BLACKFACE sheep breeders went home happier than expected following last week's big shearling sale at Lanark, where average between the two shearling rings was much on a par with 2016.
And, in contrast to some sales which witnessed a lack of the breed’s normal ‘big’ prices, demand was as strong as ever for the strongest sheep.
Size and power were the watchwords throughout the long day’s selling which produced 17 five-figure sales led by a high of £42,000 from Sir John Campbell and son, Iain, Glenrath, Peebles. While trade was ‘selective’, particularly in the top ring – which slipped slightly on the year – it was bolstered by a cracking sale in the No 2 ring which saw a top price of £16,000 for the best from Philip and Dan Walton’s north of England-based Wanwoodhill flock. This helped balance the books against the 2016 event.
"The sale was far better than first expected following some poorer sales for females," said breed president, Pamela Nicol. "We had a lot of new buyers forward from all corners of the UK and Ireland, with good, big, strong tups meeting a stronger trade than normal."
It was a great pen of shearlings with size and power from start to finish that not only ensured the Glenrath flock produced the top of £42,000, but also the lead average of £7150 for 10. Best was a son of the £6500 High Staward lamb bought in 2015 from Paul Coulson, in partnership with the Campbells’ other hirsel at Easter Happrew. Bred from a ewe by a £25,000 Nunnerie, this tup stood first in his class at Peebles Show, and sold in a three-way split to Burncastle, Lauder, managed by Alan Rogerson; Tommy and Tam Renwick, Williamhope, Clovenfords; and Billy and Andrew Renwick, Blackhouse, Yarrow.
Another from the same home brought out by Steven Renwick and Donald MacDairmid, then made £11,000 selling to John and Iain Renwick, Corsebank, Sanquhar, and Andrew Provan, Parkhall, Douglas, Lanark.
Keeping it in the family, the same £6500 High Staward ram also produced the top priced lot for John and Colin Campbell’s Easter Happrew flock, from Stobo, Peebles, which made £11,000 in a three-way split to Scott and Alan Lambie, Ashcraig, Selkirk, and Alan McClymont, who farms at Kirkstead and Dryhope, Yarrow. The dam is by a £65,000 Auldhouseburn.
£32,000 Midlock
There were more big bucks to come when the team from Midlock – Allan Wight, son Allan and his son Ben – sold their pen leader for £32,000 to Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth; Neil and Stuart Barclay, Harestone, Insch; and Andrew Campbell, Drimsynie, Lochgoilhead. Their purchase, brought out by shepherds, Brian Gilchrist and Iain Clark, is by Gold Blend – a home-bred son of the £40,000 Dalchirla – out of a ewe by a £44,000 Crossflatt.
Almost financing that transaction, Allanfauld sold their No 1 for £10,000 to Glenrath and Malcolm Coubrough, Hartside, Lamington. Their cracker, brought out with assistance of shepherd, Davie Kinloch, is by a £35,000 Dalchirla.
£20,000 Dyke
Archie MacGregor’s brother, Jimmy and his son, Donald, who farm next door at Dyke, Milton of Campsie, also came up with the goods, with sales at £20,000, £14,000, £9000, £8000 and £6500. Their dearest, which was the pen’s No 4, was a son of the £15,000 Midlock lamb bought in 2015 in partnership with Williamhope, out of a £24,000 Elmscleugh daughter. Andrew Kay and sons, Robert and Andrew, Gass, Straiton; Glenrath and Hartside Lamington, were the final bidders.
The same sire was behind the £9000 and £6500 shearlings, with both being bred from ewes by Starbuck – a home-bred son of £24,000 Elmscleugh retained for breeding which has bred numerous top priced rams and last year stood champion at the Highland Show.
The former sold to Alastair and David MacArthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot, while John and Iain Renwick, Corsebank, Sanquhar, bought the latter.
A direct son of Starbuck made £8000 for the Dyke team, selling to David Wilson, Kirkmabreck, Creetown, Newton Stewart. This was the No 2 shearling which was out of a ewe by a £11,000 Aitkenhead.
£14,000 Dyke
The MacGregors’ pen leader, by the £35,000 Dalchirla lamb bought at Dalmally in 2015, and out of Starbuck’s twin sister, made £14,000 to William and Billy Graham, Craigdarroch, Sanquhar.
