Fife breeder, Martin Quinn, Whinnyhall, continued on his winning ways amongst the traditional Bluefaced Leicesters at the breed sale at Carlisle, having sold the two top priced lambs at £3200.

Mr Quinn who runs 75 ewes in his Whinnyhall flock from Kinglassie, has enjoyed a flying trade at several of the breed sales up and down the country this year. He first sold his pen leader at £3200 down to Wales with DL Jones of the Y-ddol flock, Ddole, Powys. Another by the 12,000gns Bonvilston Tudor – a tup owned in partnership with Hazel Brown, Leadburnlea that bred sons to £12,600 at Builth, as well as a £7000 shearling at ‘Kelso’ sale at Hexham – he is bred from a home-bred ewe by a £2400 Craig Yr Orsedd H10 bought here in 2015.

The Scottish Farmer:

Whinnyhall produced this topper which attained £3200

Matching that £3200 lamb sale for Mr Quinn was a direct son of the £2400 Craig Yr Orsedd H10, out of a home-bred ewe by a £1700 Burndale tup purchased in 2016. The buyers were J Shennan and Sons of the Knockgerran flock, Girvan, Ayrshire.

Just behind on £3000 and selling outside the ring was the No 1 lamb from Frank Johnson’s Ashes flock from West Shipley, Hamsterley, Bishop Auckland, purchased by Midlothian breeder, Hazel Brown, Leadburnlea, Toxside. He is a son of the Burndale K4 and out of an Elian ewe, which goes back to an Elite Plus Addington ram.

Ashes also sold a ram lamb at £1800 to Martin Quinn, Whinnyhall. He is by the same Burndale sire and out of a Shielsknowe J13 ewe by Ashes D9.

The Scottish Farmer:

The best from the Mosser Mains flock sold for £2800

Hitting the £2800 mark was a lamb from the Mosser Mains flock, managed by Alan Clark, Cockermouth. He is a son of Mendick L4, a tup purchased at Kelso for £900, and out of a Rossiebank K11 sired-ewe. David Sandilands, Threepwood Cottages, Blainslie, Galashiels, was the final bidder here.

John Dykes, South Slipperfield, West Linton, then forked out £2400 for the pen leader from Derek Henderson’s Burndale flock from Westwood, Wylam, Northumberland. He is a son of a 3900gns Lower Down H3 ram purchased at Builth Wells that has bred sons to £5200, whilst the dam is a home-bred ewe by a North Burndale F2.

Also making £2400 was the best from Alec and Claire Bisset’s Middle Dukesfield flock from Hexham, purchased by James Burton, Ilamtops, Ilam, Derbyshire. This lamb is a son of the £3900 Ashes L2 that has bred sons to £2500, while the dam, is a home-bred ewe by the £4000 Cocklaw H5.

Lanarkshire breeder, Stuart Nelson of the Medwyn flock, Spittal, Carnwath, achieved his best price to date when his lamb sold at £2000. He is a son of the Burndale G1 on loan from Alan McClymont, Kirkstead, out of a Elian ewe, he sold to D Williams, Blackett House, Eaglesfield, Lockerbie.

Topping the shearling and aged ram section at £1400 was a 2016-born ram from MC Roberts of the Myfyrian flock from Gaerwen, North Wales, which sold across to Wigtownshire with AF Campbell, Tappitlane, Elrig, Newton Stewart. This Low Espley-bred ram is by an Espley H7 and was bred by AE Gray.

Females were topped at £720 by a gimmer from Messrs Hewson of the Parton flock, Burgh Head, Carlisle. A daughter of Towdypotts H8, out of a Davy Shields C4 sired-ewe, she headed home with JT Cunningham, West Hillhead, Mauchline.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

averages: 37 aged and shearling rams, £665.14 (+£247.79 for three more); 191 ram lambs £561.15 (+£131.42 for 26 fewer); 37 females, £362.43 (+£31.38 for one less).

FLOCK averages

Flock (No) Average (£)

Aged/shearling rams

Mossyard (4) 1000.00

Old Parks (3) 526.67

Addingham (3) 486.67

The Close (6) 478.33

Ram lambs

Whinnyhall (8) 1446.25

Mosser Mains (3) 1266.67

Ashes (8) 1208.75

Medwyn (3) 983.33

Braegarrie (4) 975.00

Auchry (7) 935.71

Plas Ucha (3) 933.33

Middle Dukesfield (5) 920.00