A ewe lamb from Robin and Emma Irwin's Kings flock all the way from Devon, attracted the lead price of 16,000gns at the Dark Diamonds sale of Suffolk females at Carlisle.

The sale which featured entries from 16 flocks was led by one of the last lots in the catalogue, a January-born ET single sired by Castlewood Shark, a Crewelands Captain Morgan son bought at Lanark in 2021. The dam, a home-bred ewe, is by Roundacre Manu a tup of which a half share was bought privately from his breeder Ross Lawrence. The ewe lamb headed home to Denbigh, Wales, having been purchased by Myfyr Evans of the Rhaeadr flock.

Top price amongst the gimmers was 6000gns paid twice. Melvin Stuart and family's Birness flock from Milltown of Birness, Ellon, was first to reach this bracket when an entry by Salopian Scuderia out of a ewe by Crewlands Megastar, sold to Craig Paterson of the Cranorskie flock, Aberchirder. She sold due with a single to Ballynacannon Bazinga, a 7000gns shared purchase at Lanark.

Matching the 6000gns bid was the pen leader from Alastair Gault's Forkins flock from Newtownabbey, Co Antrim. She is by the €32,000 Cloontagh Chieftain and bred from a ewe by Broomknowes Touch of Class that has bred sons to 4000gns. She changed hands scanned with a pair to Forkins Masterpiece, a son of Birness Freedom whose sons have sold to 10,000gns to Harry Lyons, of Cloudside Suffolks, Leek.

For full report and pictures see next week's Scottish Farmer (10th December 2022) or subscribe to our digital edition here

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington