ABERDEENSHIRE breeders, George and Melvin Stuart, enjoyed their best ever sale of females at the Dark Diamonds Suffolk sale at Carlisle, last week, producing the lead priced lot at 7500gns, and the top gimmer average at £2275.

The father and son duo from Milltown of Birness, Ellon, who run 140 Suffolk females in their flock, sold nine at this price, with the sale leader being a daughter of the Carlisle purchase, Jubilee Jackpot. Bred from a ewe by Rhaeadr Flash Harry, she sold carrying a single lamb by the 3000gns Limestone Legend, to Stephen Cobbald, Acton Hall, Sudbury, Suffolk.

The last Birness gimmer sold back up the road to Aberdeenshire with Jim Innes, Dunscroft, Huntly, at 2700gns. This was a son of Ballynacanon Commander – the 2014 sire of the Year whose first five sons averaged just shy of £7900 – bred from a ewe by Meikleson Square Up. She also changed hands due with a single, but to the 6500gns Cavanagrove Catalyst, a joint purchase at Stirling this year.

Adding to a bumper Birness flock average were gimmers at 2200gns and 2100gns, with the former, by Thurston Urastar and due with twins to Limestone Legend, selling to J Lucas, Cavan Upper, Killygordon, Co Donegal, Eire.

The Stewart's 2100gns gimmer, by Middlemuir Maserati, and carrying a single to Cavangrove Catalyst, was knocked down to Welsh breeder, RA Hughes, Rhydeilian, Penmynydd, Anglesey.

Devon-based breeder, Ross Lawrence who runs just 15 ewes in his Roundacre flock from Netherleigh, also celebrated his best ever female trade, selling the dearest ewe lamb at 5800gns. This cracker which stood second in her class at the Highland Show, is by the 10,000gns Deveronside Doodlebug and out of a Lakeview ewe by Cairness Classic Fyvie, that was purchased as a ewe lamb for 2900gns. The buyer was Bruce Renwick, buying on behalf of Bryden Nicolson, Duns.

Mr Lawrence, who is a animal health representative to trade with several other business strings to his bow, also received 3000gns for 2013-born Strathisla show female by Rhaeadr Ring-A-Ding. Bought at the Strathisla dispersal for 4500gns as a lamb and unbeaten in the show ring as a gimmer, she is out of a ewe by Glenhead Golden Phoenix and sold carrying a pair to Rookery Gold, to Roy Hiddleston, Rigghead, Irongray, Dumfries.

It was ewe lambs that produced the top two prices for Northern Ireland father and son duo, Lesley and Mervyn Liggett, of the Carony flock from Drumquin, Co Tyrone, too. Their pen leader, by Rhaeadr Ready Mix and bred from a Rhaeadr ewe by the 90,000gns Ardlea Arbennig, made 3400gns to Richard Fitton, Ryders, Kearsley, Bolton, Lancs.

Ashley Bothwell, Smithston, Patna, Ayr, also got in on the act, forking out 2700gns for the Liggett's second ewe lamb by the same sire but out of a home-bred ewe by Rhaeadr Red Bull.

Mr Bothwell was back in the frame at 2000gns buying a gimmer from Gary Beacom's Lakeview flock from Fivemiletown, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. This was a Strathbogie Jackpot daughter bred from a ewe by Cairness Classic Fyvie which is an ET sister to the 7800gns Lakeview gimmer and three times Balmoral Show champion, Lakeview Queen of the Maize. She sold carrying three to the 13,000gns Rookery Rodeo.

Her full sister topped Mr Beacom's trade at 3000gns when carrying twins to the 25,000gns Rhaeadr Rolex. The buyer was Stephen Cobbald, Suffolk.

There was more success to come for the Irish when Andrew Wilson, who owns the Castleisle flock from Co Donegal, Eire, sold his last gimmer at 2600gns to R McLaughlin, Malintown, Co Donegal. She is by the €11,000 Shannagh Resolve, out of a nine-year-old ewe by Strathisla Dylan Thomas and sold carrying a single to the current Sire of the Year, Birness Murray, a ram that has bred several five-figure priced rams this year.

And, in another all Ireland transaction, Alastair Gault sold the best from his Forkins flock from Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, at 2300gns to Jack and Alfie Moses, Aldergrove, Crumlin, Northern Ireland. This gimmer by the 10,000gns Mountfield Mustang, is out of a ewe by Cairness Kanine which is a full sister to the dams of the 6000gns Forkins Firestarter and the 4000gns Forkins Fagan. The service sire here was Forkins Fandango and she sold due with a pair.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.