Blackface sheep breeders enjoyed a roaring trade for the first day's ram sales at Lanark, when a top price of £60,000 coupled with a further 16 five-figure bids bolstered averages to what is believed to be a new record average for Ring 1.
At the end of what was a relatively short day in comparison to years gone bye, the four-hour sale saw 238 head level at £3156 up £110.71 per head on the year for 11 fewer.
Sale leader was the No 1 from the Campbell family's Glenrath flock from Peebles, brought out by Steven Renwick, which sold in a two-way split to Tommy Renwick and son Tom, Williamhope, Clovenfords and Alastair and David MacArthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot.
For their money they get a son of the £160,000 Elmscleugh lamb of which a share was bought here in 2018, out of a ewe by a £15,000 Dyke.
Glenrath also received £12,000 for their No 3, a son of a £75,000 Dalchirla lamb, bred from a show ewe by a £6500 High Staward that stood reserve at Abington last year and champion at the stockjudging event. He sold to J and M Hamilton, Crosswoodhill, West Calder.
Best from Blackhouse at £48,000
Minutes later, Billy Renwick and son Andrew sold the second top priced shearling at £48,000 from their 1000-strong Blackhouse ewe flock from Yarrow. Producing a personal best of a yearling, following a £16,000 sale, was a son of a £75,000 Glenrath lamb, bred from a ewe by the Hulk, a £24,000 Allanfauld. The buyers were Malcolm Coubrough, Hartside Farms, Lamington and Glenrath.
On the debit side, Blackhouse and Burncastle Farming Co, Lauder, managed by Alan Rogerson, joined forces to buy Richard Carruthers' big lad from Merkland, Penpont, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, at £15,000. He is by a £4800 Auldhouseburn and bred from a ewe by a £16,000 Merkland, one of only 700 bred pure in the flock.
Pen leader from Williamhope made £26,000
The Renwicks were again to the fore when lot No 13 proved anything but unlucky for Tommy Renwick and son Tom, Williamhope, Clovenfords, selling at £26,000. Another big tup, this time bred from a home-bred son of a £40,000 Midlock that sold at Stirling last year, he is out of a ewe by a £25,000 Elmscleugh, and was bought by Jimmy Wallace, Fingland, and the Ramsays from Milnmark, both Dalry.
George Irving, Mountbenger, Yarrow, purchased the flock's second best at £9000. This was a son of an £1800 Kirklands that goes back to a £17,000 Dyke, out of a £15,000 Midlock-sired ewe.
Elmscleugh's £22,000 shearling
It was also an early calling, for Willie Dunlop and sons Quintin and William, Elmscleugh, Dunbar, who sold two five-figure priced lots to a top of £22,000 for their No 2, by a home-bred son of a £45,000 Midlock retained for breeding. Out of a ewe by a home-bred son of a £3800 Hartside Lammermuir, he was knocked down to neighbouring breeders, the Hamiltons from Aikengall, Dunbar and Hartside Farms.
Elmscleugh's pen leader, by a £70,000 Glenrath and out of a ewe by a £22,000 Dalwyne, made £11,000 selling to Tom and Mairi Paterson and son Robert, Dunruchan, Muthill, Crieff.
Malcolm Coubrough's £22,000 Hartside shearling
Matching the £22,000 bid was the No 1 from Malcolm Coubrough's Hartside flock from Lamington, 'herded by Gordon McDougall. Burncastle Farming and John Marshall's Gosland flock from Broughton, Biggar, attended to by Willie Craig, forked out the cash for this big tup by a £20,000 Dyke and out of a ewe by a £21,000 Dyke.
Two shearlings also sold for £20,000 to include the pen leader from Sam McClymont and sons, William and Scott, Tinnis, Yarrow. Producing a personal best here was a son of a £6500 Happrew, onto a ewe by a £16,000 Livet tup bought at Stirling. A trio of breeders stumped up the cash for this fella which sold to Matthew Hamilton, South Cobbinshaw; Cadogan Estates' Lynemore flock, Amulree and Stephen Duncan, Livet, Glenlivet.
Later, Allan Wight, son Allan and his son Ben, Midlock, Crawford, received the same money for a son of their £16,000 Midlock sold last year which was later christened Humdinger. Williamhope was the final bidder on this pen leader bred from a ewe by a £26,000 Dalchirla.
On the other side of the equation, Midlock bought Mary McCall-Smith's No 1 from Connachan, Crieff, brought out by shepherd Scott Macaulay, at £16,000. A son of the Wheelbarrow – a full ET brother to a £10,000 Connachan shearling and by a £4000 Gass – he is bred from a ewe by a home-bred son of a £5000 Nunnerie.
