Blackface females hit high demand for online sale

The gimmer from Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk, is by a £160,000 Elmscleugh sire, out of a £90,000 Blackhouse sired-dam and sold in lamb carrying a single to the £70,000 Harestone Double Yolker, to London-based Huseyin Gural Kofali, of Hot Nuts Ltd.

Outwith this top seller, a flying trade was met throughout to include another two five-figure prices which resulted in averages soaring by a massive £1442.52 on the year to level at £3214.00 and with a 100% clearance, albeit for fewer sold.

This two-crop ewe was Loughash pen leader at 10,200gns

Northern Ireland breeders, John and Patrick Harkin, Loughash, Donnemana, sold the other two five-figure priced lots with the first realising 10,200gns to Joseph Grant, Cloughfin, Clonmany.

This two-crop ewe is by a £24,000 Crossflatt, out of a ewe by a £24,000 Elmscleugh, and is carrying twins to a £38,000 Dalchirla.

Another from the Harkins realised 10,000gns

The latter saw the hammer fall at 10,000gns to Kieran Donaghey, Effishmore, Clonmany. A gimmer by a £7000 Nunnerie and out of a £7000 Elmscleugh-sired ewe, she changed hands due with a pair to a £9000 Elmscleugh purchased last year.

Selling for 5100gns was the best from Eoin and Kirstyn Blackwood, Dalblair, Muirkirk. Their gimmer is a £28,000 Auldhouseburn daughter and out of a £52,000 Crossflatt-sired dam. Adding to her future potential, she is carrying a pair to a £20,000 Orchilmore lamb, and now heads across the Irish sea with Grant Bros, Craigdoo, Bryansford, Newry.

Father and son duo, Tommy and Tom Renwick of Williamhope, Clovenfords, Galashiels, achieved a top price of 4400gns for their pen leader, a gimmer by a £75,000 Glenrath. She is out of a £25,000 Elmscleugh-sired dam, and sold carrying twins to a £19,000 Dalchirla. Taking this girl home was E Fraser, Balgowan, Laggan, Newtonmore.

Second top price among the ewes was 4100gns paid for a four-crop from John Murray Crossflatt, Muirkirk, with all proceeds going to RSABI.

She is sired by a £90,000 Blackhouse, and sold carrying a single to a £14,000 Crossflatt. She found a new home with Alasdair Fletcher, Fletcher Farming, Laigh Hatton, Bishopbriggs.

Crossflatt sold another ewe at 4000gns, this time to Hunter Smith, Wiley Sike, Gilsland, Brampton. This one-crop ewe is by a £45,000 Loughash and is carrying a pair to the 30,000gns McCurdy.

Another two ewes made the same money for Ewen Macmillan, Lurg, Fintry, with both selling to David Morrison, Dalwyne, Barr, Girvan. First was a one-crop by Gass Bulletin, out of a £15,000 Midlock ewe which sold carrying a pair to a £10,000 Loughash.

The latter was a two-crop ewe by 50/50, a son of the £50,000 Pole. She is carrying two lambs to a £16,000 Elmscleugh.

A Lurg gimmer also realised 4000gns finding a new home with John Joe Brannigan, Glenbeg Lane, Galbally, Dungannon. A £22,000 Dalchirla daughter out of a £7000 Troloss sired-dam, she sold carrying a pair to a £10,000 Loughash.

Graham Pears, Bella Vista, Sheffield, forked out 4000gns for the best from the Wight family, Midlock, Crawford. This gimmer is by a son of a £24,000 Connachan and out of a dam by a son of Goldblend. She sold carrying triplets to a £16,000 Connachan.

Another to hit the 4000gns price tag was a gimmer from Charlie and Cathal Harkin, Loughash, Donnemana. She is a £45,000 Loughash daughter, and is due with a pair to a £21,000 Dalchirla. Taking this girl home was William Crawford, Droit, Newtownstewart, Northern Ireland.

Top priced north-type was this Woolfords ewe at 3900gns from the Hamiltons

Topping the North-types at 3900gns was a four-crop ewe from Matthew Hamilton and son Matthew, Woolfords, Cobbinshaw, West Calder. A £8000 Eastmill daughter, out of a 2200gns Thomas Harkin ewe, she is carrying a pair to a home-bred son of Brian Curran’s first prize national show shearling. Paul McEvoy, Cairnhill, Newry, was the final bidder.

Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington.

averages: 16 ewes, £3458.44 (+£1746.30 for 17 less); 34 gimmers, £3099.04 (+£1926.15 for 20 fewer).