averages: 1776 ewes, £86.26 (-£2.40 for 525 less); 906 gimmers, £133.22 (+£30.22 for 828 fewer); 718 ewe lambs £95.26 (+£9.00 for 59 less); 250 rams, £995.60 (+£133.65 for seven less)

North Country Cheviot breeders enjoyed another buoyant trade at Lockerbie, where ram averages improved by almost £135 on the year.

The first week of park-type Cheviots saw shearling averages level at £995 and the hill tups sold the following week cashed in at the exact same amount, albeit with almost 100 more.

Similarly, hill-type Cheviots sold to the same amount as their park-type rivals at £6000, with the top seller in both sections coming from Willy and Laura Thomson, Hownam Grange, Kelso.

Sale leader this time however was a two-shear ram which sold for £6000 to Adam Waugh of the Elsdonburn flock, Kirknewton, Wooler, Northumberland. He is sired by the Sorbietrees 4970, and out of a home-bred dam.

Another two from the Thomsons made £4500 each to include the pen leader, Hownam Grange X Factor, a substitute ram purchased by W Dunlop and Sons, Commonside, Hawick.

This shearling is no stranger to the show ring having bagged seven first prizes at 10 shows. Backed by the best of bloodlines, he is sired by the £8000 Newbank Spitfire that stood champion at Royal Highland in 2018 and out of Hownam Grange Molly, the reserve inter-breed champion at the Highland in 2016. Both the dam and sire are also former national show champions.

Seconds later saw Howman Grange War Lord was knocked down to Drew Oliver, flock manager at Sorbietrees, Hillend, Newcastleton. This two-shear ram is also by Spitfire and home-bred ewe.

Spitfire was also the sire of the two-shear ram, Howman Grange Winner, which was chapped down at £4000 to the Raehills flock, Annandale Estate, St Anns, Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire.

Second top price was £5500 paid for a three-shear ram from George Irving, Montbenger, Yarrow, purchased by Alan Cowens for Philiphaugh Estates, Selkirk. He is a son of Whitehope 2224, a tup bought here in 2012 for £450 out of a Whitchesters gimmer, bought in 2015 as part of their dispersal.

His full brother also made the grade selling at £3500 to RJ Tweedie, Buchtrig, Hownam, Jedburgh.

Two rams sold for £5000, the first of these was from David Douglas and shepherd, Matt Carryer, Catslackburn, Yarrow. This two-shear is sired by the Lairg purchase, Glendale Rebel, bought in 2017 from Ted Fox, St John's Kirk, and out of a home-bred ewe. The ram went home with Andrew Elliot, Blackhaugh, Clovenfords, Bedshiel.

Allan Hutcheon of Linhope Farming Partnership, Alnwick, also received £5000 from Messrs Bridgewater and Wood, buying for the Esk flock, Potholm, Langholm. Their purchase, the two-shear ram Hartside Hill Warrior has taken several first prize tickets and is sired by the £5000 Whitehope Phantom, a tup that has bred sons to £9000, out of a home-bred ewe.

Next best at £4500 was a two-shear ram from Bill Elliott, Hethpool, Wooler, which sold to Hownam Grange, Kelso. Hethpool Warrior is a son of Whitchesters Raptor, which was bought in 2015 at Lairg for £7000, and out of a home-bred ewe.

Also making his mark for the Hethpool flock was Hethpool Wizard, another two-shear ram which sold at £4000 to Bruce Gilchrist, Rawburn, Longformacus, Duns. He is by Woodside Smackhead, which was purchased at Lairg in 2016 for £5000.

Add to that another £3500 for Hethpool William and the flock achieved it's highest average at £2286 for 14.

This two-shear ram is by Sorbietrees Saltire, a tup bought here in 2016 for £1800. He headed home to Clerkhill Farm, Eskdalemuir.

Taking a £4200 call was the second entry from the Newbank pen of Hugh and Sandy Wilson, Newbank, Moffat, again purchased by Philiphaugh Estates. The two-shear ram, Newbank Walker, is by the £5500 Badanloch Mania and out of a home-bred ewe.

Top price for Ian and Katherine Hepburn, Northhouse, Hawick, was £4000 paid for North House Whambam, which found a new home with Robert Rennie, Attonburn Cottages,Yetholm, Kelso. Another two-shear ram, he is by Whitehope Stig, a £4000 purchase at Lairg and out of a home-bred ewe.