Alan McClymont and sons Sam and Oliver have enjoyed some cracking sales for Bluefaced Leicesters in recent weeks and they were back in the money amongst the Blackies when their No 3 from Kirkstead, Yarrow, made £17,000. He is by a £6500 Happrew lamb bought in 2018, bred from a daughter of a £14,000 Remony and sold to Jamie Murray, Sewingshields, Hexham.
Shearlings from Willie Graham and sons Billy, Craigdarroch, Sanquhar again proved popular with sales at £14,000 and £10,000, despite being first in the ring. The No 1 from this 1600-ewe flock, which stood first in his class at the breed's virtual show, is by a home-bred son of a £6000 Allanfauld retained for breeding and out of a ewe by a £17,000 Dyke. He headed home with Andrew Kay and sons Robert and Andrew, Gass, Straiton.
Their No 3, by a £13,000 Craigdarroch and bred from a daughter of a home-bred son of a £26,000 Blackhouse was knocked down to Kirkstead and Colin McClymont, Cuil, Palnure, Newton Stewart.
Shearling rams from Archie and John MacGregor's Allanfauld flock from Kilsyth, were in the money too with sales at £12,000 and £11,000 to Jim Pate and sons Gordon and Neil, Moorfoot, Gorebridge and James Murdoch, Knockdon, Straiton, respectively.
Dearest was the pen leader, by a £40,000 Dyke and bred from a ewe by a home-bred son of a £40,000 Happrew.
Selling at £11,000 was a £4000 Connachan-sired entry out of a ewe by a £20,000 Dyke.
Matching that £11,000 sale was a son of a £42,000 Glenrath, bred from a ewe by a £2000 Overshiels from Tollishill, Lauder, 'herded by Andrew Bell. He heads out to work at Aikengall.
Top price in Ring 2 was £5200 from Dougie Fleming, Nisbet, Coulter, purchased by Hazel Brown, Birthwood. The tup, by a £2800 Dyke bought here in 2018, is out of a Connachan-bred ewe bought as a gimmer.
OTHERLEADING prices
Shearling rams – £8000 – Glenrath, by a £160,000 Elmscleugh, to J Finlay and Sons, Blackcraig Corsock and Gass, Straiton. £7500 – Hartside, Lammermuir, by a £4800 Burncastle to Burncastle Farming, Lauder and Blackhouse. £7200 – Parkhall, by a £12,000 Hartside to Tinnis. £6800 – Tinnis, by a £7000 Tinnis, to D and A Redpath, The Yett. £6500 – Blackhouse, by a £75,000 Glenrath, to WS Robson and Co, Yatesfield, Otterburn; The Yett, by a £4800 Tollishill to W Walton and Sons, Dunns Houses, Otterburn; Kirklands, by a £13,000 Craigdarroch, to JA Craig, Normangill, Crawford; Midlock, by a £22,000 Lurg, to N Manning, Earlshaugh, Moffat. £6200 – Auldhouseburn, to PA Junor, Ballagan, Dores, Inverness. £6000 – Nunnerie, by an £8000 Loughash to W and E Bennie, Merkins. £5800 – Wester Crosswoodhill, by a £17,000 Allanfauld, to Blackhouse. £5500 – Robert Paterson, Dunruchan, by a £16,000 Tinnis, to A Paton and Sons, Craig, Straiton.
Averages: Ring 1 – 238 averaged £3156 (+£110.71 for 11 fewer sold). Ring 2 – 128 averaged £482.97 (+£53.48 for 86 fewer sold).
Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington.
