ON May 25, Charles Marwood held what was the first sale of pedigree sheep in the country since the end of the foot and mouth crisis.

Progeny of the noted stock ram Westonvale Jubilee were in demand at what was the second production sale from the Foulrice Charollais flock. Brisk bidding saw a top price of 2,100gns for a high index gimmer with show potential, which went to J Siviter, Tenbury Wells, Worcs, who took 11 lots averaging £540 to join his Lower Aston flock.

Second highest price, of 1,600gns, came by way of a telephone bid from Malcolm Reid for another gimmer to join his Meadowvale flock in Northern Ireland. Bill and Carole Ingram took another Jubilee daughter at 1,200gns for their noted Logie Durno flock at Pitcaple in Aberdeen.

A Caimhill Crusader daughter went to the Kerr Charollais flock at Canonbie, which is restocking after foot and mouth, and Pat Arrand of Thirsk also took four lots to help to restock her Stonecliffe flock which was also lost during the outbreak of the disease.

Several new breeders were also among the buyers, with Michael Hall of Skipton taking two lots at 660gns and 500gns, T Mawer of Grantham taking seven lots and C Parkin of Doncaster taking six lots.

Only class 1 and class 2 genotype sheep were on offer and all of the top-priced lots were class 1. David Dennis from Thirsk won a ewe lamb in the free draw to complement the seven lots he bought to expand his Silton Flock near Thirsk.

Sale averages for Foulrice gimmers were: 91 averaged £309 each. Three Clover gimmers from Anna and Deborah Marwood averaged £549, making the overall average for gimmers £317, with five rams averaging £411.

After the sale, Charles Marwood paid tribute to DEFRA and trading standards officials who he said had worked hard to help him find his way through the maze of regulations to enable this first private sale to go ahead so soon after the foot and mouth restrictions had been lifted.

Updated: 08:50 Thursday, May 30, 2002