Sportsmans Double Diamond Texel lamb sells for 350,000gns world record

The jaw-dropping sale for the lamb, Sportsmans Double Diamond, not only superceded the previous record price of 220,000gns for a sheep in 2009, when Deveronvale Perfection, another Texel lamb was sold, but also the best ever cattle price of 140,000gns paid for the Limousin bull, Trueman Jagger, at Carlisle, in 2015.

Add to that another 18 five-figure sales, and this unforgettable event will certainly go down in history given the fact that while there was an abundance of pre-sale hype about this stylish, growthy lamb that boasted near perfect breed traits, there was not usual sale atmosphere when Covid-19 severely restricted attendance figures to allow for social distancing.

With only 50 potential buyers permitted in the sale ring due to the 2m safe distancing restrictions, there were four other areas people could bid from – the mart foyer; exhibition hall; at the back of the sale ring and in the comfort of their own home, online.

It was nevertheless at the back of the ring, where the vast majority of sale bidding was done, and where the record breaker was purchased. Sportsmans Double Diamond, from Charlie and Steph Boden and family of Josh, Rosie and Tom, sold in a three-way split to Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk; the Procters flock, managed by Jeff and Jennifer Aiken, Slaidburn, Lancs and Jeff Teward, buying for his New View flock from Darlington.

“He’s the best lamb I have ever seen,” said Mr Aiken. “He’s got the size, the coat, a great top, good colours and he is so correct throughout. He’s just got it all and he’s full of character,” he said.

A trio of top breeders from Aberdeenshire were the second last bidders.

It was a dream come true for the Boden family, who not only breed pedigree Texels but also Beltex and Suffolk sheep and Charolais and Limousin cattle.

“Texels have always been my first love,” said Charlie, adding that his father, the late Geoff Boden, was the first breeder to take Texels south of the Border in the early 1970s.

“We all love the Texels and that lamb has been the best from day one,” added Charlie who is also the sole sheep breeder to produce three six-figure priced ram lambs having sold Sportsmans A Star for 130,000gns in 2017; Sportsmans Batman for 100,000gns the following year and of course Double Diamond for 350,000gns.

His cracker this year also boasts some unique bloodlines, being the sole embryo from a home-bred ewe lamb by the 32,000gns Plasucha Big Gun, and sired by last year’s 65,000gns pre-sale champion Garngour Craftsman.

While the 350,000gns lamb provided the icing on the cake for all at Sportmans, it did nevertheless add just shy of £1300 to the overall sale average, that co-incidentally was up £1340 on last year’s event which saw prices peak at 200,000gns for the ram lamb, Midlock Capaldi.

This year, entries were cut by 100 head to enable all lambs to be sold within a reasonable time frame. However, there were still 60 fewer lambs sold compared to the 2019 event. Of the 471 lambs entered, 40 were not forward and 11 were rejected at the pre-sale show.

This left 420 lambs to go through the ring, of which 283 found new homes, which represents a 67% clearance.

With demand very much for breeders’ sheep, the Bodens enjoyed a flying trade throughout with their pen of seven Sportsmans lambs averaging a colossal £71,655.

Add to that another three lambs from the family’s Mellor Vale flock which sold to a top of 40,000gns to level at £18,322.50 and it was an extremely good day for team Boden who brought in well over £550,000 for their 10 lambs, all of which were sired by Garngour Craftsman.

In all, the 60-ewe Sportsmans flock sold four at five-figures, with the family’s second top price being 50,000gns paid for their No 3 lamb, Sportsmans Dirty Harry. He is the result of a flush from a 14,000gns Auldhouseburn gimmer bought at Carlisle by the 130,000gns Sportsmans A Star, and sold in a five-way split to Jack and Tom Arnott, Haymount, Kelso; Bryden Nicolson of the Knockem flock from Duns; Donald Macpherson, buying for his Hexel flock from Berwick upon Tweed; Bruce Renwick, Castlecairn, also Kelso and Robbie Wilson of the Milnbank flock from Turriff.