FLOCK averages
Ring 1
Flock (No) Top (£) Average
Shearling rams
Craigdarroch (8) 14,000 4037.55
Williamhope (9) 26,000 5777.77
Kingledores (5) 1700 930.00
Aikengall (5) 1600 970.00
Milnmark (4) 4200 1950.00
Dyke (10) 5000 1570.00
Mountbenger (3) 1500 966.66
Elmscleugh (6) 22,000 8200.00
Wester Crosswoodhill (5) 5800 3080.00
Dryhope (3) 1600 1000.00
Burncastle (7) 3400 2078.57
Merkland (6) 15,000 3483.33
Kirkstead (7) 17,000 4428.57
Drannandow (3) 1100 700.00
Glenrath (10) 60,000 9340.00
Blackhouse (9) 48,000 7338.88
Hartside Farms (4) 22,000 7000.00
High Staward (3) 1000 766.66
Auldhouseburn (3) 6200 2400.00
Connachan (5) 16,000 4060.00
Sweetshawhead (5) 1600 840.00
The Dudlees (3) 1500 1166.66
Mitchellhill (5) 3200 1960.00
Easter Happrew (3) 600 483.33
Silloans (5) 1800 760.00
Dunruchan (4) 3600 2750.00
Langhaugh (4) 2600 1750.00
Little Larg (4) 380 312.50
The Yett (4) 6500 3862.50
Allanfauld (6) 12,000 4666.66
Nunnerie (7) 6000 1978.57
Corsebank (5) 1700 1220.00
Kirkland (3) 6500 2933.33
Penchrise (4) 2800 945.00
Westhills (3) 800 683.33
Tinnis (8) 20,000 4612.50
Tollishill (5) 11,000 3060.00
Midlock (10) 20,000 3835.00
Longcroft (5) 4600 1524.00
Ashcraig (4) 3000 2075.00
Hartside,
Lammermuir (5) 7500 2650.00
Parkhall (6) 7500 2591.66
Moorfoot (6) 2600 1483.33
Ring 2
Old Kirkstead (5) 800 430.00
Cuil (5) 800 350.00
Gosland Cleugh (4) 550 400.00
Clonrae (5) 900 524.00
Toxside (4) 400 387.50
Borthwickshiels (3) 600 433.33
Fallburns (3) 1100 566.66
Ettrickshaws (3) 500 293.33
Kirkhope (3) 620 420.00
Chirmorrie (3) 2000 1216.66
Monkridge
Farm Cott (5) 500 318.00
Dryhope Hope (7) 1300 524.28
Nisbet (3) 5200 2000.00
Corriedow (3) 3800 1600.00
Kirkland Todholes (3) 500 412.50
Larg, Creetown (4) 600 412.50
Remony (3) 500 373.33
Glenlude (5) 450 294.00
Blackburnhope (4) 450 262.50
Netherwood (3) 1100 706.66
Drannandow Nappers (4) 280 237.50
Nickies Ha (3) 350 223.33
Glen, Gatehouse (5) 200 186.50
Liddesdale (5) 350 204.00
Ring 1 – 238 averaged £3156 (+£110.71 for 11 fewer sold). Ring 2 – 128 averaged £482.97 (+£53.48 for 86 fewer sold).
By Patsy Hunter
Blackface sheep breeders enjoyed a roaring trade for the first day's ram sales at Lanark, when a top price of £60,000 coupled with a further 16 five-figure bids bolstered averages to what is believed to be a new record average for Ring 1.
At the end of what was a relatively short day in comparison to years gone bye, the four-hour sale saw 238 head level at £3156 up £110.71 per head on the year for 11 fewer.
Sale leader was the No 1 from the Campbell family's Glenrath flock from Peebles, brought out by Steven Renwick, which sold in a two-way split to Tommy Renwick and son Tom, Williamhope, Clovenfords and Alastair and David MacArthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot.
For their money they get a son of the £160,000 Elmscleugh lamb of which a share was bought here in 2018, out of a ewe by a £15,000 Dyke.
Glenrath also received £12,000 for their No 3, a son of the £75,000 Dalchirla lamb, bred from a show ewe by a £6500 High Staward, that stood reserve at Abington last year and champion at the stockjudging event. He sold to J and M Hamilton, Crosswoodhill, West Calder.
Minutes later, Billy Renwick and son Andrew sold the second top priced shearling at £48,000 from their 1000-strong Blackhouse ewe flock from Yarrow. Producing a personal best here following a £16,000 sale, was a son of a £75,000 Glenrath lamb, bred from a ewe by the Hulk, a £24,000 Allanfauld. The buyers were Malcolm Coubrough, Hartside Farms, Lamington and Glenrath.
On the debit side, Blackhouse and Burncastle Farming Co, Lauder, managed by Alan Rogerson, joined forces to buy Richard Carruthers' big lad from Merkland, Penpont, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire. He is by a £4800 Auldhouseburn and bred from a ewe by a £16,000 Merkland, one of only 700 bred pure in the flock.
The Renwicks were again to the fore when lot No 13 proved anything but unlucky for Tommy Renwick and son Tom, Williamhope, Clovenfords, selling at £26,000. Another big tup, this time bred from a home-bred son of a £40,000 Midlock that sold at Stirling last year, he is out of a ewe by a £25,000 Elmscleugh, and was bought by Jimmy Wallace, Fingland, and the Ramsays from Milnmark, both Dalry.
