Pedigree Suffolk females met a flying trade at the Three Nations sale at Carlisle, selling to a top of 15,000gns and 10,000gns for gimmers from the Ballynacannon and Strathbogie flocks, respectively.

The sale, which attracted an entry of 76 registered females from 11 flocks was led by the the pen leader from Dennis Taylor's Ballynacannon flock from Northern Ireland. This big girl is a daughter of Malinhead Maverick, a tup that bred a 4000gns ewe lamb here last year for Mr Taylor, out of a ewe by Mountford Mustang.

She sold carrying a single to the 26,000gns Birness Freedom, to Charlie Boden buying for the Sportsmans flock from Mellor, Stockport, who also gets for his money a recipient ewe carrying twin embryos to Tolgus Pretty Boy when the gimmer had already been flushed to produce 16 pregnancies.

Ballynacannon ewe lambs also made the grade selling to 3500gns for a daughter of the 43,000gns Birness Muzza, out of a ewe by Mountford Mustang that has already bred gimmers to 10,000gns and 6500gns. She sold across to Belgium with Messrs Nee.

Jim Innes' select Strathbogie flock from Dunscroft, Huntly, brought out by flockmaster Michael Leggat, sold three ET gimmers to average £6825, with a top price of 10,000gns paid for the first. She is by the 20,000gns Forkins Dizzee Rascal and is a maternal sister to the 22,000gns Strathbogie Stradivarius, being the result of a flush from a ewe by Castleisle Knockout which has also bred sons to 15,000gns and 13,000gns. The gimmer sold in lamb to Crewelands King Pin to Messrs Smith, Kingscourt, Caven, Eire.

Another equally well-bred gimmer by the same sire and from the same home made 6500gns to Charlie Boden, Sportsmans. She is bred from the Deveronside ewe by Strathbeg Stan The Man that has bred several top prices males and females and again sold due to Crewelands King Pin.

Mr Boden was back in action going to 6500gns for the No 2 from Myfyr Evans' Rhaeadr flock from Wales. Selling at this price was a triplet-born gimmer backed by Stockton genetics on both sides. The dam, a Stockton-bred daughter of Whitestone Footprint was bought as a ewe lamb for 3500gns, while the sire was Stockton Sniper's Son. She sold carrying a single lamb to the No 1 Collessie tup bought at Lanark – a son of Limestone Aston Martin out of a Forkins-bred ewe.

Her full triplet sister, carrying a pair of lambs to the same Collessie ram, made 4000gns selling to Paul Delves, Churchstoke, Powys.

Rhaeadr also sold the top priced ewe lambs at 5400gns and 5000gns, with both selling to the McMenamin family buying for their Mullinvale flock, from Lifford, Co Donegal.

Dearest was a triplet-born daughter of Limestone Limousine bred from a ewe by Rookery Best of the Best. The 5000gns ewe lamb, which goes back to the same female line, is by Limestone Lightning and bred from a Rhaeadr ewe by Willmar Whiz Kid, whose maternal sister made 7500gns here in 2015 as a ewe lamb to Mrs Cornish.

New breeder, Rob Jones, Dromonby Bridge Farm, Northallerton, made his presence felt too, buying the top two from Mark Priestley's Limestone flock from Downpatrick, Northern Ireland at 9000gns each.

Both are ET gimmers by the 40,000gns Limestone Aston Martin with the first bred from a flush from a Gransha ewe by Limestone Brigadier that bred the 5000gns Limestone Lockdown. She is an ET sister to the 2019 Balmoral champion, Limestone Limited Edition and the 23,000gns Limestone Gold Rush

The second was bred from a Forkins ewe by Birness Bacardi that also produced Limestone Legacy and a 4000gns gimmer. Both sold in lamb to the 26,000gns Forkins McCoy.

Two other gimmers from Mr Priestley by Aston Martin and due to McCoy, made big money selling at 5000gns and 3500gns. The former, an ET and result of a flush from a Strathbogie ewe by Ballynacannon Commander, was bought by Messrs Kirkbride, Keswick.

The latter, which was knocked down to Messrs Dick, Ballinderry Upper, Lisburn, Northern Ireland, is out of a Muirton One Direction-sired ewe and is a triplet sister to Limestone Bobby Dazzler.

On the other side of the equation, Limestone bought a half share of Stewart Lathangie's top priced gimmer at 7500gns, in partnership with fellow Northern Ireland breeder, Messrs Lowrie, Crumlin. Selling at this price from the Glenrothes-based Pyeston flock was a gimmer by the 9500gns Limestone Legacy, out of a ewe by Solwaybank Titan that bred the 1800gns lamb sold to the Salton flock at Carlisle. She sold carrying twins to the 5500gns Benedyglen Black Caviar, a son of Birness Muzza bought in partnership with Claycrop and Redbrae at Lanark.

First time consignor, Ronan McLaughlin who established his Ballyboe flock from Malin, Donegal, in 2016, hit a top of 4500gns for an ET gimmer bred from a flush from a Castleisle ewe by Birness Murray. She is sired by the 40,000gns Limestone Aston Martin and sold scanned for two lambs by Birness Schnauzer, to Messrs Brass, Soulby, Kirkby Stephen.

Top prices for the remaining flocks were 2000gns twice for Howgillfoot gimmers by Birness Buckshot from Lilia Hutchinson, Kirkby Stephen, both of which were purchased by Messrs Taylor, Theale, Reading.

James Wallace sold a gimmer from his Claycrop flock from Stranraer for 1600gns to Messrs Duffy, Kells, Co Meath, who also bought the lead priced entry from Iain and Judith Barbour's Solwaybank flock from Annan, at 1400gns.

And, Mrs Helen Goldie's Harpercroft flock from Kilmarnock, hit a top of 1300gns selling to Messrs Thevenoux, France.

Averages: Ballynacannon flock – Four gimmers, £6037.50; five ewe lambs, £2310.00. Strathbogie – three gimmers, £6825.00. Limestone – five gimmers, £6153.00. Pyeston – five gimmers, £3192.00; Rhaeadr – five gimmers, £3297.00; five ewe lambs, £3528.00. Ballyboe – six gimmers, £2152.50. Howgillfoot – three gimmers, £2065.00. Bridgeview – five gimmers, £1239.00; three ewes, £1120.00. Solwaybank – four ginmers, £1076.25. Claycrop – three gimmers, £1505.00.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.