By Patsy Hunter

Increased demand from new and established breeders, ensured a bumper trade throughout at the Perth Ram Society’s Blackface ram sale at Stirling, where shearling averages improved on the year and for more sold.

Despite half the number of five-figure shearling sales compared to last year, such was the improved commercial trade that averages increased by £25 per head to level at £945.29 for 155, with an extra 10 more sold.

Such was the enthusiasm for the Perth-type or North-type that a packed ringside throughout witnessed prices peak at £10,000 for the best from Tom and Mairi Paterson and son Robert’s Craigneich flock from Muthill, Crieff, with another two shearlings selling at or above £7500.

“The sale was the busiest we have seen for a long time with a lot of new buyers from as far afield as Devon and Cornwall, Northumberland and Newton Stewart,” said Neil Kydd, chairman of the Perth Ram Society, pointing out the event saw an 83% clearance.

“North-type Blackies have the shorter coats in demand and have retained the size and shape,” he added.

The only downside of the sale was the fact that ram lamb averages slipped £218.85 on the year to level at £722.15, but then this section was led by an £8000 sale compared to last year’s £18,000 high from Calla.

Star attraction was the Paterson family’s No 2 shearling, a son of the £10,000 Auchnacloich shearling bought here in 2016 that stood champion at the National Show last year and was later christened Hallelujah. He is bred from a ewe by a £4500 Woolfords and sold across the Irish Sea at £10,000 with the ram lamb judge, Joseph Grant, Cloughfin, Clonmany, Co Donegal.

Such was the strength and power of Hallelujah, that nine of the Craigneich shearlings were sons of him, which sold to produce the second top average at £1614 for 11.

Matthew Hamilton and son also Matthew, enjoyed a cracking trade for shearlings and ram lambs from their Woolfords flock from West Calder, securing the lead averages in both sections at £2154 for 11 and £3083 for three, respectively.

Their dearest at £9000 was the pen’s No 3 shearling, a son of the 6500gns Harkin tup bought at Ballymena in 2015, that produced last year’s £3000 champion lamb. The dam is equally well bred being a daughter of a 1600gns McCurdy tup that produced the £7500 shearling that sold to Calla in 2015. A member of the second prize pen of five, he also sold across the water, having been purchased in a two-way split by Paul McAvoy, Kilco, Newry, Co Down and M McAleer, Pomeroy, Dungannon.

Woolfords also picked up the pre-sale shearling championship with their No 2, by a Conway Bros bred son of the £7500 Woolfords, out of a ewe by a £4500 Woolfords. Buying back some of their own genetics, he sold to John and George Conway, Plumbridge, Omagh.

Adding to the celebrations, the Hamilton’s 1000-ewe flock topped the ram lambs at £8000 when their second, sold to Doldy Farms, Glenisla, Blairgowrie, managed by Pamela Nicol, with Sandy and Steven Smith, Haughton, Glenkindie, taking a half share. This bare lamb was by Woolford’s No 1 shearling – a son of a £2500 Bomakelloch – that made £1800 earlier in the day, bred from a ewe by the 6500gns Harkin tup.

Just behind on £7500 was the pen leader from Cadogan Estates’ Auchnacloich unit at Amulree, Perthshire, where Archie McKinnon is in charge along with son Ben and daughter Anna. Another backed by the best of genetics, he is bred the same way as their £10,000 shearling sold here in 2016, being a son of the £1600 Achdregnie shearling bought in 2014, onto a ewe by a £900 Glendamph. The Irish were back out in force for this show tup that stood first at Kirriemuir and fourth at Perth, with Mark Smyth, Shields, Macosquin, Coleraine and Sam and Tom Adams from Broughshane and Ballymena, respectively, sharing the cost.

Shearling rams from Stephen Duncan and his father, also Stephen, Achdregnie, Glenlivet, got the sale off to a flying start, being the second lot in, with 11 at four-figure prices.

The duo, who run 700 ewes also produced the first prize pen of five shearlings, of which the dearest sold for £5000 to David Baillie, Calla, Carnwath.

Again, some top breeding was behind this tup, with the sire, a 4400gns Tom Adams bought at Ballymena in 2014, having bred shearlings to £11,000 and £7000 for the Duncans. The dam is by a £2900 Chamberwells.

