Breed record smashed at Carlisle Beltex sale

This year’s Beltex Premier Sale in Carlisle saw a top bid of 65,000gns lead the trade and set a new breed record, surpassing the 60,000gns mark set at the same sale two years ago.

Setting the new record was Airyolland Castro from Newton Stewart based breeders Neale and Janet McQuistin’s Airyolland flock.

Airolland Castro – New Breed record of 65,000gns, with vendors Neale and Janet McQuistin and buyers Paul & Christine Tippets

One of more than 1,700 Beltex sheep catalogued for the society’s largest UK sale to date – Castro is by the home-bred Airyolland Asulam out of Airyolland Tramp, a Corstane Max daughter.

Paying the new record price, were Paul and Christine Tippetts, Shifnal, Shropshire, for their Hackney and Wilodge flocks, with the same buyers responsible for the breed’s previous best price.

Breeder Neale McQuistin said it was a “dream come true”.

“Janet has returned to work on the farm full time in the last few years and that has allowed us to give a lot more attention to detail in the breeding programme of our Beltex flock,” he said.

This has resulted in the breeding of Airyolland Castro who has matured into a tremendous shearling ram and is from a home-bred bloodline, being by Airyolland Asulam.

Buyer Paul Tippetts said he and his wife, Christine, had been drawn to Airyolland Castro as he is a Beltex tup with size, shape and character. “He provides new bloodlines in our genetic pool and will enhance our breeding policy.”

Average prices from the sale are listed below:

708 shearling rams: £1,211.81;

184 ram lambs: £1,256.23;

20 aged rams: £1,333.50;

261 gimmers: £791.89.

Second best of the sale at 15,000gns was Black Jack Casanova from Ross and Kirsty Williams, Aberdeenshire.

Black Jack Casanova – 15,000gns

The son of Padkin Sugar Daddy is out of a Callacrag dam by Clary Navy and sold in a two-way split to Messrs Hall, Carlisle, Cumbria, and the McQuistin’s who were reinvesting some of their earnings.