AN entry from Stuart Wood’s Woodies flock led the Beltex Beauties sale of females at Borderway Mart, last week, when she went under the hammer at 7500gns to match the top price paid to the Buckles flock in 2017. 

Leading the way for Stuart’s flock from Skene, Westhill, Aberdeenshire, was his champion from Echt Show, Woodies Carmen, which also secured a sixth prize at the Royal Highland. Sired by the 7000gns Loandhu Bonzo, this ET-bred gimmer is bred from Woodies Wild Wind, a daughter of The Godfather, and sold to John and Dafydd Owen for their Smart Ass flock at Rowen, Conwy, Gwynedd. 

Mr Wood, who sold seven gimmers to average £2433, also received 2600gns for his first through the ring, Woodies Charlies Angels, another bred from the Wild Wind ewe that has bred sons to 8000gns while her sire is Eskdale Lionheart. 

It was a good day for Wade and Alison McCrabbe’s Ardstewart flock from Gortaquigley, Raphoe, Liffod, Co Donegal, when they sold 12 to level at £2406.25, with a top call of 5800gns paid over the ‘phone by Gary Beacom for his Lakeview flock, also in Northern Ireland. Tops here was Ardstewart Crybaby, by Ardstewart Armani , a tup that was used at home before selling for 8000gns two years ago, while her mother is Woodies Armadillo, a daughter of The Lad bought at the same sale in 2016 for 2200gns. 

The McCrabbes also received 4400gns from Charlie Boden, of the Sportsmans flock, Stockport, for Ardstewart Curly Sue, a daughter of the 6000gns Muirton Arrowstar that has bred well for the flock. She is out of the Broughton Pond Stretcher-sired Ardstewart Tough Diva, which is a full sister to the 10,000gns Ardstewart Swagger Jagger. 

The first from Ardstewart, another by Muirton Arrowstar in Ardstewart Candy Kiss, sold to Paul and Chrstine Tippetts for their Hackney and Wilodge flocks at Shifnal, Shropshire. She is out of the Rathbone Tony-sired Ardstewart Attitude, a full sister to the 12,000gns Ardstewart Angus. 

Following on from setting a new breed record of 65,000gns at the Premier sale, Neale and Janet McQuistin, High Airyolland, New Luce, Newton Stewart, sold their best, Airyolland Cassiopeia, to Messrs Swinnerton, Market Drayton, for 3600gns. Bred from the Dooley Napal daughter Airyolland Aphrodite, a full sister to the 7500gns Airyolland Andromeda, she is by Tercrosset Action Man. 

Another breeder from across the water, Liz McAllister received 2200gns for Artnagullion Cashmere, a daughter of Ardstewart Blue Boy, that was also snapped up by Messrs Swinnerton. He dam is Artnagullion Wowcher, by the Woodies Snoop Dog tup that has bred well for the flock based near Kells, Ballymena. 

On the other side of the balance sheet, the Tippetts sold their Hackney Caribbean to Messrs Hughes, Llanfairpwll, Anglesey, for 2000gs. Her breeding includes the 10,000gns Kingledores Braveheart on to the Scooby Doo-sired Hackney What a Girl. 

The other three flocks represented at the sale received top calls of 1400gns apiece. 

First to sell was Buckles Corrine from the Buckle family, Barras, Kirkby Stephen, which sold to Page Farm Partnership, Ripon, North Yorkshire. She is by Ardstewart Armani and out of Elevage Du Chene, by Geene. 

Next at that price when knocked down to Messrs Jones, Ruabon, Wrexham, was the Glantre Armani daughter, Kingledores Charlize from Richard Wood, Tweedsmuir, Biggar. Her dam is Kingledores Philippa.

Clary Classic, by the 7000gns Hackney Braveheart, was the last to make 1400gns for Jock McMillan, Carse of Clary, Newton Stewart. Miller Farms, Inverurie, forked out the cash for this Clary Amy daughter.

Averages: Airyolland flock – 11 gimmers, £1479.54. Ardstewart – 12 gimmers, £2406.25. Artnagullion – Seven gimmers, £870.00. Buckles and Broxty – Five gimmers, £1071.00. Clary – Nine gimmers, £681.33. Hackney – Eight gimmers, £1034.25. Kingledores – Six gimmers, £1046.50. Woodies – Seven gimmers, £2433.00.