The very first tup in the ring at the North Country Cheviot park-type shearling ram sale at Lockerbie kickstarted the event when attracting the top price of £15,000.
Living up to his name was Allanshaws Eye Candy, a shearling ram from Roderick Runciman, son Lewis and daughter Libby, Allanshaws, Galashiels.
Selected pre-sale champion by the judge Ritchie Strawhorn, Broomhillbank, this tup is from the first crop of sons by the privately purchased, Glebefarm Class Act, a ram that also bred this year’s Royal Highland Show champion. The dam, a home-bred ewe, is sired by Philiphaugh Tornado, a tup that stood champion here when Roderick judged the pre-sale show and purchased him for £4200. Eye Candy was knocked down to Andrew Ewing, Annan, Dumfriesshire.
MORE NEWS | North Country Cheviot rams reach £8000 at Quoybrae
Allanshaws had a cracking trade with others at £4500, £4000 twice and £3500, with the family’s pen of 11 producing the lead flock average of £3900.
William Heads, Aitkenhead, Fenwick, went to £4500 for Allanshaws Espresso. Another by Class Act, he is out of a home-bred ewe by Allanshaws Trademark.
Allanshaws Extra Special was next in the money at £4000 when the hammer fell to Messrs Thompson and Partners, Penrith, Cumbria. This shearling is a son of the Lockerbie purchase, Pen Groes Assassin, and out of a Broomhillbank Alabama-bred dam.
The same buyers gave another £4000 for Allanshaws Eldorado. He is backed by home-bred genetics being sired by Allanshaws Cannonball, and out of a home-bred ewe by Pen Groes Xcalibur.
Another by the Class Act sire then realised £3500 when selling to Kenny Mair, Turriff. The shearling Allanshaws Eagle Eyes is out of a home-bred ewe by Allanshaws Silverstar.
Second top price of £8000 was paid for a Synton shearling from Scott Davies, North Synton, Ashkirk, Selkirk. He is sired by Gospelhall Bob, a tup purchased here for £3500, out of a home-bred ewe and sold up to Orkney with Jim Baillie and sons Hamish and Balfour of the Sebay flock, Tankerness.
MORE NEWS | Lanark Beltex reach 21,000gns for Faughhill ram lamb
Heading to the other end of the country, Messrs Williams and Son, Isle Of Anglesey, Wales, went to 3800gns for another from the same home. This shearling is a son of Kinaldy Architect and bred from a home-bred ewe.
Alan Cowens of Philiphaugh Estates, Selkirk, sold his best for £6500. This was the shearling ram Philiphaugh Eben Etzebeth, purchased by Graham Dun of the Gilston flock, Heriot, who got for his money a son of this year’s Royal Highland Show male champion Carruthers City Lights, a tup purchased for £6500. The dam is a home-bred ewe by Hownam Grange Example.
Just behind on £6000 was Hownam Grange Exquisite from Willie and Laura Thomson, Hownam Grange, Kelso. This shearling is from the first crop of sons by Pen Groes Bond and out of a home-bred ewe. Final bidder was Andrew Pate, Nettlingflat, Heriot, Midlothian.
Another bred the same way, Hownam Grange Ego, made £4000 when selling in a two-way split to Jedburgh with Steven Turnbull of the Jethart flock and Peter Hedley of the Overacres flock.
Gemma McCornick, Boreland, Newton Stewart, received a personal best of £5500 for Knockcocher Energy when selling to Jack Webster of the Rivendale flock, Ashbourne, Derbyshire. A son of Overacres Amorous, this shearling is out of a home-bred ewe by Humbleheugh Wullie.
On the flip side Derbyshire young breeder, Jack Webster, sold his reserve champion, Rivendale Eagle Eye for £4500 for his first time selling here. Used as a lamb at home, this shearling is by the privately purchase, Overacres Alert, and out of a home-bred ewe by Kinaldy Aristrocrat. He found a new home with Messrs Bell and Son of the Hill Top flock, Keswick, Cumbria.
Dallas and Ruth Allen, Stouphill, Humbleheugh, Alnwick, were next in the money when selling a shearling for £3800 to Messrs Page, Penrith, Cumbria. Humbleheugh Entitled is a son of Overacres Appetite and out of a Sourta Weapon daughter.
Three shearlings made £3500 with the first being Carruthers Exorcist from Innes and Gordon Graham, Carruthers, Heriot. Sired by Glen Acrobat, he is out of a Synton-bred ewe. Buying back some of his own genetics, he was knocked down to Scott Davies, North Synton.
After their big day selling, Allanshaws went to £3500 for Kinaldy Excalibur from George Milne, Kinaldy, St Andrews, Fife. This shearling is sired by Allanshaws Ammarilo and out of a home-bred ewe by Philiphaugh Xerox.
On the same price tag was Nun Cote Nook Explosion from the Stones family, Nun Cote, Yorkshire. A son of Nun Cote Nook Charmander, out of a Brockhouse ewe, this shearling was knocked down to Innes and Gordon Graham, Carruthers.
Females sold to £700 for a pair of gimmers from the Allens of Stouphill, Humbleheugh. Jack Webster of the Rivendale flock, Ashbourne was the final bidder.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
Averages: 215 rams, £1327.90 (+£120.47 for 13 more sold); 60 ewes, £198.18 (+£14.64 for 99 fewer sold); 279 gimmers, £314.55 (+£61.19 for 53 less); 162 ewe lambs, £261.50 (+£75 for eight more)
Flock averages
Flock (No) Top (£) Avg (£)
Allanshaws (11) 15,000 3900.00
Wester (6) 2000 833.33
Smerlie (5) 2500 1120.00
Gospelhall (5) 800 530.00
Dunion (3) 550 550.00
Culsh (5) 2800 1190.00
Muirton (8) 2800 962.50
Box Hill (3) 450 383.33
Overacres (7) 2000 1028.57
Hownam Grange (7) 6000 2285.71
Harestone (5) 2000 1300.00
Hightae (7) 2400 1100.00
Carruthers (8) 3500 1450.00
Nettlingflat (3) 1500 933.33
Hill Top (3) 1400 1266.67
Wandylaw (5) 3000 1250.00
Kinaldy (9) 3500 1111.11
Rivendale (4) 450 2250.00
Skipmyre (3) 800 650.00
Benbreed (3) 450 416.67
Nun Cote (3) 3500 1633.33
Gilston (7) 3000 1471.43
Gothigill (3) 1100 983.33
Logie (4) 1200 587.50
Belmaduthy (3) 3200 2233.33
Sebay (11) 2500 1763.64
Humbleheugh (9) 3800 1344.44
Knockcocher (5) 5500 1870.00
Synton (10) 8000 2040.00
Soutra (4) 500 475.00
Philiphaugh (7) 6500 1528.57
Broomhillbank (8) 2200 1362.50
Greendale (3) 800 500.00
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here