RECORDS were matched and then smashed at the sale of North Country Cheviot hill rams and females at Lockerbie last week, where a new centre record of £9000 helped push the ram average above the £1000 mark for the first time ever when 154 cashed in to average £1037.80 – a rise of £255.16 on the year. 

With a strong demand for rams from pedigree breeders backed up by a steady commercial trade, females sold well although they failed to reach last year’s extreme prices but with a record number of 4916 sold, a total of 1721 more on the year, the demand for the white-faced female was evident.

“Females were back on the year but to a much more realistic trade, and vendors will be happy with their average over three years,” said society chairman, Willie Thomson. “But we’ve never had a tup average above £1000. It was a good show of strong tups, with a good commercial trade for tups with good skins and good carcases. What’s promising is we had a few new buyers from Northumberland and Cumbria, as well as regular buyers from Wales and Ireland too.”

Setting that new centre record of £9000 was the second through the ring from Jim Wood’s Esk pen from Potholm, Langholm, brought out with assistance from new shepherd, Stuart Howden. That was Esk Tremor, a two-shear by the £3000 Whitchesters Salvo, while the dam is by Badanloch Walrus. After some spirited bidding, the hammer fell to the Cheviot Farming team at Elsdonburn, Kirknewton, to well and truly surpass the previous Esk best of £3500. 

The number one from the same pen and by the same sire, Esk Toto, was knocked down for the third highest price of £6000 to Alan Cowens, buying for the Philiphaugh flock near Selkirk. Both of these two-shears have already proved their worth by being used at home, and added to the Esk average of £3530 for five sold. 

Early on in the sale, last year’s £8000 record was equalled by another, but unrelated two-shear from Hugh and Sandy Wilson, Newbank, Beattock. Their Newbank Taurus is by the £2800 Hethpool Lancer, and sold in a two-way split to David Baillie for his Calla flock near Carnwath, and Ted Fox, of St John’s Kirk, near Symington.

The Thomson father and son duo, Jimmy and Willie, together with shepherd Pam Tapson, saw their dearest sell for £5500 to Newbank. That was Kelso Talbot, a son of the home-bred Kelso Signet which is in turn by  Elsdonburn Mastermind.

Females peaked at £170 for gimmers from the Thomsons' Kelsocleugh flock, with draft ewes to £145 from J Walton and Son, Preston Mains, and ewe lambs to £110 from the Allen family, Stouphill.

See the September 30 issue of The Scottish Farmer for the full report, pictures of the trade leaders and flock average.