Scottish breeder Alan Farden, came home in style from a Bluefaced Leicester show and sale at Kirkby Stephen, having bought the top priced ram lamb at £16,000.

The lamb from Messrs Lord's Hewgill flock from West Dowgill, North Stainmore, is by their own Hewgill F52 and bred from a ewe by the J1 Barf House. A quarter share later sold to Robert McInnes buying for his Moscow flock from Kilmarnock.

The second top priced lot at £5800 also included a Scottish buyer, with Andrew McQuistin, Barnshangan, Newton Stewart, buying a half share of Neil Marston's best from the Highberries flock based at Millstone Moor, Cockermouth. A son of the J64 Highberries, bred from a Hundith Z4 ewe, he sold to Mr McQuistin and MW and CM Ridley of Shitlington Hall, Wark.

Mr Marston who sold 30 tup lambs to average £1309 also secured the overall championship with a lamb by the L12 Smearsett bred from a Highberries G1 dam. He later sold for £3000 to R Hargreaves, buying for his Barley flock from Meadow Bank, Burnley, Lancs.

Highberries genetics were also behind a £5000 lamb from Messrs Reed and Son, Lands Farm, Westgate, that sold in a two-way split to Messrs Lawson, Hundith and M Allan, Greenhow. He is by an H2 Highberries and bred from a Midlock E1 ewe.

Lanarkshire breeders, Allan and Ben Wight, Midlock, Crawford, also made their presence felt, going to £4500 for a Smearsett K1-sired lamb from KA Brown, Asby Hall, Appleby. He is bred from a G1 Smearsett dam.

Just behind, on £4300, Ron Wilson, Carrholme, Armathwaite, sold a Highberries J64-sired lamb out of a Oakhouse F1 dam to R Hayton, Asby Grange, Great Asby.

Shearlings were topped at £3500 for an entry by Otterburn Lodge K12 out of a ewe by a Smearset B13 from Messrs Caton, Otterburn Lodge, Skipton. The buyers were Messrs Harrison, Bennett Head Farm, Watermillock.

LEADING prices

Ram lambs – £16,000, £1200, £1000 West Dowgill; £5800, £3500, £3000, £1700 (x2), £1100, £1000 (x3) Millstone Moor; £5000, £2800, £2400 Lands Farm; £4500, £3800, £2500, £1600 Asby Hall Mews; £4300 Carrholme; £2200 Macqueston; £2000 Highfield; £1800 Midlock Farm; £1800, £1000 Meadow Bank; £1700 Woodend Farm; £1600, £1000 Low Carry House; £1600 Villa Farm; £1400 Buckles Farm; £1150 West Shotton Farm; £1100 School Cottage; £1100 Yore House

Aged rams – £1400, £500 Greenriggs.

Shearling rams – £3500, £1000 Otterburn Lodge Farm; £1800, £800 School Cottage; £1700, £1200 Scargill Farm; £1400, £800 Midlock Farm; £1100, £1000, £800 Greenriggs.

Sale averages: 181 ram lambs, £868.54; 40 shearling rams, £701.58; four aged rams, £706.66.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.