Blackface sheep breeders enjoyed a flying trade at United Auctions' massive one-day sale of rams at Stirling, where the south-type shearling rings attracted three five-figure sales and a further 10 selling at or above the £5000 bracket.
A predominantly commercial sale of hill tups, saw the top end of breeders' rams command premium prices and this year's high of £16,000 was derived from Burncastle Farming Co, Lauder, managed by Alan Rogerson.
The tup, brought out by shepherds James Brady, Peter Lothian and Ben Carter, is by the £42,000 Glenrath and out of a £21,000 Glenrath-sired ewe that bred a £7000 ram here in 2019. He sold up to Inverness with Peter Junor from Ballaggan.
Selling at £14,000 was this shearling from Stephen Duncan's Livet flock, based at Glenlivet Ref: MacGregor Photography
Glenlivet-based breeder, Stephen Duncan and son, Stephen, have had a busy couple of days, selling no fewer than 48 tups off their north-type Achdregnie unit and south-type Livet flock at Dingwall the previous day, and Stirling, with their best sold through UA, making £14,000.
This big lad purchased by Angus Kennedy and son Angus, Mitchellhill, Biggar, is a son of £5200 Elmscleugh, bought at Lanark in 2019, and out of a £10,000 Allanfauld-sired ewe shown successfully as a ewe lamb.
Duncan MacGregor, Burnhead, Kilsyth sold his best for £10,000 Ref: MacGregor Photography
Two shearlings were knocked down at £10,000, with the first coming from Duncan MacGregor, Burnhead, Kilsyth, selling in after the Perth-type shearlings. Used at home as a lamb, his pen leader is a son of a £17,000 Midlock ram owned by Dyke, and out of an £18,000 Easter Happrew-sired dam. He headed home with John and Richard Wood, Kingledores, Tweedsmuir.
Another from Burnhead realised £7000 selling to Robert Cockburn, Hill of Errol, Perth. Another by the same Midlock ram, he is bred from a £16,000 Nunnerie-sired ewe.
Ian Hunter, Dalchirla, sold his No 1 for £10,000 Ref: MacGregor Photography
Ian Hunter's Dalchirla flock, from Muthill, Crieff, enjoyed a thumper of a trade and matched the £10,000 price tag with his pen leader selling in a three-way split to Malcolm Coubrough, Whelphill and Hartside, Lamington; Derek Brown of the Madrissa flock and Ben Cluckie, Waterhead, Biggar. Sired by one of the flock's most consistent breeders, a £24,000 Connachan owned in partnership with Midlock, he is out of a £24,000 Elmscleugh-sired dam.
Mr Hunter and his brother Alan sold another three at big money with the next best of £7000 paid for a son of a £45,000 Nunnerie bought at Dalmally in 2019. Bred from a ewe by the £24,000 Connachan, he was knocked down to Mitchellhill.
Another the same way bred then made £4000 to neighbouring breeders Tom and Mairi Paterson, and son Robert, buying for their Dunruchan flock based at Muthill, Crieff.
Dalchirla's No 2, made £6000 selling to Jimmy and Graeme Sinclair, Crookston, Heriot. His pedigree features a home-bred son of a £26,000 Dyke onto a ewe by the £24,000 Connachan.
Euan and Willie Bennie, Merkins, Gartocharn, were also in the money, selling their best at £8000. Used as a lamb, last year, he is a son of last year's £7000 Merkins and bred from a ewe by an £1800 Loughash ewe. He sold in a two-way split to Jimmy and Donald MacGregor, Dyke, Milton of Campsie and Andrew Kay and sons Robert and Andrew, Gass, Straiton.
Matching that £7000 was another by the £45,000 Nunnerie bought at Dalmally, in 2019, this time from the Wights at Midlock, Crawford, who bought a share of the tup that day with Dalchirla and Dyke. Buying back some of their own genetics were Alastair and David MacArthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot, who get for their money a shearling out of a ewe by a home-bred son of a £12,000 Aitkenhead.
Just behind on £6500,Willie Dunlop and sons Quintin and William, Elmscleugh, Dunbar, sold a son of the £21,000 Auldhouseburn lamb bought at Dalmally, in 2019, out of a £7000 Crossflatt-sired ewe, to James Murdoch, Knockdon, Straito.
Elmscleugh also took £5500 from Una Hodge, Kirkland Farming, Kirkconnel, Sanquhar. A son of the home-bred £5500 ram which was sold to Netherwood at Lanark, last year, his dam is a £160,000 Dalchirla daughter.
