Rare opportunity on offer
A rare opportunity to buy into one of the oldest and most successful pedigree Suffolk flocks in the country is in the offing. The adult portion of the Shropshire-based Crosemanor flock, 109 females and four stud rams will be sold on November 17.
The flock was established by the late Stanley Hulme 54 years ago, with ewes brought home on the train from Ipswich, in their native county of Suffolk, to Shropshire.
Since then the Crosemanor track record has notched up numerous nationally-acclaimed championships and in the past 20 years alone has registered 350 rams and sold 1,400 ewes - earning the flock's slogan "bred to breed."
This month that slogan was endorsed when Tom Cox won the National Flock Championship Gold Cup with a flock established just six years ago with Crosemanor females.
Crosemanor were also catalyst to the Edinburgh reserve champion 2004, Cairness Impact, which sold for 20,000gns; the Crosemanor dam of this ram having been jointly purchased by Cairness and Castlewellan at a previous reduction sale. Across the water Crosemanor rams have taken the Irish Sire of the Year title on two occasions, the latest being Crosemanor Ardri, 2002.
Robyn Hulme, commercial director to the Suffolk Sheep Society, says: "It is after much soul searching that I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that my 'off-farm' commitments make it no longer practical for me to keep the Crosemanor flock in its current entirety. Nevertheless, looking to the future, the 2006 ewe lamb crop will be transferred to my sons."
The sale takes place at Pykesend Farm, Ellesmere, commencing 1pm.
*More information from auctioneers Straker Chadwick and Sons on 01873 852 624.
