TOP end pedigree females met a buoyant demand at the Twilight Texel sale at Carlisle, where a top price of 10,000gns was paid for a show gimmer from Robert Bennett's Plasucha flock from Wales.

His sale leader, the reserve champion at the Shropshire County Show and an ET sister to the 18,000gns Plasucha Alys is got from semen by Eden Valley Wiz Kid – a tup that stood male champion at Welshpool in 2015 and sold for 6200gns. Bred from three generations of show winners, the dam, a home-bred ewe by Garngour Upperclass, is an ET sister to the retained stock ram, Plasucha Vavavoom that has bred sons to 6500gns, with both the grand-dam and the great grand dam being placed at the Royal Welsh. She sold empty, but with an embryo out of her sired by the Knock Yankee-sired Plasucha All Star, to father and son team, Donald and Ross MacPherson, buying for their small Hexel flock based at Berwick Upon Tweed.

The same flock also sold two at 2000gns to Messrs Sinclair, Lyth, Wick, Caithness and Messrs Legge, Hetfield, Leominster, Herefordshire. The former, another show gimmer by Wiz Kid, bred from a ewe by Fairywater Valiant, sold due to Donrho Aristocrat. The latter, a Knock Yankee daughter out of a Connachan Sharky-sired ewe, is an ET sister to the 11,000gns Plasucha All Star and sold due to Mullan Awesome.

And, just behind on 1800gns, new breeder, Nick Gill, Borrowdale, Keswick, bought an ET sister to Plasucha Annabelle, the first prize gimmer at the Great Yorkshire and to the 6000gns Plasucha Action Man, from Mr Bennett. She is also by Wiz Kid and out of a ewe by Connachan Sharky. The service sire here was Kelso Wiseman.

Second top price was 5000gns paid for a ewe lamb from Selwyn and Tomos Reed's Welsh flock from Carmarthen, purchased by Graham Morrison, buying buying back some of his own genetics for his Deveronvale flock from Inchbruich, Banff. She is got by semen from Cairness Ranger, a son of the 220,000gns record priced Deveronvale Perfection, and bred from a Fordafourie gimmer by Garngour Vintage, purchased here in 2016.

The sale got off to a good start when the very first lot in the ring, a gimmer by the 24,000gns Midlock Yorkie from George Wilkinson and his father Harry, of the Arkle and Ellen Valley flocks from Arkleby, Carlisle, made 4000gns. Another show winner, she was reserve champion at Cumberland in the summer and is also an ET sister to the 6500gns Ellen Valley Avici, being out of a ewe by Drumpark President. Father and son team, Geoff and Eifion Morgan who own the 50-ewe Blaencar flock at Nantygwreiddyn, Brecon, were the final bidders.

Midlock Yorkie was also behind Robin Orr and his daughter Caroline's 60 strong Halbeath ewe flock from Dunfermline which sold to 3000gns. She is out of a ewe by the retained show tup, Halbeath VIP, a stock ram that has bred sons to 20,000gns and several other high priced lots. Placed at the Great Yorkshire, this big girl changed hands carrying a single lamb by the 17,000gns Silvermere Baltic, to Bryden Nicolson, Highfield Farming, Duns, Berwickshire.

Averages: Arkle and Ellenvalley flock – Six gimmers, £1522.50; Crailloch – Nine gimmers, £665; Douganhill – Four gimmers, £918.75. Durisdeer – Three gimmers, £385.00; Eden Valley – Three gimmers, £700.00; Far Hey and Bradleys – Six gimmers, £507.50; Plasucha – 10 gimmers, £2147.25; Stainton – Seven gimmers, £427.50; Welsh – Four ewe lambs, £1785.00.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

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