G’Day to the UK Jack Harper’s September Blog

Gone are the long days. The rain and clouds have begun to reacquaint themselves with us of a night and throughout the odd afternoons, making for gloomy evenings. When warned about how quickly the good weather had the potential to shift, I maybe never quite grasped the gravity of it all. The change of season is indeed no joke when it comes to the North West of England. The heavens have certainly opened up.

On my recent travels during September around Western Cumbria, on more than one occasion, I was enlightened to the fact that many paddocks now underwater probably won’t see enough daylight nor warmth to dry out before the spring rolls back around. As a result of this, some of these said producers explained to me that before long, many cows would find themselves back in their sheds in order to prevent them from making a mess of paddocks or having themselves stuck in the mud.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, once again I can’t really believe that here we are waving goodbye to another month in 2025. September rolled past and with it we farewelled the last remnants of summer. That being said, we have certainly had a busy and jam-packed month in and around the H & H biosphere.

Breeding sheep has been the real focus this month with mules at the forefront of everybody’s minds. As for prime sheep and cattle, numbers trickled in well, with a few good yardings of lambs particularly now under our belt. The markets have again stayed buoyant. Lambs saw a slight drop early in the month due to numbers starting to hit the system and with that, slightly more secondary types. All in all though, they have regained some losses of late and still present as a good trade. Prime cattle and cows have also remained very stable. After consulting my diary for the month, the average per kilo for cows strayed no further than 10 pence either way throughout September. Young cattle numbers have been similar week on week with some magnificent processing cattle coming through the ring each week.

As with previous months, store markets, both lambs and cattle, have continued to hold their strength, with many cattle seeming just as, if not dearer, when compared to the spring.

September started strong with the Kelso Ram Sale. I found myself as the clerk for one of our more active rings, which was well noticed on the day to be rather stressful for a fish well out of water. Safe to say, I will not be suggesting on the return home that we do away with registered bidding numbers. I found myself rather under the pump, getting the names and addresses of purchases, all whilst following the progress of the next ram in the ring in order not to miss a price. As an auctioneer, I know how frustrating it can be when the book cannot keep up with the pace of the sale, so I was indeed determined not to miss any information. Luckily, my auctioneer, Joe, was more than patient as I battled on. All in all, though, it was a great event to see thousands of rams penned and sold in such a way.

As September continued, breeding sheep certainly were the flavour of the month. Carlisle, Lazonby, Kirby Stephen, and Middleton were all home to North of England Mule Sheep Association (NEMSA) sales and were indeed successful. Lazonby is the real star of the mule sales. This year playing host to over 14,500 ewe lambs at the annual Alston Moor sale. A sale that runs for almost eight hours, offering some of the better mules in the country with purchases lining the ring from start to finish from far and wide. It was a sight to see pen after pen lining the yards from top to bottom and even further over to the holding yards. In more than one conversation, I was told that in its prime, Lazonby would sell in excess of twenty thousand at that sale. I would say that Alston Moor, in a way, felt very family-oriented and ingrained in local farming family traditions.

Middleton was also a hive of activity for the month, also hosting a Swaledale ewe lamb sale. I must say, the Swale trade is one I’ve not quite been able to grasp. To anyone reading back home that hasn’t yet, I implore you to take a quick search into the Swale. It is not a breed that could be likened to anything at home. That being said, I’ve come to appreciate a good Swale and the huge importance that they serve in the British sheep industry.

Among all the breeding sales and regular proceedings, the final few nice days of weather that September offered did not go by wasted from yours truly. On one day, I found myself well down through parts South West Cumbria, visiting a variety of cattle clients. I must admit, I was blessed with a postcard picture-perfect day. The sun glistened across from the fells west to the coast, and all through my day, my eyes darted between the South of the English Lakes District and the Isle of Man. Along with stunning costal views, I was greeted by many friendly faces who were more than welcoming of the foreign auctioneer onto their properties for a look around and a chat about the market. Even still now, I find this one of the most enjoyable parts of the job and the industry as a whole. For me, as a travelling agent, it’s interesting and developing to see different operations and get to see and know what people think about the current state and, with that, the future of the industry.

It’s safe to say that another month has passed in the most enjoyable fashion. Seeing new sales and meeting new faces was fundamentally at the core of this crazy idea, and as I get a chance to reflect on each month as I write this very blog, an overwhelming sense of gratitude sweeps me off my feet. May the markets in both hemispheres continue to thrive for our producers. Given the last few weeks, I think I best head off and find a new raincoat!

Stay tuned for next month as there is already plenty happening!