Borderesk Beltex makes 30,000gns at bumper Carlisle sale

Shearling rams soared on the first day with a top price of 30,000gns paid for a Borderesk entry from Anne Story and daughter Rachael, Longtown, and another five selling at or above the magical 10,000gns bracket to bump up sale averages to a near record breaking £1500 per head. Furthermore, clearance rates were an impressive 90% with 669 of the 740 forward, finding new homes.

Star attraction in an extremely busy market from early doors, was Borderesk Finders Keepers, a son of the 1600gns Ardstewart Cheeky Charlie. A natural-born lamb, he is out of Borderesk Caribbean Queen, a daughter of the Belgian ram, Gavin Van’t Zaubekedal that goes back to the Story's Borderesk Leapfrog, a ram that bred several top breeding tups for noted flocks. After some brisk bidding, Finders Keepers sold in a two way split to cousins, Stuart and Richard Wood and his father John, buying for their Woodies and Kingledores flocks from Aberdeenshire and near Biggar, respectively.

The family's No 3 shearling, Borderesk Fernando ET, also surpassed their previous best of 4000gns paid for Borderesk Tenacious, when selling for 8000gns to Dumfriesshire producer, CJ Roots, Kilnford Croft. Bred from a flush from the Borderesk Touche daughter, Borderesk Angel Eyes, Fernando is an AI son of the 60,000gns Topflite Al Pacino.

Adding to the celebrations, Anne who runs 60 pedigree ewes and produced the lead flock average of £6382 for nine, received 5500gns for Borderesk Firecracker, another by Ardstewart Cheeky Charley but out of the Topflite Al Pacino-sired Hackney Charmer. Final bidder was Percy Clatworthy, buying for his Huntspill flock in Somerset.

Second top price was 20,000gns paid for Alan Miller and his daughter Ellie's Tullylagan Fairfax, from Miller Farms, Midmar, Aberdeenshire. Their tup which was bought last year for 1000gns at Lanark, was bred by the Hammond brothers and is by the Ardstewart Coyote son, Tullylagan Elite and out of Headlind Chesnut, a Callacrag Wise Crack daughter. Commercial producer, Gerwyn Jones, who regularly tops the prime lamb trade and has just established the Graig Goch flock in Wales, forked out the cash.

Having enjoyed a cracking trade for his Clary flock, Newton Stewart, selling 10 to average just shy of £3000, Jock McMillan went to 18,000gns for Airyolland Freuchie from Neale and Janet McQuistin, Newton Stewart. Used successfully as a lamb in the Airyolland flock, he is bred from the Tercrosset Action Man-sired Airyolland Bletherskite which also produced the £6500 top priced Beltex at last year’s Kelso Ram Sales, Airyolland Eejit. His sire, Airyolland Escobar, is the ninth generation of home-bred rams and from the same line as the 65,000gns Airyolland Castro.

Another from the same stable, Airyolland Falco ET, made 6000gns selling to the Dinsdale family buying for their Highfield flock from Morland, Penrith and Stuart Wood. Also backed by home-bred genetics, he is by Airyolland Eeksy Peeksy-sired Falco and bred from Airyolland Avril Lavigne, an Airyolland Watchman daughter and full sister to Airyolland Avicii.

The champion large pen, as selected by Graham Burke, Pentland, was Kevin, Tom and Jack Buckle's Kirkby Stephen-based Buckles flock, which produced a 17,000gns high for Buckles Frankel ET. He is bred from College Adele, a Kingledores Trojan daughter and former inter-breed champion at the Great Yorkshire. A full brother to last year's 11,000gns lamb purchased by Logie Durno, Frankel is by the 10,000gns Gyffin Dexter and sold to Victoria and Gillian Bowring for their Windmill flock near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

 

Selling later in the day from the Buckles boys, their second pen sold to 6700gns for Buckles Filthy Rich ET, purchased by Welsh breeders, Dafydd Owen and Edward Lewis for their Smart Ass and Gyffin flocks, respectively. A full brother to the 30,000gns Buckles Dark Dawn, he is bred from the prolific Ardstrewart Super Mario daughter, Buckles Annie Power, while his sire is Ardstewart Armani.

Ardstewart flock owners, Wade and Alison McCrabbe, all the way from Lifford, Co Donegal, received 12,000gns for their No 2, Ardstewart Fred Flintstone, which sold in a two-way split to Shropshire breeders, Paul and Christine Tippetts, of the Hackney and Wilodge flocks, and Jack and Liam Swinnerton, Lipley flock. His pedigree features Swffryd Express bought as a lamb for 7500gns on to Ardstewart Dixie Chick, a daughter of the former ram lamb record holder, Kingledores Crusader.

The final five-figure price was 10,000gns paid for Jane Campbell and son, Ross’ Clary Fork Out ET, from Carsewalloch, Newton Stewart. Bred by Jock McMillan and bought here last year for 1400gns, this full brother to the 9000gns Clary Fly, is by Smart Ass Dark Horse while his dam is Clary Delight, by Hackney Braveheart. Reserve champion at the Royal Highland Showcase, he sold to Paul and Nigel Slater for commercial ram production at Whiteley Hey, Macclesfield.

The Slaters then went to 9000gns for the best from Grant Maxwell, who enjoyed a flying trade for tups from his Melrose-based Faughhill flock which sold nine to average £4702. Tops here and producing a personal best following last year's 8000gns high, was Faughhill Fifty-Cent, a son of the 10,000gns Ryder DIY, bred from the Callacrag Barbarian-sired Eildon Coral.

Mr Maxwell also sold two shearlings at 7000gns to include Faughhill Francisco, another Ryder DIY son purchased by Jeff and Jennifer Aiken for the Procters flock near Wray, Lancaster. Used as a lamb on Texel and Charollais ewes, he is bred from the Eildon Boris daughter, Faughhill Daenerys Stormborn.

Minutes later, J Gray, Whittingham, Alnwick went to the same money for Faughhill Feargul, by the 8000gns Faughhill Elephant in The Room sold here last year, and out of another Eildon Boris daughter in the shape of Faughhill Daisy Duck.

James Wannop also enjoyed his best ever sale in just four years breeding Beltex, selling nine to average just shy of £3400 backed up by a top price of 8000gns for Wannop's Firecracker ET, from 30-ewe flock based at Heaton Hall, Morecambe, Lancs, which is also home to a 500-cow dairy herd. Firecracker which sold to Andrew Baillie, Callacrag, Carnwath; Neil Laing for his children, Euan, Fiona and Kirsten’s Perryflatts flock and M Russell, Ashley, Lamington, all Lanarkshire, is a son of the 2500gns Matt’s Edward and out of Brickrow Bella, a Matt’s Wild Son daughter purchased for 3200gns, that has already bred three lambs at 2000gns.

The Wannop's flock also received 7000gns for Wannop's Fie Fi Fo Fum, from DT and MO Morgan, Brecon, Powys. He is by Bonecastle Dante, an 1800gns purchase and bred from the Matt’s Abracadabra daughter, Dean Brow Cleo, bought privately from Harry Wood.

Gary Beacom's first year selling Beltex at Carlisle, paid dividends too, when Lakeview Firefly ET, from the six-ewe Lakeview flock from Co Fermanagh, realised 7500gns to the Slaters, Whiteley Hey. He is by Glantre Digger and bred from the Matt's Ambassador-sired Rathbone Baby, purchased for 2000gns.

Hitting the 6200gns mark when selling two ways to Nick and Becki Dakin for their Panbeck flock, and Chris Windle for his Cavendish flock, both near Skipton, was Nick and Charlotte Brown’s Bronic Frederick ET from their Lancaster-based flock. His pedigree features Rathbone Desperado on to the Broxty Supreme-sired Inveresk American Beauty.

Michael and Heulwen Owens had a good day too with a top of 6000gns paid by GW Jones, Caereinion, for their Glantre Flyer from Llandysul. Full of home breeding, he is by Glantre Dyson while his dam is an unnamed W ewe by Airyolland Loyalty.

A second ram to sell for 5500gns was Andrew Wainwright’s Todhall Firecracker ET from near Cupar, Fife. Sired by the 10,000gns Callacrag Bull’s Eye and used in the flock as a lamb, he is out of Todhall Trixie, a Woodies Pride of North daughter. Forking out the cash was the Page Farm Partnership, Rookwith.

Top price for Andrew Baillie's third prize Callacrag pen was 4800gns paid for Callacrag Flash ET, shown by son Cameron and daughter Rachel. He is by Vogue Empire, bred from Callacrag Climax, the 2018 Carnwath Show inter-breed champion, and sold to the Slaters, Whiteley Hey.

