TAKING the top Scotch Mule gimmer ticket before selling for the lead Mule price at Lawrie and Symington's opening sale of breeding sheep at Lanark, was a pen of 23 gimmers from Messrs Stewart, Crookboat. 
The pen of 23 was awarded the championship by Tom Ewan Sanderson, from Biggarshiels, and he later backed his decision to buy the pen for £182 per head. The second prize pen from Jimmy McGarva, Nether Abington, realised £160. 
In the ewe lamb section, the tri-colour ticket went to a pen of 30 from J and A Galloway, Lochlyoch, which was knocked down to Garry Macdonald, Stobo Home Farm, for £134, a price surpassed by another pen from the same home at £135. Crookboat picked up the blue ticket which sold for £118. 
Both section averages improved on the year as 1358 gimmers levelled at £144.43 (+£11.21) with 1074 ewe lambs at £110.46 (+£12.52). 
However, it was Texel cross gimmers that topped the trade at £200 for two pens from Meikle Jackson, Wolfclyde, and another from Iain Minto, Townhead, Dolphinton. 


LEADING awards:
Scotch Mule gimmers – 1, Messrs Stewart, Crookboat, £182; 2, JA Mcgarva, Nether Abington, £160; 3, AJB Forrest, Hillend, £148. 
Scotch Mule ewe lambs – 1, J and A Galloway, Lochlyoch, £134; 2, Crookboat £118; 3, CC McArthur and Co, Nunnerie £110. 
LEADING prices:
Scotch Mule gimmers – Toxside £166; Crookboat £164, £152; Cocklaw £162, £158; Nether Abington £160 (x3), £158; Dykecroft £154, £148, £146; Cloverhill £152, £150, £146; East Dykes £152, £150; Hillend £148; Oldhill £148, £146, £144; Ingraston £148; Tollishill £146; Lupas £148, £146. 
Tex X gimmers – Wolfclyde £200 (x2); Townhead Dolphinton £200, £152; Lesmahagow £200; Lupus £160; Westmains Newbigging £152, £150; Ingraston £150; Cloverhill £148, £144; Parkgatestone £146, £142; Liscleugh £146; Broomfield £146. 
Scotch Mule ewe lambs – Lochlyoch £135, £134, £132, £124; Crookboat £120; Knowehead £112, £110; Shawhead £111, £109; Nunnerie £110; Nisbet £110; West Millrig £108.
Scotch Mule ewes – Mains of Auchterlees (1cr) £116; Sornfallow (4cr) £100, £94; Greenshields (4cr) £95; Wardhead (2cr) £94; Fullarton (4cr) £84; Haswellsykes (4cr) £82; Easter Harprew (4cr) £82. 
Suff X ewes – Haswellsykes (4cr) £90, £88; Woodhouse (4cr) £86.