THE buoyant demand for Blackface rams continued for the shearling sale at Lanark, where overall averages levelled at just shy of £1500 – albeit for fewer sold on the year – backed up by 11 five-figure prices.
Prices peaked at £24,000 paid on two occasions, with the first of those being the pen leader from Mary McCall-Smith’s Connachan consignment, from Crieff.
Leading the way here was a son of the £40,000 Dalchirla shearling ram bought at Dalmally in 2014, out of a ewe by an £11,000 Connachan, that had been used as a lamb. Forking out the cash were Allan Wight, Midlock, Crawford, and Ian Hunter, Dalchirla, Muthill, Crieff.
It was later in the day before the second £24,000 sale was achieved, when the No 1 from Jimmy and Donald MacGregor’s Dyke flock from Milton of Campsie, sold in a two-way split to Alan McClymont of Kirkstead and Dryhope, Yarrow, and Dan Walton, Wanwood Hill, Hexham. Their purchase is by a £2200 home-bred son of Starbuck – a Dyke-bred tup retained for breeding by the £24,000 Elmscleugh that has bred numerous top priced rams and also stood champion at the Highland this year. His mother is by a home-bred son of an £18,000 Happrew, one of 600 Blackface ewes bred pure at Dyke.
A flying trade for the MacGregors’ shearlings from start to finish also saw the flock secure the lead average selling 12 to level at £6454. The father and son team also sold the second top priced ram at £20,000. This was a direct son of Starbuck, bred from a ewe by Elmscleugh Private Eye. Forking out the cash for this ET bred tup was Robert Loughrey, Limavady, Northern Ireland.
Dyke genetics were also behind the dearest from Jimmy MacGregor’s brother, Archie and son John, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, when they received £12,000 from Jimmy and George Irving, Mount Benger, Yarrow; John Hamilton, Aitkengall, Innerwick and Burncastle Farming Co, Lauder. This big tup is by a £12,000 Dyke which in turn was a son of the same £24,000 Elmscleugh.
Shearling sons of the £11,000 Greenside bought in 2014 sold well too for the Wights at Midlock, with sales at £18,000 and £13,000. The former and pen leader, bred from a ewe by a £8500 Pole, was knocked down to John Campbell and Sons, Glenrath, Peebles.
The latter, bred from a Midlock Strongbow-sired ewe, goes out to work at Arnicle, Campbeltown, having been purchased by Iain and David McArthur.
While Glenrath forked out £18,000 for a new stock tup, it wasn’t long before they received almost all of that back in one sheep, when their pen leader realised £17,000 to Malcolm Coubrough, Whelphill and Hartside, Biggar. The breeding behind this transaction includes a £50,000 Crossflatt onto a ewe by a £20,000 Midlock.
Almost financing that big purchase, Hartside and Whelphill received £12,000 for their best, a son of a £20,000 Dyke. Alan Smith, Crosswoodburn, West Lothian, was the last man in on this tup bred from a ewe by a £22,000 Pole.
Top price for Tommy Renwick’s Williamhope flock from Clovenfords, was £14,000 paid for a son of a £24,000 Allanfauld, out of a ewe by a £16,000 Midlock. The buyers were Willie Dunlop, Elmscleugh, Innerwick, Dunbar; Aitkengall, and Burncastle Farming Co.