The vast quantity of sheep forward resulted in a sticky trade towards the end of the 10-hour long shearling day, at last week’s two-day Beltex sale at Carlisle, but an 85% clearance rate, more sheep sold on the year, and a top price of 18,000gns, was proof enough that demand is as strong as ever for this growing breed.

Hitting the top spot was Dooley Napal, from David Thornley, who runs 50 females at Hartshorne, Swadlincote, Derbyshire. Eclipsing this eight-year-old flock’s previous best of 4900gns, got last year, was an AI son of the 8000gns sire, Viagrow V/d Drie Musschen, out of the home-bred Dooley Karen, a daughter of Clovis V/h Groentenhof. On his only other outing, the shearling stood reserve male champion at the Great Yorkshire last month.

He sold at 18,000gns – the breed’s second best ever price in the UK – in a three-way split between pedigree breeders Neale and Janet McQuiston, High Airyolland, New Luce; Jeff and Sue Wilkinson, Langlands, Richmond, and Kevin and Rachel Buckle, Buckles Farm, Kirkby Stephen.

On the other side of the coin, the McQuistons enjoyed a topper of a trade, with tups from their Airyolland flock. Pen leader, Airyolland Nailer, reached 10,000gns, selling again to three buyers – Anne Story, Hobbiesburn, Longtown; James Whiteford, Tercrosset, Brampton; and John Metcalfe, Low Fauld, Armathwaite, Carlisle.

He is by the home-bred tup Airyolland Kingsize, a prolific breeder, which has sired other sons to 5000gns and 4800gns. Out of Airyolland Kizzy, one of the best ewes in this 150-strong flock, Nailer stood reserve male champion at the Highland this year.

Despite being late in the sale, Jock McMillan received a tremendous trade and one of the best averages of the day, with shearlings from his Newton Stewart-based Clary flock. Top price was the pen number one, aptly named Clary Number One, which sold for 7700gns to Mary Dunlop and sons Andrew and Michael, for their Corstane and Broughton flocks at Biggar. This triplet-born shearling is by Clary Muscle Man, a tup sold last year to the Airyolland flock, and out of Clary Loudmouth, which is a daughter of Cookstown Hamish.

Not far behind, Clary Nithsdale, by Clary Kaiser Chief – a grandson of the breed’s record price tup, the 34,000gns Tullygarley Elite – sold for 6800gns to Brian Hall, Ainstable Hall, Ainstable, Carlisle. He is out of another Cookstown Hamish daughter, Clary Kinswoman.

Averages: 10 aged rams, £798.00 (-£15.75); 495 shearling rams, £799.43 (-£18.37 for 47 more sold).

See full report and pictures in this week’s issue, out August 21.