£16,000 Wanwood Hill
North of England breeders, Philip and Dan Walton, Wanwood Hill, Hexham, enjoyed their best ever day here too when they produced the top seller in the second ring at £16,000. This was with a shearling son of the £8500 Kirkstead ram bought in 2012 in partnership with Tofthouse and Mount Benger, bred from a ewe by a £2900 Mount Benger. Buying back some of his own genetics, this tup goes out to work at Kirkstead, Yarrow, having been purchased by Alan McClymont, with the Robsons, Stewartshields, Otterburn, also taking a share.
The last two five-figure sales included an £11,000 bid for a son of the record priced £160,000 Dalchirla lamb bought at Dalmally in 2015, from Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk, purchased by Damien McSwiggan, Northern Ireland. His dam is by a £50,000 Crossflatt.
Later, John Carruthers and son, also John, Silloans, Rochester, Northumberland, received £10,000 from Iain and David McArthur, Arnicle, Glenbarr; Willie Dunlop and sons, Quintin and William, Elmscleugh, Innerwick; and Richard Carruthers, Merkland, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire. The breeding behind this breedie tup includes a £14,000 Auldhouseburn, onto a ewe by a £1400 Blackhouse.
Just behind, on £9000, Elmscleugh, sold their pen leader to Craigdarroch; Mitchellslacks, Thornhill; and John and Charlie Harkin, Loughash, Co Tyrone. Another by the £160,000 Dalchirla, he is bred from a ewe by a £14,000 Auldhouseburn.
Top price for Nunnerie, ‘herded by Bo Brown and Craig Thornborrow, was £8000, paid by a team of four flocks – Willie and Ewan Bennie, Merkins, Gartocharn; Ewen Macmillan, Lurg, Fintry; John Macpherson and sons, Alex and Grant, Balliemeanoch, Dalmally; and Tay and Torridon Estates’ North Amulree unit, run by Billy Brady, at Amulree, Dunkeld. He is by a £12,000 Aitkenhead shearling ram that bred several five-figure rams and out of a ewe by a home-bred son of the ‘old £20,000 Midlock’.
At £7500, Tommy Renwick and son, Tam, Williamhope, Clovenfords, sold their No 2, a son of the £15,000 Midlock which earlier produced Dyke’s sale leader at £20,000, to Steven Mackay, Dudlees, Otterburn, and Robert Mackay, Westhill, Rothbury. The dam is by a £13,000 Blackhouse.
Averages: Ring 1 – 264 shearling rams, £2197.08 (-£17.38 for 21 fewer sold). Ring 2 – 265 rams, £557.25 (+£12.34 for 45 more).
OTHERLEADING prices:
£6000 – Longcroft, by a £4800 Sweetshawhead, to J Duncan Millar, Remony, Aberfeldy; Kirkstead, by a £5200 Clanary, to Parkhall.
£5800 – Corsebank, by a £2600 Auldhouseburn, to T and M Paterson, Dunruchan, Muthill, Crieff.
£5500 – Burncastle, Lauder, by a £3200 Fingland, to J Murdoch, Knockdon, Straiton, and J Wallace, Fingland, Dalry, Corsock; Connachan, by a £10,000 Auchloy, to G McGinn, Chirmorrie, Barrhill
£5000 – Burncastle, by a £14,000 Auldhouseburn, to A Smith, Crosswoodburn, West Calder; High Staward, by a £50,000 Crossflatt, to M Ketch, Eire; Troloss, by a £62,000 Dalchirla, to Midlock.
£4800 – Loughash, by a £3500 Auldhouseburn, to E Macmillan, Lurg, Fintry; Milnmark, by a £16,000 Dyke, to J Dixon, Northern Ireland; Tollishill, by an £11,000 Easter Happrew, to D Redpath, The Yett, Kelso.
£4500 – Williamhope, by a £15,000 Midlock, to A Kennedy and Son, Mitchellhill, Broughton, Biggar.
£4200 – Midlock, by a £7000 Midlock, to A Paton, Craig, Straiton; Glenrath, by a £12,000 Dalchirla, to J Hamilton, Aitkengall, Innerwick, Dunbar; Blackhouse, by a £4200 Blackhouse, to J Murdoch, Knockdon, Straiton; Dunruchan, by a £12,000 Dalchirla, to Dunruchan and C McIntyre, Glenrinnes Farms, Dufftown.
