averages: 292 shearling rams, £726.68; 14 ram lambs, £412.86.

A buoyant demand for Beltex rams saw prices peak at £6000 for the pre-sale champion, a home-bred shearling ram from Kevin Buckles and sons, Jack and Tom, from Buckles Farm, Kirkby Stephen.

Their show winner, Buckles Dragon Slayer, is from home-bred genetics on both sides being sired by Broxty Supreme – a tup that fathered the Carlisle champion, Buckles Watercress, sold for 5000gns and the record breaking 25,000gns Boxer, both in 2016. Other prodigy include all three of the champion group at the Great Yorkshire in 2015 and the Royal Highland Show female champion, in 2014.

His dam, Buckles Annie Power, is a previous National Progeny Show champion, as well as producing the 30,000gns lamb sold at Carlisle, last month.

Forking out the cash to secure this winner was the breed judge, Michael Hall from Crosthrop Farm, Airton.

Next in the price rankings at £5000 was Gary Beacom's Lakeview Diamond In The Rough, from the Lakeview flock, near Fivemiletown, Northern Ireland, which sold to J Gray, Unthank, Whittingham, Alnwick. He is sired by Hackney Corker, a former reserve male at the Royal Welsh Show and out of a Rathbone Tony-sired Ardstewart dam.

Another tup from Mr Beacom, who was selling here for the third time, made £4500. This was Lakeview Doozer, purchased by Paul and Christine Tippetts, Wilodge, Shifnal, Shropshire. A son of Murrays Code, a tup that sired the 2800gns gimmer at Carlisle, as well as the reserve female at Skipton, Doozer is out of Brickrow Cocopop, bought at Carlisle in 2018 for 4000gns.

Selling at £3000 was Stuart Wood's Ivanhoe Dynamo, which was purchased at Lanark last year and used as a lamb. This shearling ram from the Woodies flock, Woolhillock, Aberdeenshire, is a son of Aviemore Bookem, and out of a Van't Hoveke ewe. Dumfriesshire producer, T Fitzsimon, Sunnyhills, was the final bidder.

Just behind on £2800 was a shearling ram from .............. from Liz McAllister, Ballymena, Northern Ireland, purchased by James Pritchard, Evistones. His pedigree includes genetics from ...............................................

John Guiry's Smart Ass Dapper, from Town Farm, Glanton, was bought by Brian Ryder, Annanwater, Moffat, for £2600. Sired by the Ardstewart tup, he is out of the the former National Show champion, Woodies Rice Crispy.