Allanshaws Bullseye made history at the North Country Cheviot park-type ram sale at Lockerbie, selling for a new breed record of £15,000 for father and son duo, Roderick and Lewis Runciman, Galashiels.
Almost doubling the previous breed best of £8000 set 1979, it was a day to remember for all, with the judge, Alan Cowens, Philiphaugh, Selkirk, first awarding the shearling the overall championship before the Barclay family, Harestone, Aberdeenshire, went on to buy the record breaker.
The Runciman team run 750 ewes and annually sell 30 shearlings, with their previous best being £6500.
Bullseye, is one of the first sons sold from the £3000 Quoybrae purchase, Sebay Xcitable, by Wester Trouble Maker and out of a dam by Allanshaws Prince.
Another by the same sire reached £4500 when selling to Richard Black of Riverside Livestock, Artigarrah, Strabane, Northern Ireland. This shearling ram is out of a home-bred dam by Allanshaws Popeye.
It was also a good day for Orkney breeders, Jim Baillie and sons, Hamish and Balfour of the Sebay flock, Tankerness, who sold their highest priced tup to date at £6000. This shearling is sired by a £2200 Quoybrae purchase, Smerlie Xtreme, out of a home-bred dam and found a new home in Dulverton with Robert Kilvington, Parsonage, Hawkridge.
The same home also achieved £4000 for their No 5 and another the same way bred. He sold down to Wales with DI Huges, Pencraig Ucha, Conwy.
Overacres Big Lad lived up to his name for Peter Hedley, Swinside Townfoot, Jedburgh, when realising £4500. This shearling is sired by Broomhillbank Tough Lad, out of a Auld Synton sired-dam and sold in a two-way split up to Shetland with RJ Poleson, Swinister, Ollaberry; and Bryden Nicolson, Garth Farms, Mossbank.
Overacres also sold two shearlings at £3800 each. First was Overacres Beckham, purchased by the judge, Alan Cowens, who gets for his money, a son of Synton Xtra Talented bought here two years ago for £3500, out of a home-bred dam by Gilston Time Machine.
The latter, Overacres Bruno, is one of the first shearlings sold by Gilston Xerxes and out of a ewe by Broomhillbank Tough Lad. Final bidder was Di Walton, High Fodderlee, Hawick.
Andrew and Kerry Polson and daughters, Shannon and Christina's 200-ewe Smerlie flock all the way from Lybster, Caithness, peaked at £4500 for Smerlie Brave. He is a son of the £2400 Allanshaws Sensation and out of a home-bred ewe. Forking out the cash were A and J Williams, Muddy Plox, Hereford.
After a big sale selling, Allanshaws went to £4000 for the shearling, Wandylaw Belter from Di Walton who runs 40 ewes at High Fodderlee. Her boy is by the £2800 Soutra Sprinter Sacre and out of a home-bred ewe that goes back to Overacres Ryan.
The same money was paid for Belmaduthy Blaze from Isabelle McCallum and daughters, Joanna and Ailsa, Munlochy, Ross-shire. A son of Gospelhall Pick Me, out of a home-bred ewe by Bardnaclavan Astroid, he was knocked down to the Dun family, Gilston, Heriot, Midlothian.
Selling at £3500 was a Gospelhall shearling from Robert King, Jedburgh, purchased by Scott Davies, North Synton, Selkirk. He is by Shoestanes Sandy.
Matching that £3500 bid was the best from Robbie McCormack of the Croftheads flock, Lockerbie. His Synton Ring Master son sold to James Burton, Llamtops, Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
Increased demand for females saw improved averages on the year and for more sold, with trade peaking at £900 on three occasions.
First to achieve that price were two gimmers from Jennifer Cowan, Boghead of Greenhill, Lockerbie. They are sired by Wandylaw Xfactor, a ram bought two years ago here for £1800, and out of Lilburn ewe. The first sold to David Aitken, Dinwoodie Green, Lockerbie, with the latter heading to Shetland with Bryden Nicolson, Garth Farms.
James Burton, Llamtops, Ashbourne, also went to £900 for a ewe lamb from Scott Davies' Synton flock. This Synton Bang On daughter is out of a home-bred ewe by the £6000 Allanshaws Special Blend.
averages: 211 rams, £1270.38 (+£249.21 for 31 more); 368 gimmers £287.47 (+£33.55 for 13 more); 178 ewe lambs, £260.28 (+£55.09 for 22 more); 104 ewes, £209.58 (+£63.58 for 36 more).
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.
LEADING prices
Ewe lambs – £900, £600, £180 North Synton; £850, £320 (x2), £260 Sebay; £500 Parsonage; £400, £300, £220 (x2) Hownam Grange; £320 West Blackbyres; £300 (x2), £220 Boghead of Greenhill; £200 Victoria; £200 Croftheads; £185 Humbleheugh; £180 Boreland.
Gimmers – £900 (x2), £800, £550, £320 Boghead of Greenhill; £800, £280 Humbleheugh; £800, £400, £350 Soutra Mains; £650 North Synton; £480 Nun Cote Nook; £400, £320 High Fodderlee; £350, £320 Brimley; £350 Hownam Grange; £300, £280 Carruthers; £280 Smerlie.
Ewes – £350, £220 Kelsocleugh; £300, £220, £155 Hownam Grange; £240, £220 West Blackbyre; £180, £175 Humbleheugh; £165, £155, £135 South Road.
Shearling rams – £15,000, £4500, £3000 (x2), £2800, £2200 Allanshaws; £6000, £4000, £3000, £2200, £2000 Sebay; £4500 Smerlie; £4500, £3800 (x2), £2500 Swinside Townfoot; £4000 Belmaduthy; £4000 High Fodderlee; £3500, £2000 (x2) Croftheads; £3500 Gospel Hall; £3200, £2500 Philiphaugh Estate; £3000, £2500, £2000, £2000 North Synton; £3000 Broomhillbank; £2800 Humbleheugh; £2800 Boreland; £2800, £2500 Kelsocleugh; £2500, £2500, £2000 Carruthers; £2500 Gilston; £2500 Jethart; £2200 Farmaby; £2000 Earlston Road.
Flock averages
Flock (No) Top (£) Avg (£)
Kelsocleugh (3) 2500 2366.67
Croftheads (3) 3500 2500.00
Belmaduthy (4) 4000 1825.00
Sebay (8) 6000 2687.50
Humbleheugh (9) 1600 1200.00
Knockcocher (6) 2800 1166.67
Synton (11) 3000 1586.36
Soutra (5) 1800 860.00
Philiphaugh (8) 3200 1700.00
Rubershaw (3) 1000 633.33
Stobshiel (4) 750 512.50
Nisbet Mill (4) 1200 750.00
Broomhillbank (8) 3000 1437.50
Edenhall (6) 2200 1066.67
Jethart (8) 2500 975.00
Gospelhall (5) 3500 1380.00
Stragole (4) 700 662.50
Allanshaws (12) 15,000 3191.67
Wester (5) 500 490
Hill Top (3) 900 650.00
Muirton (8) 1000 625.00
Harestone (4) 1200 1000.00
Penbache (4) 700 512.50
Wandylaw (4) 4000 1450.00
Carruthers (8) 2500 1337.50
Hownam Grange (8) 1800 825.00
Overacres (9) 4500 2116.67
Pen-Y-Bont (4) 600 537.50
Symington (4) 2000 800.00
Gilston (6) 2500 716.67
Pen Groes (3) 1500 966.67
Kinaldy (3) 600 550.00
Oakthwaite (3) 500 500.00
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