Averages: Ballynacannon flock – 12 gimmers, £1394.75. Brijon – 11 gimmers, £819.00. Cairness – 11 gimmers, £4297.36. Crewelands – Eight gimmers, £741.56. Limestone – Seven gimmers, £1755.00; seven ewe lambs, £2430.00. Pyeston – Five gimmers, £ 861.00. Rhaeadr – Nine gimmers, £1776.83; seven ewe lambs, £1473.00. Saffaden – Three gimmers, £483.00. Solwaybank – Six gimmers, £770.00.

A CRACKING line-up of pedigree Suffolks forward for the Three Nations sale at Carlisle, saw gimmers peak at 36,000gns and ewe lambs at 10,000gns.

The sale, which featured consignments from no fewer than nine flocks was topped by a gimmer from one of the furthest travelled lots, when an ET from Jimmy Douglas' Cairness flock from Fraserburgh, sold for 36,000gns. She is by Conchar Crusader, a £3000 joint purchase at Kelso in 2015, by Cairnton Wiggins, and out of a home-bred ewe by Middlemuir Messi.

Welsh breeder, E Williams, who owns the Gweirglodd flock at Gweirglodd Bach, Gwynedd, forked out the cash for this entry which sold due to Cairness Sir William – the Shrewsbury champion which sold for 15,000gns to the Whitestone and Cairnton flocks, with a share retained by Mr Douglas.

Northern Ireland breeder, Mark Priestley, who owns the Limestone flock from Seaford, Downpatrick, also enjoyed a great day, receiving 10,000gns for his first ewe lamb which was an ET sister to the first prize ewe lamb at the Balmoral Show. Another ET, she is bred from a home-bred ewe by Limestone To-Tal that sold for 4500gns to the Mardale flock, with maternal sisters having sold to 6000gns. A grand-daughter of the 6500gns Rihana and sired by the 14,000gns Castleisle Knockout, this lamb headed down to Devon, selling to Mrs Mary Julia Cornish, for her Mardale flock in Buckfastleigh.

Mr Priestley's gimmers also sold well, peaking at 3400gns for an ET bred from a 4500gns Strathisla ewe by Strathisla Sea Bird, and sired by the 20,000gns Muirton One Direction. The dam of this year's 5000gns lamb, Limestone Rolo, she sold carrying a pair to the Strathbogie A Kind of Magic, to Northern Ireland breeder, Nicky Lowry, Crumlin.

Stephen Cobbald, Acorn Farms, Acton, Suffolk, then bought an ET Limestone gimmer at 2500gns. She is by Muirton One Direction and sold scanned for twins to Lakeview No Limits.

Suffolks from Myfyr Evans' Rhaeadr flock from Denbigh, Wales, are never far away from the top prices and this sale was no exception, with ewe lambs to 4000gns and gimmers to 3400gns, both of which were purchased by Stewart Craft, Little Balquhomire, Leslie, Fife.

Dearest, was a twin born lamb by Cairness Cognac – a tup bought privately in 2015 which has bred sons to 8000gns – out of a home-bred ewe by the 90,000gns Ardlea Arbennig.

Earlier, Mr Evans' lead gimmer, by Rookery Best of the Best, out of a ewe by Baileys Blockbuster which goes back to a ewe by Thurston Calzaghe, which has bred several top priced lambs, made 3400gns.

And, at 2500gns, Angus Howie, Manor Farm, Meeth, Devon, bought a Rhaeadr gimmer by Ardlea Arbennig, which sold carrying triplets to Ballynacanon Bale – the reserve champion at this year's National sale.

Dennis Taylor's Ballynacanon flock from Macosquin, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, was another in the money, to continue his run of success over the past couple of years. Mr Taylor, who secured many of the lead tickets at national shows and sales this year, sold two gimmers at 3400gns, both of which were sired by Mountford Mustang and bred from home-bred ewes by Strathisla Shadrach. The first sold to Stephen Cobbald, Acorn Farms, Acton, Suffolk, carrying a pair to 21,000gns Rhaeadr Rolls Royce, a tup owned by Mrs Cornish.

A gimmer out of a ewe that has bred sons to 20,000gns and 5500gns and daughters to £3000, made the same money to Mike Davies and Sons, who own the Safaddan flock at Trefeinon, Brecon, Powys. She also sold carrying a pair to Rhaeadr Rolls Royce.

Mr Taylor also sold the lead priced ram lamb at 3200gns. This was a March-born son of Ballynacanon Discovery out of a home-bred ewe by Limestone To-Tal. A full brother to a £3000 ram lamb, he was knocked down to L and M Liggett, Carony, Drumquin, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.