A smaller show of in-lamb females met a great trade at a Blackface Sheep Breeders’ Association sale at Lanark, when no fewer than 12 lots sold at four figure prices to help bolster the overall average to £974 – up by more than £400 per head.

This year’s sale was led by the champion, a home-bred two-crop ewe from Ewen Macmillan, from Lurg, Fintry, which sold for 4000gns, to young Robert Kay, Gass, Straiton and Iain Finlay, Blackcraig, Corsock. Their purchase – later christened Champagne – is by a £1200 Dyke, out of a ewe by Gatecrasher, a £2000 Burnhead, and sold carrying twins to Highland Storm, a £44,000 Connachan tup sold at Dalmally, last year.

Father and son team, Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk, were also in the money selling their two entries at 3000gns and 2500gns. The duo also scooped the reserve championship with the second prize ewe to the champion, which sold carrying a single to Dancing Boy, the £12,000 Drumgrange, bought last year. She is by Burnfoot Raptor, out of a ewe by a £22,000 Glenrath and sold to the pre-sale judge, Graham Loughrey, Northern Ireland.

Auldhouseburn’s 3000gns sale came for a gimmer by a home-bred son of McTavish, out of a £49,000 Glenrath-sired ewe. Robert McInnes and Stuart Heads, Aitkenhead, Fenwick, forked out the cash for this female carrying twins to Mad Max, the £36,000 Drumgrange.