Aged rams peaked at 3500gns for Paul Tippetts’ Lakeview Doozer, bred by Gary Beacom. Sired by Murrays Code and out of Brickrow Bunty, he sold to GL Riby and Son, Stonehills.

Averages: 669 shearling rams, £1500.22 (+£108.22 for 13 more sold in 2020 and +£348 for 18 fewer compared to 2019 sale).

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

FLOCK averages

Shearling rams

Flock (No) Top (Gns) Average (£)

Ring 2

Loandhu (5) 1500 850.00

Rennie (7) 1300 972.00

Horseclose (8) 1800 1059.19

Shirnvindale (4) 420 364.88

Brickrow (10) 2700 1632.75

Espley (4) 2000 1233.75

Glenkeen (4) 1800 1273.13

Gwyddil (6) 850 551.25

Stonedge (3) 550 507.50

Langlands (9) 3600 1569.17

Skiddaw (4) 1500 1076.25

Glenpark (8) 900 707.44

Lakeview (7) 7500 2880.00

Vicky's (5) 1200 770.70

Rachael's (4) 2800 1653.75

Balbrydie (5) 900 749.70

Hackney (8) 1600 1250.81

Kininmonth (5) 1300 808.50

Gregor's (5) 1200 871.50

Ainstable (8) 2000 918.75

Borderesk (9) 30,000 6381.67

Ardstewart (9) 12,000 3325.00

Lyonpark (7) 1200 787.50

Kingledores (9) 3000 1324.17

Ryder (9) 4500 2065.00

Callacrag (8) 4800 2375.63

Brownville (9) 1200 735.00

Mortons (9) 3800 1610.00

Rathbone (10) 850 582.75

Clary (10) 4000 2971.50

Carse (3) 900 735.00

Topflite (3) 1900 1150.00

Procters (10) 2400 1307.25

Tercrosset (10) 3000 1863.75

Heber Park (8) 3300 1509.38

Pentland (3) 2000 1750.00

Lamington (5) 2400 1438.50

Fingle (3) 650 647.50

Faughhill (9) 9000 4701.67

Aviemore (10) 3500 1963.50

Corra (7) 950 622.50

Richmond (5) 800 745.50

Xana (3) 1000 770.00

Lurg (6) 20,000 4611.25

Glengyre (3) 650 612.50

Ainstable (5) 2700 1806.00

Buckles (6) 6700 2336.25

Ring 3

Ochtermuthill (5) 1400 987.00

Myna (6) 1400 1041.25

Greenridge (5) 472.50

Glencoe (8) 1800 1109.06

Inveresk (3) 1200 1032.50

Woodwick (8) 2000 1253.44

Quarrymount (9) 1600 956.67

Highfield (8) 1000 735.00

Artnagullion (9) 4200 1785.00

Cynin (4) 700 603.75

Nikay (4) 1200 761.25

Bodney (10) 1200 787.50

Padkin (8) 1100 794.06

Drumburn (3) 550 441.67

Tiptop (5) 1600 1039.50

Todhall (10) 5500 2278.50

Bilboa (5) 2000 934.50

Sunnybank (3) 350 367.50

Tiree (10) 2600 1433.25

Black Jack (9) 2000 962.50

Glenisla (3) 600 595.00

Liscon (6) 4500 1837.50

Corstane (10) 4000 1596.00

Digga (6) 650 472.50

Dragon (6) 2900 1260.00

Cree (7) 10,000 2842.50

Beachy (6) 1000 586.25

Barleyclose (3) 700 612.50

Matt's (9) 2500 1598.33

Glantre (7) 6000 3085.71

Yorkie (5) 800 619.50

Moss Nae (7) 1200 637.50

Harridale (4) 1200 682.50

Brownville (3) 500 472.50

Buckles (6) 17,000 4550.00

Geirn (5) 1800 1365.00

Panbeck (7) 3500 1410.00

Bronic (7) 6200 1747.50

Edendiach (6) 1800 1400.00

Tweeddale (10) 4500 2740.50

Bessy Bell (10) 1600 745.50

Allanbuie (4) 400 341.25

Wannop's (9) 8000 3371.67

Speir (6) 1100 542.50

Criffel (10) 650 546.00

Rhosymadoc (5) 700 520.08

Wilodge (5) 1000 850.50

Woodies (6) 3600 2467.50

Airyolland (9) 18,000 4001.67

Curwen Hill (4) 1800 1496.25