The Farmers Mart Oct-Nov 2019 - Issue 65 | Page 39

SUMMER LODGE 39 • OCT/NOV 2019 Shearwell AD CODE MART For your tags and more FREE Call us or go online today! Replacement Cattle & Sheep Tags For life - Even when sold Please call us for details Tel. [phone] www. shearwell .co.uk ‘ Up in the hills of Swaledale the farming talk is usually about the breed that is the backbone of the sheep world. This is where the ‘Swardle’, as it is often referred to, has ruled supreme for generations ’ them crossed with the Bluefaced Leicester to create North of England Mule lambs. ‘We’ve just averaged £86 at the Mule gimmer sale across 260,’ says Steven. ‘We did all right with our Swaledale gimmer trade too, but on the whole it’s a bad trade at present. People are losing confidence due to what’s happening with Brexit.’ ‘We lamb from the end of March until the middle of May and sell Mule lamb stores through Hawes from late August and horned lambs from November through Leyburn. We have Swaledale tups and a small flock of Bluefaced Leicester breeding ewes to try and breed our own tups. We usually do all right at the Swaledale tup sales, but don’t have as many for the sales as we used to as it doesn’t seem there are as many needed.’ ‘We support the marts at Hawes, Leyburn, Kirkby Stephen and Middleton in Teesdale with stock whether sheep or cattle. We run a suckler herd of 45 pure Limousin cows breeding our own replace- ments and buy heifers that we bull and sell them with calves at foot.’ ‘We like to buy the majority of our tups out of Swaledale. Local bloodlines seem to work better, but we will also have a look at stock in St John’s Chapel, Middleton in Teesdale and Kirkby Stephen. We use our ewes until around six or seven shears befre sending to Hawes.’ Steven has been vice chairman of the Swaledale Sheep Breeders Association B Independent ATV Specialists supplying New and Used Honda ATV’s. years. We took the Hawes Auction Mart Cup for most points this year and had male champion overall and both local male and female local championships. We brought home six cups in all. We enter all the classes.’ ‘We select our show stock at clipping time in June/July. If we take them straight off the moor they don’t look fit enough. They stay outside and we give them a bit of hand feed. It’s myself, Brian and our son William who do most of the show sheep.’ Carol, Steven’s wife, helps to run the holiday cottages at Low Oxnop and she and Steven have two bed and breakfast rooms at Summer Lodge with regulars being their mainstay. Steven’s parents John and Annie live at Low Oxnop. D H WILLIS & SONS LTD Service and repairs to most makes of ATV. Equipment from Logic, Chapman, C-DAX, Wessex, Longdog and TFM. SALES  SERVICE  EXPERTISE WEEKLY TUESDAY SALES OF PRIME LAMBS & CAST EWES Agricultural Engineers, Farmers & Contractors FORTHCOMING SALES Concreting/Concrete Panels 16th November 2019 Christmas show & sale of store cattle & beef breeding cattle Round & Square Baling RENOWNED FOR QUALITY LIVESTOCK 10th December 2019 Christmas show & sale of prime lambs & calves Proud to be associated with Steven Porter & family at Summer Lodge and Low Oxnop. 18th January 2020 Individual BFL, Swaledale & Herdwick ewes & gimmer lambs. MANY BUYERS RETURNING YEAR AFTER YEAR Contact: Tom Taylor 01904 758 105 District for around 10 years, his father was chairman. ‘It’s the society’s 200th anniversary next year and the celebrations will be held at Shap in Cumbria. It’s appropriate as the breed was originally set up on the border between Yorkshire, County Durham and Cumbria. It has been a good thing for Swaledale. The breed has kept farms here and a decent tup sold at the breed sales for a good price can keep a little farm going.’ ‘The shows at Reeth and Muker during Summer and Tan Hill in Spring are what every breeder looks forward to every year and winning at Muker Show is the pinnacle for those in the breed. A few years ago we won the main trophy, which we’ve won four or five times over the Tel: [phone] | E: [email protected] | www.hawesmart.co.uk Hawes Farmer’s Auction Mart, Burtersett Road, Hawes, North Yorkshire DL8 3NP JCB, Excavator & Mini Digger Hire Wishing Steve Porter and family continued success in the future Tel. [phone] / 826746 Carrbeck House, Gilling West, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 5LN