Shearling rams from Woolfords dominated much of the proceedings at the sale of North-type Blackface sheep at Stirling, producing three of the top four highest prices in the section and the top flock average.

The 1100-ewe flock from West Calder, owned and managed by Matthew Hamilton and son, also Matthew, had the pre-sale champion which then went on to top the sale at £10,000. This tup – which also stood second in his class at Perth Show – is by a £10,500 Achdregnie shearling bought here in 2017 and out of a home-bred ewe by a 6500gns Harkin tup. Backing his decision, he sold to the judge, Tom Adams and sons, Joe and Alan, Rathkenny, Ballymena, with Archie McKinnon, farm manager at Cadogan Estates’ Auchnacloich unit, at Amulree, Dunkeld, taking a half share. “He’s a tremendous tup with good feet and legs, a great coat and he’s very correct. He was a very easy champion,” said Mr Adams after the sale.

The £10,000 shearling from Woolfords was just the start of things to come, with the second making £9000 and others at £4000 and £2500. Woolfords also scooped the second prize pen of five, with their 12 shearlings cashing in at a whopping £2658 – up £500 on the year. Following the champion all the way, the No 2 shearling then made £9000 when selling to Irish breeders, brothers George and John Conway, from Plumbridge; Mark Conway, also Plumbridge; M McAleer, Pomeroy, Dungannon; and the Breslin Brothers, Gerard and Cathal, Ardara.

This entry, which made up part of the second prize pen, is by a 2000gns Conway sire bought at Ballymena, and bred from a ewe by a 1200gns McCurdy tup. The £4000 Woolfords tup was another from the second prize pen and also sold across the Irish Sea, this time with Billy Grant, Cloughfin, Clonmany; Brian Curran, Culmore, Co Derry; and John McDermott, Glengad, Malin. A son of the £9000 Woolfords shearling sold here last year to Paul McEvoy and M McAleer, he is out of a ewe by the 11,000gns Breslin tup. Billy Grant was then back in action when forking out £2500 for a Woolfords shearling by the 2000gns Conway. David Baillie and son, David, Calla, Carnwath, also enjoyed a good day, selling the third top priced shearling at £5000 and the best of the lambs at £5500. The shearling, which was unshown at the pre-sale show, is by an 8000gns McEvoy tup bought at Ballymena in 2016 that sired the £18,000 Calla lamb sold here in 2017 and out of a ewe by a home-bred son of a Harkin tup. The buyers were Owen McEvoy, Kilcoo, Newry, Co Down, Northern Ireland, and Pamela Nicol, Doldy Farms, Glenisla.

The Baillie’s top lamb also boasted Northern Ireland genetics, being a son of the Conway Brothers champion lamb bought last year for 5500gns at Ballymena, out of a ewe by a home-bred son of a 10,000gns Conway. He sold  in a two-way split to B and A Carson, Clough, Ballymena, and Sam Adams, Broughshane.

Other top shearlings included Bert Grant’s pen leader from Glendamph, Glenisla, which made £4200. By a home-bred son of a Conway sire and out of a ewe by a £2000 Chamberwells, he was knocked down to Auchnacloich.

Helping to finance that transaction, Archie McKinnon, son Ben and daughter Anna, who work at Auchnacloich, received £2200 from Woolfords for their No 2 shearling, a son of the £4200 Craigneich bought here in 2017, out of a ewe by a £1400 Achdregnie.

Stephen Duncan and his father, also Stephen, who run 700 ewes at Achdregnie, Glenlivet, were in fine form when they had a cracking trade for their north and south-type sheep. Their north-type led the way with a top of £3800 for their pen leader which, coupled with another 18, sold to average £992.

The flock, which had the first prize pen of five Perth-type shearlings, saw their No 1, a son of the £3000 Craigneich shearling bought here in 2017, out of a ewe by a £1500 Craigneich, sell to John Shearer and sons, Gavin and Neil, Hillhead of Morinsh, Glenlivet, for the top money.

Top price for Elizabeth Johnston’s shearlings from Chamberwells was £2200 paid by Neil and Anne Kydd, Glenhead, Glenisla, for a tup backed by home-bred genetics on his sire’s side, while the dam is by a £2500 Glendamph. On the other side of the coin, Glenhead sold its dearest lamb at £2200 to Chamberwells.

The breeding behind this big lamb includes a 1400gns Breslin son of the 10,500gns Achdregnie, out of a ewe by a £1600 Glenhead. Second top price amongst the lambs was £4000 paid by Woolfords for the pen leader from John Shearer and sons, Gavin and Neil, Hillhead of Morinsh, for a son of last year’s £10,000 Woolfords out of a ewe by a 1000gns Martin Conway.

Woolfords also bought the No 2 lamb at £2400 from Sandy and Steven Smith, selling for the first time off Scar Hill. The father and son duo, who were previously based at Haughton, Glenkindie, received this money for a son of the £8000 Woolfords bought here last year, out of a ewe by a £4000 Calla. That same £8000 Woolfords sire also bred the champion lamb from Pamela Forbes’ Eastmill unit which made £2800 selling to the lamb judge, Joe Carson, Clough, Ballymena, and Sam Adams, Broughshane. The dam is by an 8500gns Cam tup. Auctioneers: United Auctions. 

Averages: 121 ram lambs, £915.00 (+£230.30 for two more).

FLOCK averages

Flock (No) Top (£) Averages

2019 2018

Ram lambs

Allanfauld (4) 1000 925.00 1280

Greenside (3) 500 450.00 -

Dall (11) 1800 709.00 466

Midlock (6) 1600 833.33 633

Aberuchill (3) 2200 1250.00 2267

Wester Crosswood Hill (3) 500 450.00 -

Knock O Ronald (4) 1000 512.50 538

Burnside (3) 300 200.00 -

Gosland (3) 300 200.00 618

Mitchellhill (4) 1400 637.50 -

Auldhouseburn (3) 18,000 9000.00 3700

Steading Cottage (6) 400 341.67 610

Aitkenhead (3) 400 300.00 -

Braes of Ardeonaig (9) 700 400.00 268

Craigend (5) 450 334.00 450

Shankhead (3) 200 200.00 -

Upper Wellwood (3) 800 516.67 -

Elmscleugh (4) 2200 1800.00 1380

High Staward (5) 1600 850.00 750

Crossflatt (4) 6500 2925.00 917

Merkland (4) 3000 1475.00 -

Burnhead, Darvel (4) 350 225.00 -