Scott Donaldson, Managing Director at Harrison & Hetherington, looks forward to Autumn trading and praises the important role of our hill farmers and shepherds.

“After one of the driest summers on record, with daytime temperatures akin to the Mediterranean, many of our customers have been challenged by the acute lack of grass and the worrying lack of water for livestock.

With some parts of the East and South of the country more like a desert than a green and pleasant land,  it would be fair to assume that livestock values would be hit hard, however, to date this has not been the case.  Prime sheep values are very similar to that of last year and store lambs are averaging up to £5 ahead of last year’s early sales, remarkable considering the grazing conditions.

As we say farewell to summer and welcome autumn, and with it the annual sales of breeding sheep, there is a real concern that without the usual influx of customers from the south due to the drought, that sale values will be severely depressed. In an attempt to safeguard the trade, and to encourage their regular southern  customers to attend these important sales, our regular vendors are actively seeking short-term grazing for the sheep destined for the south.

As well as our annual commercial breeding sales, over 3000 head of pedigree rams and females comprising of more than 20 different breeds have passed under the gavel at Borderway Mart to date this summer, grossing in excess of £4.5 million pounds.

The early commercial breeding sheep sales have levelled at values very similar to 2021, with gimmer shearlings regularly averaging over £200.

Our Newtown St Boswells centre in the heart of the Scottish Borders enjoyed a marvellous day’s trading on the 1^stSeptember with over 9000 breeding and store sheep sold, and trade mirroring or indeed ahead of last year.

Up and coming sales 

Coming up in the next few weeks we look forward to the Annual Mule Gimmer Shearling Sale at Carlisle on Thursday 8^thSeptember. The next day, Friday 9th September, we move north to sell over 1800 Rams at Kelso Ram Sales, and if that wasn't enough to keep us busy, this same day we have 10,000 North of England Mule ewe lambs coming forward at Kirkby Stephen.

The following week brings the first of the Lockerbie North Country Cheviot Sales with the Park Type Sale on Wednesday 14th September and amongst other things this day, we hold the NEMSA Sale of Mule Gimmer Lambs at Middleton in Teesdale.

The Latter Fair Sale of Mule Ewe Lambs and Breeding Rams takes place at Borderway on Thursday 15th September, and the same day, St Boswells have their 2nd Sale of ewe lambs, gimmers, and draft ewes.

One of the highlights of the Swaledale sheep sale calendar is the Swaledale Gimmer Lamb Sale at Middleton in Teesdale on Friday 16th September. This is the biggest of its kind in the country.

The 3rd week in September brings with it a sale which is widely considered to be the strongest sale of Cheviot sheep in Scotland, our sale of North Country Cheviot Hill Sheep at Lockerbie.

The final few days of the month bring what is without a doubt the highlight of the commercial sheep sales calendar in the North of England, the Annual Alston Moor Sale within the region of 17,000 Mule Gimmer lambs going under the hammer at Lazonby Auction Mart on Wednesday 28^th September. Running up to this sale we will all be doing a rain dance, in the hope that our customers from the South of England will at last have some grass to graze.

This period is harvest time for sheep breeders in the north, drawing the best bred sheep, produced by the most dedicated and talented shepherds and stockmen from the Pennines, the Lake District, and the Scottish Borders. These are some of the most beautiful areas in the British Isles. They are areas of natural beauty that rely on the stewardship of the farmers and shepherds who work the hills and dales. Without their knowledge and understanding of these hills and the considerate grazing methods handed down through the generations this magnificent countryside would not look like it does.

Without sheep, these areas would turn into a wilderness of overgrown bracken, impossible to walk through and incapable of supporting the ecosystems that are so important to the survival of insect life, native birds, and wildlife.

So, the next time you are driving through the beautiful scenery in the North of England and Southern Scotland take a moment to consider how lucky we are to have hill sheep farmers and shepherds tending this stunning countryside. Spare them a thought as they load their lorries and trailers with breeding lambs to take to market and cross your fingers that they get a good trade so that they can continue to carry out this vital work and tend for this beautiful countryside, we call home.