The same sire also bred a £3800 Achdregnie shearling purchased by Haughton. Third at Perth Show and a member of the first prize pen, he is out of a ewe by a 6000gns Tom Adams.

The three other members of the first prize pen made £4000, and £3000 twice. The dearest, a son of the £3000 Achdregnie sold last year to Bomakelloch, out of a ewe by a £1500 Craigneich, was knocked down to Sam Adams, Broughshane and Mark Smyth, Coleraine.

Auchnacloich bought the first £3000 shearling and pen leader, a son of a 2000gns Sam Adams, bred from a 950gns Conway Bros lamb, while the second was split three ways between Co Donegal breeders, Cathal and Gerrard Breslin from Ardara, and P Cannon, Crove. Reserve champion at the pre-sale show and first at Perth, he is by the £6500 Newmill shearling ram bought here in 2015 and out of a ewe by the 4400gns Tom Adams.

Sandy and Steven Smith’s shearling and ram lambs from Haughton, sold well with their top two making £3500 and £3000. The former and pen leader, a son of the £15,000 Calla lamb bought here in 2016, bred from a £4000 Calla daughter was knocked down in another two-way split to Ireland with W Watson, Corain, Londonderry and JB Carson, Clough, Ballymena, sharing the cost.

Woolfords bought the £3000 shearling, a son of a High Staward ram bought at Hexham in 2016, out of a ewe by a 6000gns Tom Adams.

Haughton also sold one of the dearer lambs too, at £2000 in a three-way split to brothers Charlie and Thomas Harkin, Loughash, Co Tyrone and Cathal Breslin, Co Donegal. Irish bloodlines are behind this bare lamb with the sire being a 2200gns Brennan tup bought last year onto a ewe by a 2600gns Tom Daly.

Glenlivet breeders, John Shearer and sons Gavin and Neil, Hillhead of Morinsh, enjoyed a flying trade for their lambs producing the second and third top priced lots at £5000 and £4800.

The family who run 450 ewes also produced the second prize pen of three, with their third prize winner in the overall line-up selling for £5000 to Craigneich. Backed by show winners, he is by the £7000 Hillhead of Morinsh champion lamb sold here in 2013, which was bought back privately last year, and out of a ewe by a 1000gns Harkin.

The Shearers £4800 lamb was by a 1000gns Martin Conway tup bought three years ago, out of a daughter of an £800 Achdregnie and sold to Achdregnie and Calla.

The champion lamb and supreme overall from David Baillie, Calla, made £800 selling to the judge, Joseph Grant, Cloughfin. He is by an 8000gns McEvoy.

FLOCK averages

Flock (No) Top Averages

2018 2017

Shearling rams

Calla (4) 650 475.00 714

Achdregnie (21) 5000 1412.86 2444

Glendamph (11) 1300 672.73 ¬730

Markethill (6) 650 508.33 -

Dunruchan (5) 500 370.00 300

Craigneich (11) 10,000 1613.64 1944

Glenrinnes (5) 1800 730.00 740

Hillhead of Morinsh (5) 1500 1120.00 930

Auchnacloich (8) 7500 1362.50 627

Doldy (8) 1100 481.25 420

Woolfords (11) 9000 2154.45 859

Dalbog (5) 700 500.00 363

Tombreakachie (5) 550 420.00 640

Drumore (4) 650 450.00 163

Chamberwells (8) 700 475.00 458

Newmill of Inshewan (5) 800 570.00 395

Meikle Coull (4) 350 237.50 453

Upper Towie (3) 200 133.33 -

Haughton (14) 3500 1000.00 960

Auldallan (3) 450 366.67 280

Ram lambs

Kilry (3) 320 313.33 -

Calla (7) 1200 771.43 3842

Viewmount (5) 300 220.00 246

Haughton (7) 2000 554.29 983

Chamberwells (7) 600 295.71 251

Hillhead of Morinsh (5) 5000 2740.00 -

Woolfords (3) 8000 3083.33 -

Tombreakachie (5) 900 556.00 633

Glenhead (5) 320 244.00 308

Eastmill (5) 550 364.00 488

Newmill of Inshewan (8) 400 210.00 567