FLOCK averages:
Flock (No) Top (£) Averages
2017 2016
Ring 1
Shearling rams
Burncastle (5) 5500 2800.00 2571
Loughash (4) 4800 1887.50 2600
Craigdarroch (8) 2000 1962.50 2631
Hartside
Lammermuir (3) 1400 1266.66 1133
Crosswoodburn (5) 2600 1720.00 3167
Midlock (11) 32,000 4436.36 4204
Mount Benger (3) 1100 800.00 2200
Dryhope (5) 1500 1020.00 2217
Hartside (6) 4000 2183.33 3214
Milnmark (5) 4800 1800.00 1600
Glenrath (10) 42,000 7150.00 4015
Clonrae (3) 1200 800.00 652
Ashcraig (4) 3000 1425.00 1825
Easter Happrew (3) 11,000 4133.33 580
Gosland (6) 1100 641.66 821
Mitchellhill (6) 3200 2025.00 913
Blackhouse (11) 4200 1959.09 2100
Dyke (15) 20,000 4480.00 6454
Corsebank (5) 5800 2140.00 775
Nunnerie (5) 8000 2320.00 1988
Parkhall (5) 1000 700.00 2238
Allanfauld (11) 10,000 2077.27 3075
Dunruchan (4) 4200 2050.00 500
Toxside (3) 3000 1483.33 1320
Craig (3) 1800 900.00 738
Longcroft (3) 6000 2616.00 863
Crimp Cramp (3) 800 616.66 700
Remony (6) 2000 691.66 700
Kirkstead (8) 6000 2575.00 4044
Langhaugh (5) 2200 1440.00 1350
Kirkland (3) 1100 833.33 –
Glen, Gatehouse (5) 1700 760.00 1178
Blackcraig (5) 3000 1260.00 1300
Auldhouseburn (4) 11,000 4175.00 2900
Silloans (4) 10,000 3325.00 1250
Troloss (4) 5000 1507.50 1103
Aitkengall (4) 1600 1062.50 1633
Williamhope (9) 7500 3061.11 2845
Dudlees (5) 2500 1560.00 1266
Tinnis (8) 3200 1137.50 1431
Elmscleugh (5) 9000 3200.00 5300
Westhills (4) 4000 1900.00 1367
Connachan (5) 5500 1720.00 4683
Drannandow (3) 1000 833.33 720
Ring 2
Shearling rams
Meggethead (3) 500 373.33 280
Drumbuie (5) 1000 570.00 870
Henderland (3) 250 233.33 300
Mount Benger (3) 480 362.00 280
Kirkhope (3) 420 280.00 580
Sweetshawhead (5) 2800 1106.00 –
Chirmorrie (3) 1050 566.66 –
Burncastle (7) 1250 380.00 –
Marbrack (3) 400 393.33 250
Glen (4) 500 402.50 –
Wanwoodhill (6) 16,000 3338.33 447
Skelfhill (4) 480 330.00 492
Kirkstead (9) 950 512.22 791
Corsebank (6) 520 390.00 –
Liddiesdale (3) 1600 716.66 –
Nisbet (5) 700 392.00 –
Towiemore (4) 550 377.50 –
The Yett (7) 1600 885.71 823
Dalcairney (4) 680 380.00 823
Craigdarroch (7) 1500 650.00 433
Midlock (4) 700 420.00 917
Glencotho (4) 480 260.00 415
Fingland (4) 500 425.00 –
Auldallan (3) 420 340.00 367
Dunruchan (5) 620 428.00 –
Greenleighton (4) 380.00 352.50 280
Glenside (3) 420 300.00 –
Penchrise (7) 3000 660.00 520
Larg, Creetown (5) 720 418.00 –
Shawsknowe (3) 800 613.33 –
Little Larg (4) 4000 1412.50 –
Mitchellhill (6) 820 551.66 –
Monkridge Hill (3) 450 363.33 450
Ettrickshaws (4) 550 257.50 467
Markdhu (3) 650 350.00 –
Dunns Houses (5) 520 384.00 –
Kirkhouse (5) 520 260.00 –
Earlshaugh (5) 220 206.66 –
Tollishill (4) 4800 2035.00 –
Glendorch (7) 920 484.28 504
Philiphaugh (8) 620 410.00 –
Upper Hindhope (4) 350 227.50 –
Madrissa (3) 850 556.66 –
Upper Cleugh (3) 1600 816.66 –
Tinnis (6) 520 393.33 –
Nickies Ha (4) 280 145.00 –
Tollishill (4) 320 290.00 600
Haystoun (7) 1050 831.42 1058
Riskenhope (6) 520 335.00 516
Blackburn (4) 800 380.00 –
Harehead (3) 400 266.66 –
Plenderleith (6) 850 416.66 850
Unthank (5) 1050 462.50 –
Fallburns (3) 2400 1213.33 1307
Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article