Two lots later, Sportsmans Deal Breaker, whose grand-dam bred Sportsmans A Star, made 28,000gns selling to Robert Cockburn of the Knap flock from Errol, Perth, with Thomas Muirhead of the Orchilmore flock, Comrie, later taking a share. His dam is also by Plasucha Young Gun.

Willie Dunlop and sons Quintin and William, Elmscleugh, Dunbar, bought the second Sportsmans lamb, Dream Big, at 24,000gns. His dam, an Auldhouseburn gimmer bought here last year for 8500gns is again by A Star.

Another backed by the best of bloodlines going back to the mother of Sportmans A Star; Sportsmans Desert Star, made 17,000gns selling to a bus load of breeders to include David Houghton, Tophill, Bury, Lancs; Rob Evans, Hope Valley, Minsterley, Shropshire; James Theyer of Clanfield, Oxfordshire and The Barn, Chedworth, Cheltenham; Rob Jones, Dromonby Bridge, Great Busby and Carl Henry Bellis, Llwyn-Y-Cosyn, Holywell, Clwyd. His dam is by Fordafourie Amalert.

The three Mellor Vale lambs from the Boden family were also by Garngour Craftsman, with the dearest at 40,000gns purchased by John Forsyth, Glenside, Maybole and Neil and Stuart Barclay, Harestone, Insch. Mellor Vale Deja Vu, is out of a home-bred ewe by Garngour Alabama.

The last of the five-figure sales from the family saw Mellor Vale Dakota, which is bred from a show gimmer by Teiglum Younggun and from the same family as the 8500gns Ace and 4000gns Valentino, make 12,000gns to Rob and James Draper, Claybury Texels, Shropshire; B Lowe, Rue Wood, Shrewsbury; D and J Holtridge, Norbury, Whitchurch; Oldford Texels, Pulford, Chester and MJ Ellis, Kilchoan, Cressage, Shrops.

Second top price was 65,000gns paid for Donald Macpherson and son, Ross’ Hexel Django, a March-born entry bred from a Flor Ryans ewe by Duncryne Uber Cool that bred the 8000gns Hexel Born to be Wild. More than doubling their previous best of 32,000gns, this lamb from the 12-ewe flock from Castlehills, Berwick-upon-Tweed, is by the 15,000gns Procters Chumba Wumba and sold in a three-way split to the Wights, Midlock, Crawford; Keith, Allan and Roy Campbell, Cowal, Lochgoilhead and Willie Knox and sons Graeme and Andrew, buying for their Haddo flock from Turriff.

His full brother, Hexel Diamond Joe, made 14,000gns selling to Northern Ireland breeders, James Wilkinson, Ballygroogan; James Adams, Kerryhill, Glarryford; J McCollam, Nutts Corner, Crumlin; Martin Millar, Coleraine and P Donnelly, Rathkenny, Ballymena.

Two lambs made 34,000gns to include the Knox’ Haddo Dynamite, from Mid Haddo, Turriff. He is by the 8000gns Hexel Born to Be Wild, a tup that bred the first prize ewe lamb last year at the Highland for the 70-ewe flock, while the dam, a former show gimmer at Ingliston, is by Clinterty Yuga Khan. Buying back some of their own genetics, Dynamite was knocked down to Brian and Gavin Buchan, Clinterty, Fraserburgh, with Albert and George Howie, Knock, Stuartslaw, Peterhead, taking a half share.

Matching that 34,000gns sale was Rob and James Draper’s Claybury Dunkirk from Ensdon House, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury. A son of Strathbogie Cannonball – the 2019 reserve champion purchased here for 9000gns – and bred from a home-bred gimmer by Scholars Yahoo, a tup bought at Carlisle for 3500gns, he sold to the Wights at Midlock, Crawford, Abington; Gordon and David Gray, Ettrick, Selkirk and Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth.

