Farmers expected to flock to Wooler for major sheep sale

Wooler’s Mart’s annual fair holds extra significance this year following the cancellation due to Covid-19 of the Kelso Ram Sales.

Passing through the sales ring on Tuesday, September 15 will be 1,700 breeding sheep, including 800 breeding ewes and gimmers, 350 ewe lambs, 180 tups and 700 store lambs.

Harrison & Hetherington have also been invited to conduct the dispersal sales of two noted Northumberland commercial flocks.

The sale of David Woodman’s Shaw House Flock, from Stocksfield, will include 270 Cheviot mule ewes and 100 Cheviot mule crosses, texels crosses, and gimmers.

Chillingham Home Farm’s dispersal on behalf of H. N. Howard & Sons will include 250 Texel, Beltex and Suffolk Cross Ewes, along with some stock tups.

The ram sale has attracted an exceptionally high quality of entries from farms across Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, which includes 90 Texel, 45 Beltex, and 30 Suffolks, would have been destined for Kelso.

Scott Donaldson, joint managing director of Harrison & Hetherington, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the level of support and interest which this year’s fair has received.

"We have two excellent commercial flocks on offer, hundreds of breeding sheep, and a line-up of top drawer, quality tups.”

“In the tup ring, not only have we consignments from our regular vendors we have also several entries from new sellers all which I know will be sought after from the line-up of buyers who have already registered.”

To comply with government guidelines, only two people will be allowed to prepare and sell the tups, and only one buyer from each business will be allowed into the ring. Non-buying visitors will not be allowed to enter at all.

Scott said: “It is imperative that people adhere to the strict guidelines we’ve put in place to make sure this sale can take place. We really don’t want to turn anybody away or deal

with an outbreak, so we hope that the farming community will act respectfully and responsibly.”

The sale starts at 11am.

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