Southdown breeders witnessed history being made at the Platinum Celebration Sale from Jonathan Long and family’s Chaileybrook flock of Southdowns at Worcester on Saturday 7th December.
With the breed record beaten twice and the previous breed female record topped by no fewer than three sheep, the sale recorded an overall average of £1164 for 27 sold and peaked at 6500gns, with the next best at 6000gns.
Taking the day’s top call of 6500gns and setting a new female and breed record at the sale, which was staged to celebrate the family’s 70 years of breeding Southdowns, was the three-crop ewe Chaileybrook 20/00693.
Sired by the homebred Chaileybrook 19/00560 and out of a homebred dam by Chaileybrook Tadpole, this one sold carrying twins to Calley Castle Firestarter. She had bred the breed championship winning ewe lamb at this year’s Royal Three Counties Show which was one-half of the reserve interbreed pairs champion at the same show as well as being first prize ewe lamb at the breed’s National Show.
After a frenetic bidding battle, she was knocked down to Amy Page, buying on behalf of James Langmead’s Basing flock, Alton, Hampshire.
Following hot on her heels was another of the star lots, the flock’s 2024 show gimmer which had been champion at this year’s National Show at Royal Bath and West, as well as being unbeaten in 2023 as a ewe lamb. This was Chaileybrook 23/01772, a daughter of the homebred Chaileybrook The Stag and out of a dam by the imported French sire Dartagnan. Selling again in-lamb with twins to Calley Castle Firestarter, she was taken by Stephen Cobbald for his Lavenham flock, Suffolk.
Next in line and the final lot to top the previous female record was Chaileybrook 22/01371 at 2700gns. Another by the homebred Chaileybrook The Stag, she had been interbreed champion at Burwarton Show as a gimmer in 2023 and is out of a dam by Chaileybrook 18/00278. She went home with Maria Cork for the Yeaside flock, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, carrying a single to Dartagnan.
Then came a 1200gns call for another of the three-crop ewes, Chaileybrook 20/00703. This powerful daughter of the imported sire Percheron is out of a dam by another imported sire, Sarkozy, and sold carrying twins to Dartagnan. Buying this one for the Chapel House flock was Tom Chester, Needwood, Staffordshire.
Next best came a trio at 800gns, with the first of these being the one-crop ewe Chaileybrook 22/01365. She’s by Chaileybrook Beaujolais and out of a dam by Chaileybrook 17/0032. She was offered in-lamb with twins to Calley Castle Firestarter and sold to Emily Yates, Lichfield, Staffordshire, for her Fulfen flock.
Jess Stanger of the Meadow flock, Newark, Nottinghamshire, then paid the same money for another Chaileybrook Beaujolais daughter, Chaileybrook 23/01762. She’s out of Chaileybrook 20/00703, a Percheron daughter which had made 1200gns earlier in the sale and sold carrying twins to Chaileybrook The Stag.
The final 800gns call came for the best of the ewe lambs on offer, Chaileybrook 24/02130. She’s by Calley Castle Firestarter and out of a Chaileybrook Beaujolais daughter. This one was another taken by Tom Chester for the Chapel House flock.
The guest consignment from Sophie Long’s Littlebrook flock claimed the next best price when taking 750gns for Chaileybrook 23/01817. This gimmer is by imported sire Dartagnan and out of a dam by Chaileybrook Tadpole. From the same family as the 1200gns Littlebrook Eddie The Eagle and carrying twins to Calley Castle Firestarter, she was bought by J C Burdge, Harptree, Bristol, for the Grey Hollow flock.
Three more then made 700gns. First to hit this level was Chaileybrook 21/01048, dam of the 800gns ewe lamb, Chaileybrook 24/02130. She’s by Chaileybrook Beaujolais and out of a dam by Sarkozy. Buying her, carrying twins to Calley Castle Firestarter, was previous buyer J C Burdge.
Second to make this money was one-crop ewe Chaileybrook 22/01364. She’s by Chaileybrook Beaujolais and out of a dam by Chaileybrook 17/0032. This one was sold carrying a single to Calley Castle Firestarter and was another bought by Emily Yates.
And the final 700gns bid came from previous buyer J C Burdge when buying Chaileybrook 22/01352. Sired. By Chaileybrook The Stag, she’s out of a dam by Chaileybrook 18/00278 and sold in-lamb with twins to Calley Castle Firestarter.
Averages: 14 Chaileybrook in-lamb ewes £1241.25, one Littlebrook in-lamb ewe £525, five Chaileybrook in-lamb gimmers £1785, two Littlebrook in-lamb gimmers £735, three Chaileybrook ewe lambs £595, one Littlebrook ewe lamb £525 (McCartneys).
Images: (from left to right)
Leading the Chaileybrook Platinum Anniversary Sale of Southdowns at Worcester on Saturday was a three-crop ewe selling for 6500gns to James Langmead for his Basing flock.
Selling for 2700gns to Maria Cork for her Yeaside flock was the former Burtwarton Show interbreed champion.
The flock’s show gimmer from this year then attracted strong bidding, selling for 6000gns to Stephen Cobbald for his Lavenham flock.
