reserve champion spot on two occasions at the Highland Show.

She was also scanned in-lamb carrying a single to the £12,000 Madrissa.

Taking this stand-out lot home with a successful bid was Kear Jones from Swansea.

The Kirkstead flock sold a total of eight in-lamb shearling ewes to obtain a pen average of £3,990 (€4,755).

Following the Kirkstead flock’s strong entry was the completion of the Burndale flock’s major reduction.

Their headliner was a smart in-lamb shearling ewe by the P2 Piel View; she goes back on her mother’s side to the J2 Burndale used at Rossiebank. She then sold for 2,500gns (€3,130) to Messrs Hayton.

There was a slightly smaller entry of 43 entries for the Classy Lassies but the quality of lots was extremely high; making it a tough job for the day’s judge, Graeme Jackson.

Jackson’s champion came in the form of a super empty ewe lamb from the Hewgill flock.

This standout ewe lamb was sired by the £3,000 Sealhouses tup and her dam was R93 Hewgill, one of the flock’s best ewes. She went on to top the sale selling for 9,500gns (€11,844) to an undisclosed buyer.

The reserve champion was another powerful ewe lamb that came from the Macqueston flock of Alec Brown.

This upstanding ewe lamb was no stranger to the show ring, taking the champion title at Carsphain and Dumfries show during the summer.

She was sired by the Hewgill R2 and out of a ewe that was sired by Highberries M1. Messrs Fallows of the Burnton flock was the successful purchaser of the eye-catching lamb with his bid of 6,800gns (€8,479).

The Macqueston flock’s success continued after selling another daughter of the Hewgill R2 for 2,500gns (€3,117) to Hugh Fergusson.

Topping the in-lamb shearling section was the Midlock flock’s pen leader. This smart shearling ewe was sired by P2 Riddings and she was scanned carrying triplets to the £10,000 T3 Steel.

She sold for 2,800gns (€3,493) to Messrs Ramsey. Midlock had another P2 Riddings daughter sell for 2,000gns (€2,376).

Her mother was the full sister to £40,000 Midlock Commander. She was sold carrying twins to S1 Middleton Hall, and was taken home by the McQuiston family.

It was John Smith-Jackson that sold the highest-priced ewe at 2,000gns (€2,376). This 2022-born ewe was by the Smearsett E1 and was scanned in-lamb to R22 Highberries. The successful purchaser of this massive ewe was Bob Lawrence.