Just behind on 32,000gns was the best from a cracking pen from Jack Arnott and his father Tom, Haymount, Kelso, who sold seven lambs by the 13,000gns Usk Vale Crackerjack, to average £7530.

Sale leader here was Haymount Divine King, a March-born entry bred from a ewe by Clinterty Yuga Khan that bred last year’s retained Haymount Crackerjack. Will Davies of the Usk Vale flock from Pontypool, was the final bidder.

Top price for Andrew Clark’s Teiglum flock from Blackhill, Carluke, was 30,000gns paid for Teiglum Dancing Brave, a son of the 15,000gns Carlisle purchase, Procters Chumba Wumba, out of a ewe by Knock Yardsman that is a maternal sister to the 24,000gns Braveheart and the grand-dam is a full sister to Young Gun. Robbie Wilson, buying for his Milnbank flock forked out the cash.

Karen and Allan Wight also enjoyed a cracking sale, selling four lambs from their Midlock flock to average £12,229. All their entries were sons of Sportsmans Cannon Ball, with the dearest at 26,000gns, Midlock De Niro, selling to Charlie Boden. Cannon Ball is bred from a ewe by Clinterty Yuga Khan which is a full sister to the 22,000gns Midlock Avicii.

Adding to the celebrations, the couple’s pen leader, Midlock Dizzee Rascal, made 10,000gns selling to S Lewis, Karven, Haverfordwest. His dam, by Knock Bantastic, is a full sister to last year’s 200,000gns Midlock Capaldi.

Home-bred genetics were behind the best from Rob Bennett’s Plasucha flock from Upper Hall, Meiford, when Davinci Code, realised 20,000gns to C and M Mullan of the Blue Gates flock from Limavady, Northern Ireland. He is by Plasucha All Star, while his dam, a home-bred ewe by Strathbogie Your The One, is a maternal sister to the 20,000gns Usk Vale Corker and the 15,000gns Usk Vale Charlie. Davinci Code was purchased by five Irish breeders to include Andrew Kennedy, Ballymena; C and M Mullan, Blue Gates; A Liggett, Seksinore, Omagh; S McNeilly, Ballyclare, Co Antrim and J McFeely, Claudy, Co Derry.

Another three lambs sold at 10,000gns with the first of those being Douganhill Desperado, from Brian and David MacTaggart, of Douganhill Farms, Palnackie, Castle Douglas. The first lamb to hit the magical five-figure bracket at the sale, Desperado is got by frozen semen from Procters US President, a tup bought at Carlisle by Robert Osborne and Caroline Hastings, for 6000gns. Allanfauld, Ettrick and Malcolm Coubrough, Hartside Farms, Lamington, forked out the cash for this entry bred from a ewe by Teiglum Younggun that stood champion of champions at Stewartry Show, last year.

Steven Renwick who runs 25 ewes in his Craig Douglas flock from Peebles, also enjoyed his best ever sale, selling Craig Douglas Dancer for 10,000gns in a five-way split to Peter Woof, Stainton, Kendal; R Bradley, Far Hey, Lancashire; Geoff Riby, Bridlington; Spiros Spyrou, Haworth, Hebden Bridge and J Porter, Knock Eross, Long Martin, Appleby. Another by the 17,000gns Sportsmans Cannonball, Dancer is bred from the same family as Steven’s £9000 shearling ram sold at Kelso, being bred from a ewe by Mullan Amigo.

The last of the big prices came for Robert Laird’s Cambwell Dynamite, from Cambwell, Biggar. A son of the 6000gns Cressage Blockbuster that bred last year’s 7000gns Boghouse Caledonian, out of a ewe by Fordafourie Young Star, he was knocked down to Ian Murray and Malcolm Sym, buying for their Glenway and Callerton flocks from Berwick upon Tweed and Ponteland, respectively.