The last to sell for £4000 was a two-shear from Graham, Kirsty and Fiona Dunlop, Commonside, Hawick, when selling to Allan Hutcheon, Linhope Farming. Commonside Wet Blanket is a son of the £4000 Seaforth Major and out of a home-bred ewe that goes back to a Badanloch sire.

Best from the Sorbietrees pen was a two-shear ram which sold for £3200 to Northhouse, Hawick. Sorbietrees Wes is by a home-bred sire that sold for £6000 in 2018 at Lairg.

Also on the same money was a two-shear ram from Elsdonburn purchased by Linhope Farming Partnership. Elsdonburn Warrior is sired by the £5000 Hethpool Saltire, bought in Lairg out of a home-bred ewe.

Leading the females at £180 was an unregistered gimmer from JM Retson and Co, Maidencoates, purchased by ????

Ewes sold to £125 from David Douglas, Whitehope, whilst ewe lambs peaked at £130 from Kelsocleugh Farming.

LEADING prices

Rams – £6000, £4500 (x2), £4000, £3800, £2800, £1800 (x3) Hownam Grange; £5500, £3500, £2000 Mountbenger; £5000 Hartside; £5000 Catslackburn; £4500, £4000, £3500, £3000 (x2), £2800, £2200, £1800 Hethpool; £4200, £2500 (x2), £1800 Newbanks; £4000 Northhouse; £4000 Commonside; £3200 Elsdonburn; £3200 Sorbietrees; £2000 Blackhaugh; £1800 Old Mill; £1800 Humbleheugh; £1800 Buchtrig.

Draft ewes – £125, £88 Whitehope, Yarrow; £120 Elsdonburn; £115, £90, £88 Attonburn; £110, £85 Stouphill; £100 Whitefield; £100, £98 (x2), £95, £92, £88 Sourhope; £95 (x2), £88 Kelsocleugh; £92, £88 Sorbietrees; £90, £88 Hethpool; £88 Woodside; £88 Byres; £88 Potholm; £85 Greenbank.

Gimmers – £180, £150 Maidencoates; £160, £155, £145, £140 Kelsocleugh; £155, £145 (x2), £140 (x2), £135, £125 Cocklawfoot; £155 Hillhead, Auchengray; £150, £135 East Clough; £145, £135 (x2) Bedsheil; £140 (x2) Hownam Grange; £140 Calla; £140 Longburgh Fauld; £135, £130 Buchtrig; £130 West Blackbyres.

Ewe lambs – £130, £110 Kelsocleugh; £118, £100 Hethpool; £110 (x2), £98 Philliphaugh Estates,; £105 Newbank; £100 Stouphill; £100 Catslackburn; £95 Braidley, Bardon Mill.

Flock averages

Flock (No) Top Averages 2019 2018

Bedshiel (5) 2000 1140.00 –

Whitehope (10) 5000 1220.00 1000

Attonburn (11) 1500 681.82 –

Hillhead (5) 800 500.00 275

Calla (7) 1000 664.29 603

Hullockhowe (7) 900.00 471.43

Philiphaugh (7) 1800 950.00 571

Hownam Grange (25) 6000 1826.00 962

Greenbank (5) 850.00 540 –

Sorbietrees (11) 3200 795.45 1060

North House (13) 4000 800.00 810

Benger (5) 5500 2660.00 1067

Kelso (13) 1300 927.78 1369

Stouphill (6) 1800 1058.33 1492

Priesthaugh (3) 300 300.00 460

Lymiecleugh (6) 900 525.00 490

Commonside (8) 4000 900.00 358

Hartside (7) 5000 1414.29 2420

Whitstonehill (6) 800 441.67 639

Hethpool (14) 4500 2285.71 1435

Brachmont (7) 650 414.29 400

Raehills (7) 1600 585.71 –

Elsdonburn (5) 3200 1000.00 312

Buchtrig (11) 1800 618.18 806

Woodside (5) 800 590.00 638

Sourhope (6) 550 425.00 503

Cashlie (3) 450 416.67 500

Esk (5) 950 660 1142.00

Rawburn (3) 1000 550.00 913

Newbank (11) 4200 1286.36 1100

Cymraeg (3) 1100 766.67 425