ONE of the best bred females in the catalogue attracted the lead price of 9200gns at the Dark Diamonds Suffolk sale at Carlisle.

Selling at this value, was Gary Beacom's No 1 gimmer, to add to an already successful year for the Lakeview flock from Fivemiletown, Co Fermanagh. Another by the 25,000gns Rhaeadr Rolex – a tup that bred the 8000gns record priced Northern Ireland gimmer last month for Mr Beacom, along with several other top female – she is bred from 9000gns Lakeview female by Solwaybank Major, that sold here in 2015 to the Rookery flock.

An ET sister to a £2600 Lakeview gimmer sold at Balmoral in May, to the Lomondview flock, she joins the same flock when purchased by businessman, Stewart Craft, who owns the 40-ewe Lomondview flock based at Little Balquhomrie, Leslie, Fife. She also changed hands with all scanned pregnancies to the 2017 Sire of the Year, Rookery Rodeo, after being flushed in August.

Second top price was 4100gns paid for a ewe lamb from Lesley Liggett and his father Mervyn who run 100 ewes in their Carony flock from Drumquin, Co Tyrone.

Their No 2, a lamb by the 7000gns Rhaeadr Redbull, a former reserve champion at the National, is bred from a ewe by Cairnton the Cracker that is a daughter of a Conveth ewe bought at the flock dispersal. Ayrshire-based breeder, Billy Borthwick, Ballochmyle, was the last man in.
Flying the flag for Scotland, a gimmer from George and Melvin Stuart’s Birness flock from Milltown of Birness, Ellon, made 3400gns selling to Co Donegal breeder, Ronan McLaughlin, Malin Town, Inishowen.

A daughter of the 7500gns shared tup, Ballynacannon Commander that has bred numerous high priced lambs this year, out of a ewe by Meikleson Square Up, she sold in lamb with a pair to the 9500gns Limestone Legacy.

The next Birness gimmer headed back up to Aberdeenshire with Craig Paterson, Cranna Bridge, Aberchirder, Huntly, at 2600gns. This was a daughter of Redbrae Rambo, bred from a ewe by Rhaeadr Giggsy and carrying a pair to the 3800gns Crewelands Megastar.

Alastair Gault's Forkins flock from Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, also had a good day with ewe lamb sales at 3200gns and 2200gns, and gimmers at 2300gns and 2100gns.

Ashley Bothwell, Smithston, Patna, bought his lead lamb, a daughter of Forkins Fandago – a Cloontagh Chieftain son retained for breeding that has bred sons to 1900gns – out of the best ewe in the flock, a Cairness Kanine-sired female that bred the 4000gns Forkins Fagan and several other four-figure priced females.

John Sinnett, Stockton Court, Worcester, bought the 2200gns ewe lamb, also by Fandago, but bred a ewe by Cairness Caius that was bought at the Glenisla dispersal by Jimmy Douglas.

Mr Gault's lead gimmer at 2300gns, by Mountford Mustang and bred from a ewe by Broomknowes Touch of Class, sold scanned for a pair to the 8000gns Rhaeadr Rio, to Welsh breeder, E Williams, Gweirglodd Bach, Gwynedd.

Derbyshire breeder, HT Turner, Hatton, bought the 2100gns Forkins gimmer, by the €31,000 Cloontagh Chieftain, bred from a ewe by Birness Bacardi that is a maternal sister to the 13,000gns Forkins Figo. A twin sister to Forkins Fandango, she also sold due with a pair to Rio.

Irish breeders certainly made their presence felt, with Mark Priestley forking out 2800gns to buy the lead priced gimmer at 2800gns from Graeme Christie's Balquhain flock from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, to take back to join his Limestone flock based at Seaforde, Downpatrick, Co Down.

This was Mr Christie's No 1 entry, by the 10,000gns Deveronside Doodlebug – a jointly purchased sire that bred the top priced ewe lamb here last year and the flock's own show gimmer that was champion at several events. She is bred from a ewe by Glenhead Golden Phoenix and sold carrying a single to the 6000gns Lakeview Under the Radar.

The top two highest priced lots from Andrew Wilson's Castleisle flock from Shannagh, Co Donegal, also sold back across the Irish Sea.

Selling at 3600gns was his flock leader, a gimmer by Birness Murray – the 2016 Sire of the Year that has bred three five-figure priced lambs for Mr Wilson. Bred from a ewe by Shannagh Resolve, she sold carrying a single lamb to Lakeview Armani, to Ronan McLaughlin, Inishowen.

Wigtownshire breeder, James Wallace, Claycrop, Kirkinner, bought the two ewe lambs from Ross Lawrence's Roundacre flock all the way from Netherleigh, Devon. Dearest at 2200gns was a lamb by Strathisla Speed bred from a Lakeview ewe by Cairness Classic Fyvie that bred last year's 5800gns ewe lamb, Roundace Roxy and the 6000gns Roundacre Rafiki, sold at Stirling in July.

Averages: Lakeview flock – Five ewes, £777.00; 19 gimmers, £1500.39; nine ewe lambs, £1085.00. Carony – Four gimmers, £1023.75; seven ewe lambs, £1485.00. Birness – 10 gimmers, £1758.75. Balquhain – Eight gimmers, £1122.19. Cairness – Four gimmers, £958.13. Cairnton – Three gimmers, £1015.00. Castleisle – Five gimmers, £1890.00. Forkins – Nine gimmers, £1318.33.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.