OTHERLEADING prices

8500gns – Messrs Claybury Texels’ Clayburry Dublin, by Strathbogie Cannonball, to D Morrison, Dalwyne, Barr, Girvan; R Cockburn’s Knap Don Diablo, by Sportsmans Cannon Ball, to JC Innes and Sons, Dunscroft, Huntly and G Morrison, Inchbruich, Cornhill, Banff.

8000gns – R Strawbridge’s Tamnamoney Dodger, by Procters Cocktail, to KA and R Campbell, Drimsynie, Lochgoilhead; R Strawbridge’s Tamnamoney Decimus, by Procters Coctail, to L Linton, Armoy, Ballymoney; M Warnock, Limavady, Londonderry; A Kennedy, Ballymena, all Northern Ireland and DK Thomas, Tycoch, Carmarthen; Vaughan Farms Ltd’s Kingspark Dynamite, by Garngour Craftsman, to M Patterson, Whitehall, Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland

7500gns – D and D Macpherson’s Heel Dallas, by Procters Chumba Wumba, to A Fyffe, Omagh, Co Tyrone and J and R Currie, Ballymena, Co Antrim; Legars Ltd’s Castlecairn DJ Bad Boy, by Usk Vale Cheeky Charlie, to DL Jones, Beilibedw, Llanllwni, Carmarthenshire; E Jones, Ynystoddeb, Llangadog; DG Jones, Pengayallt, Felingwm, and OEM Roberts, Penparc, Llangynin, all Carmarthenshire.

7200gns – Allanfauld Ltd’s Allanfauld Dizzee Rascal, by Plasucha Class Act, to A Campbell, Strawfrank, Carstairs Junction.

7000gns – J Arnott’s Haymount Dallas Cowboy, by Usk Vale Crackerjack, to M MacTaggart, Rascarrel, Auchencairn, Castle Douglas; R Cockburn’s Knap Desperate Dan, by Sportsmans Cannon Ball, to DL Jones, Beilibedw, Pencader; E Jones, Ynystoddeb; DG Jones, Pengayall and OEM Roberts, Penparc all Carmarthenshire; J Green’s Corskie Dynamite, by Ellen Valley Caesar, to D McKay, Rathkenny, Ballymena, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland; A Mawson’s Midcombe Dazzler, by Sportsmans A Star, to I Morris, Y Fachell, Gwynedd and HG Williams, Arddol, Pontlyfni, Gwynedd.

6800gns – Sportsmans Drum Major by Garngour Craftsman, to J Connell, Wanton Walls, Lauder.

6500gns – K Wight’s Midlock Da Vinci, by Sportsmans Cannon Ball, to JD Houghton, Tophill and CH Bellis, Llwyn-y-Cosyn; J Forsyth’s Glenside Drum Major, by Usk Vale Captain Billy, to B Vernon, Marston Brook, Rochester; SRS Neachell and Son, Shrubbery, Aldridge, Staffs and C Boden, Sportsmans.

6200gns – D Morrison’s Dalwyne Dance Monkey, by Procters Cheeky Monkey, to M Fear, Felton House Farm, Felton; AM and L Sutherland’s Carran Destiny, by Knock Bantastic, to McKinney Bros, Maghera, Co Londonderry.

6000gns – C and C Harkin’s Loughash Dan, by Procters Class Act, to S Conway, Donemana, Strabane

5500gns – J Greaney’s Claddagh Dynamite, by Hexel Born to be Wild, to Cambwell; R Orr, Halbeath, Dunfermline, RM Johnstone, Boghouse, Crawfordjohn, Biggar, and Messrs Hair and Brewis, Drumbreddan, Ardwell, Stranraer; A Fyffe’s Fairywater Dakota, by Deveronvale Aftershock, to A and H McColm, Crailloch, Port William and P Muldoon, Pomeray, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, Northen Ireland.

Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington.

averages:

283 ram lambs, £4702.78 (+£1339.84 for 60 fewer sold).