averages:

16 shearling rams, £587.34 (+£91.56 for seven fewer sold); 133 ram lambs, £511.61 (-£122.56 for 23 fewer); eight gimmers, £465.94 (-£64.71 for five fewer).

By Kayley Kennedy

TWO ram lambs from Alastair Gault's Forkins flock led what was a selective trade at the Scottish Texel Club show and sale at Lanark, when his champion sold for the top price of 2800gns followed by another at 1900gns.

Making the journey across the water from Newtownabbey, County Antrim, worthwhile was Forkins Bently, a son of the Scotsman Ace tup bought at the same sale last year for 3500gns while his mother is a Duncryne Uber Cool daughter that claimed a red ticket at Antrim Show a few years back. Forking out the cash were the Clark brothers – Alan, Andy and David – who didn't come to the sale looking for a tup but thought him too good to miss and take him home to work on their Garngour, Clarks and Teiglum flocks at North Garngour, Lesmahagow.

Alastair's second top price of 1900gns was paid by David McKerrow and sons, David and James, for Forkins Bugatti to work on their Nochnary flock near Freuchie, Cupar. This April-born lad is by the 7000gns Duncryne Uber Cool and this time out of a Strathbogie Terminator daughter that is a sister to 7500gns, 4500gns and 4000gns rams.

Following on at 1700gns was the reserve champion, Haddo Bentley from Willie Knox, and sons, Graeme and Andrew, from Mid Haddo, Fyvie, which was snapped up by T and H Frame, Thinacres, Hamilton. He is among the first and dearest sons to sell by the 2000gns Tamnamoney Applejack shared with Tophill, bred from a Knock Trojan daughter that also produced the 7000gns Haddo Amigo and a show gimmer.

The Knox family's 70-ewe flock also received 1600gns from Ian Struthers, Collielaw, Carluke, for Haddo Barcelona. He's got some good breeding behind him as his sire, the 32,000gns Tophill Wall St, also sired the 60,000gns Clinterty Yuga Khan that has produced a number of flock leaders this year, while is mother is by Ellen Valley Warlord.

Father and son duo, Gordon and David Gray, from Lindean, Selkirk, saw their Ettrick Bobs You Uncle, a Clinterty You Cracker son, go under the hammer for 1400gns. Selling to M and S Wilson, Newbank, Moffat, this second prize winner at Abington Show is out of a Castlecairn Vital Spark daughter and from the same family as a 5500gns gimmer sold in 2017.

Shearlings sold to 1100gns for Robert Laird's Cambwell Africa from the Skirling, Biggar-based flock. This second prize winner from the pre-sale show which sold to Jordan Smeaton, Craggan, Abernethy, is out of a twin to the 6500gns Cambwell Thomas, a Tullagh Pacha daughter, while his sire is the 2000gns Grougfoot Wizard.