Rare breeds are becoming all the rage in Cumbria and the Borders – a fact borne out by the numbers of potential buyers who flocked to Borderway Mart in Carlisle, to see first-hand the unusual farm animals under the hammer.

The sale ring was packed and two new breed records were set at the rare and minority breeds sale for the Valais blacknose sheep breed, which originates from Switzerland.

Annan breeder Alastair Jackson offered from his Tip Top flock a Valais blacknose recipient ewe carrying lambs and a ewe lamb.

To delighted gasps from the watching buyers and sellers, £4,000 was bid for the recipient ewe, which sold scanned, carrying two lambs. The sire of the embryos was King Kong, and the mother was the imported ewe 1688 2994.

The animal was purchased by Peter Simonini (CORR) of Penrith.

The ewe lamb Tip Top Arabella, born in April this year, sold for £3,800 to a consortium of three buyers, with a half share going to Nicola Gornall of Pendleton, Clitheroe, Lancashire, a quarter share to Mark Priestley of Co. Down, N. Ireland, and the other quarter share to Roy Hiddleston of Dumfries.

In its homeland, the Valais blacknose is down to a few thousand – numbers that are threatened still further by the introduction of the wolf.

For the first time the sale attracted what is thought to be the world’s original sheep breed, the Icelandic. The top price was £260 for an animal sold by Sally Williams of Sheffield, and bought by Ian Wood of Whitby, Yorkshire.

Britain’s smallest breed of cattle – the Dexter – featured large in the show and sale held by Carlisle livestock auctioneers, Harrison & Hetherington.

The top price of £1,700 was paid for an animal sold by Veronica Schofield of Beckside Farm, Ivegill, to L&J Howard of Longsyke Farm, Haltwhistle.

The event featured more than 600 sheep from 21 rare breeds, 46 goats from five breeds, 45 cattle from nine breeds, 68 pigs for six breeds, and 1,157 poultry and caged birds.

Heather Pritchard, of H&H, said: “A rare breed sale is a very colourful and popular occasion, and attracted visitors as well as serious buyers, anxious to increase their flocks or herds.”