A good trade was had by all for the first of the main North Country Cheviot sales at Lockerbie, where the park-type entry saw increased averages in all sections and for more sold.

Top price was a modest £6500 paid twice, with the first of those coming all the way from Caithness.

Selling at this and achieving a personal best for Andrew Polson, who runs 180 ewes in his flock at Lybster, was Smerlie Archie, a son of Smerlie Vince, which goes back to Durran Rover. His dam is a home-bred ewe by a Biggins tup. This shearling sold in a two-way split to Katy Davies and Dafydd Owen for their Pen-y-Bont flock, Conwy, North Wales, and Daisy Williams, for the Muddy Plox flock, from Herefordshire.

The Scottish Farmer:

Gilston Abrakadabra from the Dun family made £6500 Ref:RH160920253

Another smashing flock records when selling at £6500 was a shearling ram from the Dun family, Gilston, Heriot, purchased by Caithness breeder, George Cormack, for the Wester flock, Wester Dunnet, Thurso. Gilston Abrakadabra is sired by a Carruthers tup which was purchased here in 2018 for £1400, and out of an eight-crop home-bred ewe.

The Scottish Farmer:

Jennifer Cowan sold this Hightae shearling for £5500 Ref:RH160920249

After achieving its best last year, Jennifer Cowan’s Hightae flock, Boghead of Greenhill, Lockerbie, went one step further, when she sold to a personal best of £5500. This Synton Ring Master son is out of a Linburn-bred ewe and was knocked down to Alan Cowens, for Philiphaugh Estate, Selkirk.

The Scottish Farmer:

Selling for £5200 was Overacres Alert from P Hedley Ref:RH160920250

Overacres Alert made his mark for Peter Hedley, Swinside Townfoot, Oxnam, Jedburgh, when he sold for £5200. He is from the first crop of sons from Broomhillbank Wee Toronto and out of a Hownam Grange Peter Pan-sired ewe. He headed to Orkney with JS Baillie and Co, Tankerness.

The Scottish Farmer:

Allanshaws Alabama from the Runcimans sold for £5200 Ref:RH160920245  

 

Selling at the same money was Allanshaws Arizona, from father and son team, Roderick and Lewis Runciman, Allanshaws, Galashiels. This shearling is sired by Gilston Wombat, and out of a home-bred ewe by Allanshaws Rambo, which was used as a lamb before selling for £5000. Arizona headed home with Ritchie Strawhorn, Broomhillbank, Lockerbie.

 

The Scottish Farmer:

Top price for the Grahams' Carruthers flock was £4500  Ref:RH160920252  

 

On the debit side, Allanshaws purchased the best from Innes and son, Gordon Graham’s Carruthers flock, Waterbeck, Lockerbie, at £4500. A £2200 Howman Grange Woodpecker son, he is out of a Nun Cote Nook-sired ewe.

 

TThe Scottish Farmer:

This Carruthers tup attained £3000 

 

Two lots later, another from Carruthers realised £3000 to Gilston. A Hill Top Windsor son, which was purchased at Lockerbie for £400, he is out of a home-bred ewe.

 

The Scottish Farmer:

Sebay Ambassador from JS Baillie and Co sold for £4500  Ref:RH160920254  

 

Orkney breeders, JS Baillie and Co, Tankerness, also had a field day, when their best attracted a lead bid of £4500. Their shearling is sired by Harestone Woohoo, a Caithness purchase and headed home with Pilkington Farmers, Buxton, Derbyshire.

 

The Scottish Farmer:

Synton Aristocrat from the Davies’ sold for £4200  Ref:RH160920254  

 

The pen leader from George and Scott Davies’ Synton flock, from Selkirk, also met a strong trade when Synton Aristocrat, reached £4200. He is a son of Wandylaw Talent, a tup purchased at Lockerbie in 2017 for £2800, out of a home-bred ewe. Aristocrat was bought by the Allen family – Billy and Kate, son Dallas and daughter Ruth, Humbleheugh, Alnwick.

 

The Scottish Farmer:

The top among the Humbleheugh was £4000 

 

On the flip side, the Allens received £4000 from Jennifer Cowan for a shearling son of Gilston Wallop, a tup bought for a ‘bargain’ price at Kelso, out of a ewe ewe sired by Synton Swinger.

Another from the same pen attained £3500 selling to Messrs Williams and Son, Isle of Anglesey, North Wales. A son of Humbleheugh Wham Bam, which is sired by the 2016 Royal Highland Show champion, Synton Ringmaster, he is out of a home-bred ewe by the £1000 Moortown Senator.

Topping the females at £1000 was a £5000 Hightae XTC ewe lamb daughter from the Davies’ Synton flock, purchased by Cameron Jackson, of Over Hill House.

The same home also topped the gimmers at £850, whilst the aged ewes peaked at £200 for two from Kelsocleugh Farming.

 

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

averages: 180 rams, £1021.17 (+£25.46 for 19 more); 355 gimmers, £253.92 (+£7.29 for 102 more); 156 ewe lambs, £205.19 (+£56.13 for 65 more); 68 ewes, £146.00 (+6.56 for 21 more).

 

Other leading prices

Ewe lambs – £1000, £175 North Synton; £360, £170 Hownam Grange; £360 Nun Cote Nook; £240 Victoria Farm; £210 Hilltop; £190 Croftheads; £170 Boghead of Greenhill; £160 White Knowe; £160 (x2) Humbleheugh; £160 Earlston Road.

Gimmers – £850 North Synton; £650, £550, £480, £350, £340 Kelsocleugh; £600, £550, £380 Hownam Grange; £550, £450, £400, £340, £320 Jethart; £380, £320 Parsonage; £380 High Fodderlee; £300 (x2) Farmanby.

Ewes – £200 (x2) Kelsocleugh; £170 Humbleheugh; £150 Bank Top; £135, £125, £120, £110 Hilltop; £135 Jethart.

Rams – £2000 Swinside Townfoot; £2600, £2500, £2200 Allanshaws; £2100, £2000 North Synton; £2000 Humbleheugh; £2800 Philiphaugh Estate; £2500 Earlston Road; £2200 Hownam Grange; £2000 Broomhillbank.