Charlie Boden's Sportsmans flock continued on its winning ways at the Christmas Stars sale of Texel females at Carlisle, selling the top priced lot at 20,000gns.

The flock, attended to by Charlie, his wife Steph and family of Josh, Rosie and Tom, also produced the lead average selling nine at £5086.66.

%image('12123887', type='article-full', caption='Sale leader at 20,000gns from the Boden family's Sportsmans flock', alt='Sale leader at 20,000gns from the Boden family's Sportsmans flock')

Team Boden's 20,000gns Texel gimmer

Sale leader was a full sister to the 100,000gns Sportmans Batman tup lamb sold two years ago at Carlisle, with the sire being the 40,000gns Garngour Alabama, out of a ewe by the 145,000gns Knap Vicious Sid. Adding to her future potential, is promise that she carries twin lambs to the 65,000gns Garngour Craftsman – the sire of the record breaking 350,000gns Sportsmans Double Diamond, sold in August. Neil and Stuart Barclay, buying for their Harestone flock from Insch, Aberdeenshire, were the final bidders.

Sportsmans also took 8000gns from P Castle buying for his Ulmus flock in Peterborough, for another gimmer carrying twins to Garngour Craftsman. The breeding here includes the sire Deveronvale Ace of Diamonds, purchased for 50,000gns, onto a ewe by Knock Will I.Am.

On the other side of coin, the Bodens bought the second top priced lot at 18,000gns, a gimmer from the Campbell brothers – Keith, Allan and Roy's – Cowal flock from Lochgoilhead.

%image('12123888', type='article-full', caption='Best from the Campbell brother's Cowal flock at 18,000gns', alt='Best from the Campbell brother's Cowal flock at 18,000gns')

Cowal's 18,000gns gimmer

This was a daughter of the 11,000gns Plasucha All Star, again bred from a Vicious Sid daughter. She was sold in-lamb to 65,000gns Hexel Django bought in August.

It was nevertheless a poignant day for Mr Texel, veteran breeder, Keith Jamieson, who was selling the adult portion of his Annan flock from Annan. Best here at 8000gns was a gimmer daughter of the 70,000gns Teiglum Younggun out of a dam by Knock Yardsman. She changed hands served to Procters Crackerjack, to Will Davis buying for his Usk Vale flock, Pontypool.

%image('12123889', type='article-full', caption='Keith Jamieson's 8000gns gimmer from the Annan flock', alt='Keith Jamieson's 8000gns gimmer from the Annan flock')

Best from Keith Jamieson's Annan flock was this 8000gns gimmer

Mr Jamieson also received 5500gns from J Pritchard, Rochester, Tyne and Wear, for a two-crop ewe by Teiglum Wiseguy bred from a Procters Vagabond daughter. She also sold due to Procters Crackerjack.

Top price for Graham Morrison's Deveronvale flock from Inchbruich, Cornhill, Banff, was 7000gns paid for a substitute entry, a gimmer by Deveronvale Aftershock, bred from a ewe by Glenside Razzle Dazzle. Northern Ireland breeders, Gary and Lee Beacom of the Lakeview flock, Fivemiletown, forked out the cash for this entry which changed hands due to the 4600gns Milnbank Dance Monkey.

Robert Cockburn also had a good day for his Knap flock from Hill of Errol, Perth, selling his No 2 at 6000gns, a Sportmans Unbeatable daughter, to Stephen Cobbald, Acton, Suffolk. She is bred from a ewe by Milnbank Sound Investment and sold in lamb to Sportsmans Cannonball.

Just behind on 5500gns, Rob Evans, who owns the Hope Valley flock from Shrewsbury, bought Robbie Wilson's second gimmer from the Milnbank flock at North Dorlaithers, Turriff. A Cowal Bucking Bronco-sired female from a Strathbogie Yes Sir dam, she sold due to Teiglum Dancing Brave.

Another from the same stable made 5000gns selling back to up Aberdeenshire with David Moir, Fraserburgh. His purchase, by Auldhouseburn Billy The Kid, is out of a ewe by Strathbogie Untouchable. The service sire here was Sportsmans Dirty Harry.

Matching that 5000gns price tag was a Strathbogie gimmer from Jim Innes, Dunscroft, Huntly, again purchased by Rob Evans, Hope Valley. The breeding behind this transaction includes Sportsmans Benchmark onto a Strathbogie Untouchable-sired ewe which sold in lamb to Knap Don Diablo.

Father and son duo, Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, bought the pick from John Forsyth's Glenside flock from Maybole, at 4500gns. She’s by Fordafourie Big Ben, out of a Cornmore Velvet Jacket dam and changed hands due to Mellor Vale Déjà Vu.

And, selling down to Wales to the Blaencar flock from Brecon, the Morgan family bought the lead priced lot from Karen and Allan Wight's Midlock flock from Crawford, Abington, at 4000gns. A daughter of the former sire of the year Knock Bantastic, she is bred from a Midlock Al Pacino dam and sold due to Hexel Django.

OTHERLEADING prices

Gimmers – 3600gns – Cowal, byAuldhouseburn Boss and due to Hexel Django, to Messrs Draper, Claybury, Shrewsbury.

3500gns – Cowal, by Auldhouseburn Boss and due to Tamnamoney Dodger to Messrs Watkins, Gorslas, Llanelli, Dyfed; Strathbogie, by Sportsmans Benchmark and due to Knap Don Diablo, to B Vernon, Rochester, Uttoxeter, Staffs.

3200gns – Sportsmans, by Plasucha Big Gun and due to Garngour Detroit, to Messrs Campbell, Cowal; Knap, by Mullan Amigo and due to Sportsmans Cannon Ball, to Messrs Rowlands, Howey, Llandrindod Wells, Powys.

Averages; Annan 17 flock ewes £1575, nine gimmers £2671.66, Cowal eight gimmers £4948.12, Knap 14 gimmers £2295, Fordafourie five gimmers £1806, Glenside eight gimmers £1043.75, Midlock eight gimmers £2303.44, Deveronvale 11 gimmers £1407.95, Hilltop six gimmers £1487.50, Milnbank nine gimmers £2496.66, Sportsmans and Mellor Vale nine gimmers £5086.66, Strathbogie 10 gimmers £2142, Clinterty six gimmers £586.25

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.