averages:

Callacrag – Four ewes, £1750; 31 gimmers, £780.73; Four ewe lambs, £1115.63. Corstane/Broughton – Six ewes, £700; Eight gimmers, £303.19. Shawtonhill – Nine gimmers, £367.50. Tiree – Nine gimmers, £338.33. Proctors – Six gimmers, £315. Heatheryhall – Four gimmers, £1727.25.

The Beltex trade was booming at the society’s annual show and sale of females at Lanark, last weekend, where Alfie Taylor’s Heatheryhall flock produced the champion and sale topper at 5000gns.

The gimmer, Heatheryhall Dorothy ET, has been the flock’s show star this year, standing first in her class at Lesmahagow and second at Biggar, earlier in the year. She is sired by the 2800gns Skiddaw View Boggle ET, and out of a Clary Prankster ET-sired daughter, Heatheryhall Wanda – which produced the £3200 shearling ram sold at Kelso last year.

Dorothy was sold carrying twins to the 30,000gns Buckles Dark Dawn ET and headed home with Andrew and Claire Wood, for the Withy Trees flock, Whittingham, Preston.

The pre-sale show reserve champion, Shawtonhill Donna, from Robert and James Hamilton, Chapelton, Strathaven, sold for 800gns to Alasdair MacLean, for his Tiree flock. Scanned carrying a single to the home-bred tup, Shawthonhill Deacon Blue ET, she is a daughter Heatheryhall Batman ET and out of Shawtonhill Tilly-Rose.

The reduction sales of Andrew Baillie’s Callacrag flock, Carstairs, and the Dunlop family’s Corstane and Broughton flocks, Biggar, was also held and proved a big attraction, with a Callacrag ewe peaking at 4000gns.

Securing that was a 2016-born ewe, Callacrag Billie. Sired by Eildon Wolverine, she is out of a Callacrag Rocky ET-sired dam, Callacrag Sunflower.

This stylish ewe was the Callacrag’s show star this year, standing inter-breed champion at Carnwath and was sold carrying twins to Clary Desperado. Forking out the money for her was Neil Laing, Thankerton, Biggar. As luck-penny, Mr Laing received a recipient ewe, carrying an embryo from a flush of Callacrag Billie to the service sire, Lurg Emperor.

Another Callacrag entry, the 2015-born Callacrag Anastasia ET, was knocked down at 3200gns, to Alan Miller's Lurg flock, from near Inverurie.

Also carrying twins to Desperado, she is by Quarrymount William Wallace ET and out of Callacrag Redemption.