George Irving, Mountbenger, Yarrow, purchased the flock's second best at £9000. This was a son of an £1800 Kirklands that goes back to a £17,000 Dyke, out of a £15,000 Midlock-sired ewe.
It was also an early calling, for Willie Dunlop and sons Quintin and William, Elmscleugh, Dunbar, who sold two five-figure priced lots to a top of £22,000 for their No 2, by a home-bred son of a £45,000 Midlock retained for breeding. Out of a ewe by a home-bred son of a £3800 Hartside Lammermuir, he sold to neighbouring breeders, the Hamiltons from Aikengall, Dunbar and Hartside Farms.
Elmscleugh's pen leader, by a £70,000 Glenrath and out of a ewe by a £22,000 Dalwyne, made £11,000 selling to Tom and Mairi Paterson and son Robert, Dunruchan, Muthill, Crieff.
Matching the £22,000 bid was the No 1 from Malcolm Coubrough's Hartside flock from Lamington, 'herded by Gordon McDougall. Burncastle Farming and John Marshall's Gosland flock from Broughton, Biggar, attended to by Willie Craig, forked out the cash for this big tup by a £20,000 Dyke and out of a ewe by a £21,000 Dyke.
Two shearlings also sold for £20,000 to include the pen leader from Sam McClymont and sons, William and Scott, Tinnis, Yarrow. Producing a personal best here was a son of a £6500 Happrew, onto a ewe by a £16,000 Livet tup bought at Stirling. A trio of breeders stumped up the cash for this fella which sold to Matthew Hamilton, South Cobbinshaw; Cadogan Estates' Lynemore flock, North Amulree and Stephen Duncan, Livet, Glenlivet.
Later, Allan Wight, son Allan and his son Ben, Midlock, Crawford, received the same money for a son of their £16,000 Midlock sold last year which was later christened Humdinger. Williamhope was the final bidder on this pen leader bred from a ewe by a £26,000 Dalchirla.
On the other side of the equation, Midlock bought Mary McCall-Smith's No 1 from Connachan, Crieff, brought out by shepherd Scott Macaulay, at £16,000. A son of the Wheelbarrow – a full ET brother to a £10,000 Connachan shearling and by a £4000 Gass – he is bred from a ewe by a home-bred son of a £5000 Nunnerie.
Alan McClymont and sons Sam and Oliver have enjoyed some cracking sales for Bluefaced Leicesters in recent weeks and they were back in the money amongst the Blackies when their No 3 from Kirkstead, Yarrow, which made £17,000. He is by a £6500 Happrew lamb bought in 2018, bred from a daughter of a £14,000 Remony and sold to Jamie Murray, Sewingshields, Hexham.
Shearlings from Willie Graham and sons Billy, Craigdarroch, Sanquhar again proved popular with sales at £14,000 and £10,000, despite being first in the ring. The No 1 from this 1600-ewe flock, which stood first in his class at the breed's virtual show, is by a home-bred son of a £6000 Allanfauld retained for breeding and out of a ewe by a £17,000 Dyke. He headed home with Andrew Kay and sons Robert and Andrew, Gass, Straiton.
Their No 3, by a £13,000 Craigdarroch and bred from a daughter of a home-bred son of a £26,000 Blackhouse was knocked down to Kirkstead and Colin McClymont, Cuil, Palnure, Newton Stewart.
Shearling rams from Archie and John MacGregor's Allanfauld flock from Kilsyth, were in the money too with sales at £12,000 and £11,000 to Jim Pate and sons Gordon and Neil, Moorfoot, Gorebridge and James Murdoch, Knockdon, Straiton, respectively.
The dearest was the pen leader, by a £40,000 Dyke and bred from a ewe by a home-bred son of a £40,000 Happrew.
Selling at £11,000 was a £4000 Connachan-sired entry out of a ewe by a £20,000 Dyke.
Matching that £11,000 sale was a son of a £42,000 Glenrath, bred from a ewe by a £2000 Overshiels from Tollishill, Lauder, 'herded by Andrew Bell. He heads out to work at Aikengall.
Top price in Ring 2 was £5200 from Dougie Fleming, Nisbet, Coulter, purchased by Hazel Brown, Birthwood. The tup, by a £2800 Dyke bought here in 2018, is out of a Connachan-bred ewe bought as a gimmer.
OTHERLEADING prices
Shearling rams – £8000 – Glenrath, by a £160,000 Elmscleugh, to J Finlay and Sons, Blackcraig Corsock and Gass, Straiton.
