AVERAGES significantly improved on the year for all breeds at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ annual multi-breed ram show and sale at Thainstone, on Tuesday, where a top price of 2200gns was paid for a Border Leicester.
Despite not reaching last year’s centre record of 5000gns for a Texel, rams met a steady trade from start to finish, with a large ringside of buyers forward.
“We’ve had a good sale here today, including a large ringside of buyers, with many tups heading to Orkney and Shetland,” said Colin Slessor, Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ sheep sales manager and auctioneer.
“Sellers have been more than happy with the trade which held up right to the end.”
Sale leader at 2200gns purchased by Paul Tippets and Christine Williams, Lodge Hill Park, Shifnal, Shropshire, was the champion Border Leicester and first lamb through the ring from Fraserburgh breeder, Jimmy Douglas who runs 15 ewes in his Clola flock at Woodhead of Cairness, Fraserburgh.
The tup lamb, which is by Muirmouth Mustang, a sire purchased privately from Sandy Haggart, Muirmouth, Crieff, is out of a ewe by Muirmouth The King.
Mr Douglas, who is convinced the breed has a positive future ahead of it with 40 new breeders joining the society over the past few years, also sold another Border Leicester tup lamb at 1500gns.
Purchased by the David and Ian Walker at Laigh Alticane, Pinwherry, Girvan, was a son of Intock Invincible, out of a Didcot-sired ewe.
It was the Texels that produced many of the four-figure prices however, and the second lead price of 1600gns twice. First was the champion, a tup lamb from Robbie Wilson, North Dorlaithers, Turriff.
By the £60,000 Strathbogie Yes Sir, out of a ewe by Strathbogie Untouchable, he is a full ET brother to Milnbank America Boy which made £4000 at Kelso, earlier this month. He sold to Elma Alexander’s Breddie’s fock at Auchenbreddie, Insch.
Mr Wilson’s Milnbank flock then sold another Strathbogie Yes Sir son at 1400gns. A full brother to a 14,000gns Milnbank lamb sold last year, this tup lamb was purchased by David and Ian Gilmour, Broomknowes, Maybole, Ayrshire.
Matching the 1600gns price tag was the first prize shearling ram from Willie Knox and sons, Graeme and Andrew, Mid Haddo, Fyvie, Turriff. Selling to S and Y Finnie, Newseat, Balthangie, Cuminestown, was Haddo Yorker, a son of Tophill Wall Street, out of a ewe by Strathbogie Smokey Blue. He stood first at Turriff Show, this year.
The Knox family sold another two shearlings to 1100gns apiece to include Haddo Yazzo, by Ellen Valley Warlord which sold to Gordon Kemp, Waterside of Forbes, Alford.
Second at that price was Haddo Yazzo, another son of Tophill Wall Street, purchased by Fowlies at Guise, Tough, Alford.
Having sold the top priced lot, Jimmy Douglas invested some of his cash in a Texel, forked out 1400gns for Fourdafourie Almighty, a tup lamb from Sandy Lee, Feurdies, Fraserburgh. He is by Stainton You Bet, and out of a Garngour Ultimatum-sired ewe.
Two shearlings from Jim Innes’ Strathbogie flock based at Dunscroft, Huntly, went under the hammer at 1200gns and 1000gns.
Dearest was a son of Millar’s Windbrook which goes out to work at Ballintomb Farm, Dulnain Bridge, Grantown-on-Spey, while the second prize shearling by Aman Vyrnwy, made 1000gns to the Fowlies, Guise, Alford.
Strathbogie’s shepherd, Michael Leggat, who runs his own flock of just five ewes, sold his reserve champion for 1050gns also to Guise.
That was a tup lamb by Strathbogie Yes Big Boy – the sale leader from last year at 5000gns.
Another from the same home, this time by Millar’s Windbrook, then made 1000gns again to the Fowlies.
New breeder and first time consignor, Steven Smith of Sunnyhill Croft, Turriff, also hit the 1000gns mark selling Sunnyhill Action Man. A son of Strathbogie Yes Sir, this tup lamb went home with AJ Rae, Mains of Orchardtown, Udny, Ellon.
Trade peaked at 1050gns twice in the Beltex section. First was an entry from Rory Machray’s Bilboa flock from Daviot, Inverurie, a son of Drumchapel Replay, he was purchased by Nancy Fraser, Auchnarrow, Glenlivet.
Matching that price was Stuart Wood’s champion from the Woodies flock at Woolhillock, Skene. By Carrigans Bob, out of an import ewe, he sold to the judge, Ally Mackintosh and family at Tombreckachie, Glenlivet.
Suffolks reached 850gns for the champion, a tup lamb from Judith Lorimer’s 40-ewe flock at Cadgerford, Kingswells.
Her lamb by Irongray Ironman, sold to A Williams, Wales.
Champion any other pure breed, was a Blue Texel shearling from WJ and M Hunter, West Cairnhill, Insch, which made 1000gns to DJ Scott, Burnside, Ballindalloch, while Eric Mutch, Burnside of Whitfield, Forglen, paid 950gns for the champion Bluefaced Leicester, a tup lamb from Matthew Seed, Home Farm of Auchry, Turriff.
averages:
19 Suffolk shearlings, £520.30 (+£60.55 for nine more); 205 Suffolk ram lambs, £424.86 (+£46.31 for seven fewer); eight Bluefaced Leicester shearlings, £513.18 (+£103.68 for four more); eight Suffolk ram lambs, £506.62 (+£86.62 for four more); eight Border Leicester shearlings, £142.00 (-£123.12 for the same); 14 Border Leicester ram lambs (+£303.00 for four less); 80 Texel shearlings, £610.44 (+£65.69 for 14 fewer); 153 Texel ram lambs (+£61.72 for 11 more); nine Charollais shearlings, £623.00 (+£197.28 for two less); 23 Charollais ram lambs, £460.17 (+£58.87 for the same); 11 Beltex shearlings, 548.63 (+£146.13 for 13 fewer); six Charollais ram lambs, £560.00 (+£222.50 for one less).
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