Michael Wood, Shawsknowe, Straiton, also received £6500 from Richard Carruthers, Merkland, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire. Out of ????? he is bred by ?????.
Malcolm Coubrough, of Whelphill and Hartside Farms, Lamington, sold his best at £6000 to the Taylor family, from Dall, Killin, Perthshire. Sired by a 2200gns McAlmont tup bought at Ballymena, he is bred from a ewe by a home-bred son of £12,000 Dyke.
OTHERLEADING prices:
Shearling rams – £4200 – Outerwards, by a £160,000 Dalchirla-sired Auldhouseburn ram to Dall, Killin.
£4000 – Craigdarroch, by a £10,000 Allanfauld to the J Kay and Sons, Hartside, Lammermuir; Craigdarroch, by a £10,000 Allanfauld to A Smith, Wester Crosswoodhill, West Calder; Craigdarroch, by a home-bred son of £6000 Allanfauld, to B and N Menzies, Corrylorn, Oban.
FLOCK averages:
Flock (No) Top (£) Average
Shearling rams
Glenrath (15) 3000 1386.67
Mitchellhill (6) 3200 1558.33
Dryhope (8) 3200 1212.50
Crosswoodhill (11) 2000 872.73
Merkins
Westside (6) 2000 1233.33
Connachan (8) 1600 750.00
Ess (5) 600 400.00
Aitkengall (4) 1000 650.00
Outerwards (8) 4200 1587.50
Kirkland (10) 3500 1570.00
Bothwell (7) 1400 1028.57
East Bracklinn (12) 3000 1266.67
Craigdarroch (16) 4000 1862.50
Tollishill (6) 1100 783.33
Glenrinnes (3) 1400 1100.00
Allanfauld (6) 1400 1200.00
Gass (5) 3500 1920.00
Dunruchan (8) 1000 775.00
Blackcraig (5) 2400 1030.00
Croughly (6) 2000 1050.00
Glen Cally (7) 1400 985.71
Burncastle (12) 16,000 3183.33
Quickening Cote (5) 900 540.00
Mountbenger (7) 1300 814.29
Hillridge (5) 1100 910.00
Gosland (7) 1000 664.29
Parkhall (8) 3800 1556.25
Lynemore (7) 1200 821.43
Merkins (12) 8000 1803.33
Fechan (7) 1300 885.71
Stobbs (3) 600 533.33
Blackhouse (12) 2000 1189.17
Ashcraig (8) 2000 1225.00
Corsebank (8) 1600 1150.00
Nether Scythie (4) 1000 637.50
Elmscleugh (11) 6500 2172.73
Glenfernate (4) 1300 875.00
(McIntosh) (4) 1000 900.00
Midlock (21) 7000 1664.43
Letar (12) 1800 1041.67
Easter Happrew (6) 3200 1325.00
Tinnis (8) 2200 1043.75
High Staward (6) 1400 858.33
Dyke (13) 3000 1084.62
Dalchirla (10) 10,000 3770.00
Livet (14) 14,000 1796.43
Longcroft (11) 2200 777.27
Whelphill (19) 6000 1284.11
Shawsknowe (7) 6500 1614.29
Kirkstead (9) 5000 2133.33
Williamhope (12) 2800 1037.50
Wester
Crosswoodhill (6) 3800 1766.67
Nunnerie (11) 700 536.37
Cromlix (17) 1900 638.24
Mid Crosswood (5) 600 500.00
Perth ring
Cundry (4) 200 162.50
Moorfoot (6) 2000 933.33
Acreknowe (3) 800 600.00
Arnicle (5) 2200 1240.00
Laggan (5) 420 354.00
Silloans (6) 1200 791.67
Jaw (4) 500 450.00
Wanwoodhill (5) 1200 670.00
Gosland Cleugh (7) 700 471.43
Kypehill (3) 700 516.67
Remony (4) 700 462.50
The Yett (5) 2000 1200.00
Burnhead
Kilsyth (5) 10,000 3860.00
Millhouse (5) 3500 1880.00
South Cobbinshaw (3) 420 340.00
Haystoun (4) 1000 625.00
Conon (3) 300 266.67
Culterallers (6) 400 266.67
Midlock Glespin (5) 650 500.00
Fleehope (4) 1200 632.50
Easter Cringate (4) 650 475.00
Headshaw (3) 250 216.67
North Amulree (4) 400 287.50
Averages: 587 shearlings, £1210.94 (+£251.84 for 81 more sold).
Auctioneers: United Auctions
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