£7500 – Hartside, Lammermuir, by a £4800 Burncastle to Burncastle Farming, Lauder and Blackhouse.
£7200 – Parkhall, by a £12,000 Hartside to Tinnis.
£6800 – Tinnis, by a £7000 Tinnis, to D and A Redpath, The Yett.
£6500 – Blackhouse, by a £75,000 Glenrath, to WS Robson and Co, Yatesfield, Otterburn; The Yett, by a £4800 Tollishill to W Walton and Sons, Dunns Houses, Otterburn; Kirklands, by a £13,000 Craigdarroch, to JA Craig, Normangill, Crawford; Midlock, by a £22,000 Lurg, to N Manning, Earlshaugh, Moffat.
£6200 – Auldhouseburn, to PA Junor, Ballagan, Dores, Inverness.
£6000 – Nunnerie, by an £8000 Loughash to W and E Bennie, Merkins.
£5800 – Wester Crosswoodhill, by a £17,000 Allanfauld, to Blackhouse.
£5500 – Robert Paterson, Dunruchan, by a £16,000 Tinnis, to A Paton and Sons, Craig, Straiton.
£5200 – Elmscleugh by a £5500 Dyke to A Woodburn and Sons, Netherwood, Muirkirk
£5000 – Dyke, by a £70,000 Glenrath to Merkins; Elmscleugh, by a home-bred son of a £45,000 Midlock, to J Renwick and Sons, Corsebank, Sanquhar; The Yett, by a £2800 Mitchellhill, to Dryhope.
Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington.
FLOCK averages
Ring 1
Flock (No) Top (£) Average
Shearling rams
Craigdarroch (8) 14,000 4037.55
Williamhope (9) 26,000 5777.77
Kingledores (5) 1700 930.00
Aikengall (5) 1600 970.00
Milnmark (4) 4200 1950.00
Dyke (10) 5000 1570.00
Mountbenger (3) 1500 966.66
Elmscleugh (6) 22,000 8200.00
Wester Crosswoodhill (5) 5800 3080.00
Dryhope (3) 1600 1000.00
Burncastle (7) 3400 2078.57
Merkland (6) 15,000 3483.33
Kirkstead (7) 17,000 4428.57
Drannandow (3) 1100 700.00
Glenrath (10) 60,000 9340.00
Blackhouse (9) 48,000 7338.88
Hartside Farms (4) 22,000 7000.00
High Staward (3) 1000 766.66
Auldhouseburn (3) 6200 2400.00
Connachan (5) 16,000 4060.00
Sweetshawhead (5) 1600 840.00
The Dudlees (3) 1500 1166.66
Mitchellhill (5) 3200 1960.00
Easter Happrew (3) 600 483.33
Silloans (5) 1800 760.00
Dunruchan (4) 3600 2750.00
Langhaugh (4) 2600 1750.00
Little Larg (4) 380 312.50
The Yett (4) 6500 3862.50
Allanfauld (6) 12,000 4666.66
Nunnerie (7) 6000 1978.57
Corsebank (5) 1700 1220.00
Kirkland (3) 6500 2933.33
Penchrise (4) 2800 945.00
Westhills (3) 800 683.33
Tinnis (8) 20,000 4612.50
Tollishill (5) 11,000 3060.00
Midlock (10) 20,000 3835.00
Longcroft (5) 4600 1524.00
Ashcraig (4) 3000 2075.00
Hartside,
Lammermuir (5) 7500 2650.00
Parkhall (6) 7500 2591.66
Moorfoot (6) 2600 1483.33
Ring 2
Old Kirkstead (5) 800 430.00
Cuil (5) 800 350.00
Gosland Cleugh (4) 550 400.00
Clonrae (5) 900 524.00
Toxside (4) 400 387.50
Borthwickshiels (3) 600 433.33
Fallburns (3) 1100 566.66
Ettrickshaws (3) 500 293.33
Kirkhope (3) 620 420.00
Chirmorrie (3) 2000 1216.66
Monkridge
Farm Cott (5) 500 318.00
Dryhope Hope (7) 1300 524.28
Nisbet (3) 5200 2000.00
Corriedow (3) 3800 1600.00
Kirkland Todholes (3) 500 412.50
Larg, Creetown (4) 600 412.50
Remony (3) 500 373.33
Glenlude (5) 450 294.00
Blackburnhope (4) 450 262.50
Netherwood (3) 1100 706.66
Drannandow Nappers (4) 280 237.50
Nickies Ha (3) 350 223.33
Glen, Gatehouse (5) 200 186.50
Liddesdale (5) 350 204.00
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