Recently in Blackface Category

The sheep championships happen tomorrow at Smithfield, but some of the individual sheep classes have been going on at the same time as the beef today.

 

In the trimmed sheep section, for pairs of lambs born in 2011, the Beltex class was won by R J Slade with his homebred Beltex x Dutchel Texels. In second was Andrew Morton's pure bred Beltex and third another pure bred, this time from Mr A D Bishop.

 

The Blackface class, had two entries forward - both pure bred and from G and A McFadzean.

 

The Charollais section was won by M J and J A Pinny with their Charollais x. In second was J and C Maxwell and their pure bred pair.

 

The Hampshire Downs saw Jonathan Long taking the top spot with his Hampshire Down x Beltex cross and Messrs E J and P J Cresswell taking second with a pure bred pair.

 

In the Southdowns class, Messrs Harmer and Wakeham-Dawson had success with their pure bred. In second it was R O Cox, again with a pure bred. The third spot was taken by Jonathan Long with a homebred Southdown x Beltex cross.

 

Messrs Malcolm M Stewart came first in the Suffolks class with their Suffolk x Beltex and in second it was M J and J A Pinny with their Suffolk x. Third was W A and A J Windsor with a pair of Suffolk x Texel.

 

In the Texels class, Mr A D Bishop went away with the top spot with his pure bred pair. In second was D S and L E Wadland with their Texel x Texel cross and third, R J Slade with a homebred pure bred pair.

 

Eifion Hughes came first in the any other native breed longwool with his Border Leicester x Welsh Mountains. In second and third was two pure bred Romney entries from Horne and Son.

 

Any other native breed shortwool had David and Susan Eglin in first with their pure bred Polled Dorsets.

 

The any other native hill breed class had John R Taylor in first with his North bred North Country Cheviots. In second was another from Eifion Hughes, this time a pair of pure bred Cheviots. In third was a pair of pure bred Exmoor Horns from Richmond J Harding.

 

D S and L E Wadland won the any other continental breed class with their Blue Texel x Texel cross and R J Slade cam second with their pure Blue Texel. In third was Ivanhoe Livestock's Blue Texels.

Sale averages and the number of rams sold were both down at the annual Blackface ram sale at Dalmally on Saturday.

There was a hesitancy to the trade which lacked the usual flurry of five-figure prices that have been seen in previous years.

Only three rams sold for more than £10,000, with a significant proportion knocked out of the ring at below £200 by the auctioneering team from United Auctions.

Breeder Ian Hunter, Dalchirla, Muthill, Crieff, Perthshire, continued to dominate the sale and again took the top price, but at £26,000 it was a fraction of the £90,000 he led with in 2010.

His shearling leader, by a £22,000 Connachan and out of a homebred daughter of Dalchirla Kingsmill, went to Allan Wight and son, Allan, Midlock, Crawford, Biggar, and Alastair McArthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot, both Lanarkshire.

David Jackson and son, Jock, The Pole, Lochgoilhead, Argyll, accepted £22,000 from a three-strong consortium that involved Malcolm Coubrough, Whelphill, Crawford; James and Charles Hamilton, Aitkengall, Innerwick, Dunbar, East Lothian; and Tom and Mairi Paterson, Dunruchan, Muthill, Crieff. The Pole shearling was by Tenacious D, an £8000 Dyke, and out of a ewe by a £2000 Dyke.

Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk, Ayrshire, topped the ram lambs at £14,000. This one was by The Roofer, a £22,000 Elmscleugh, and out of a ewe by a £5500 Auldhouseburn. The Blackwoods, Greenside, and Murrays, Crossflat, both Muirkirk, shared the lamb.

Mr Hunter traded another shearling at £7000. This son of last year's £90,000 Dalchirla and out of a ewe by a grandson of Dalchirla Kingsmill, was bought by Andy Woodburn and son, also Andy, Netherwood, Muirkirk.

Mary McCall Smith, Connachan, Crieff, had two shearling sons of Highland Storm at £6000. Storm is a £44,000 Connachan.

First to go at £6000 was out of ewe by Rooney, a homebred son of Dalchirla Looney. Sharing him were John Macpherson, Balliemeanoch, Dalmally, and Billy Renwick, Blackhouse, Yarrow, Selkirk. Connachan's second, out of a ewe by a grandson of The Hornblower, was bought by Mr Macpherson himself.

John and Charlie Harkin, Loughash, Co Tyrone, went to £5500 to secure a shearling, by a homebred son of a £20,000 Midlock, from Willie Dunlop and sons, Quintin and William, Elmscleugh, Innerwick, Dunbar.

Dalchirla took £5000 for another shearling. This one, by a homebred son of a £14,000 Elmscleugh, was bought by Ewen Macmillan, The Lurg, Fintry, Glasgow.

Midlock also paid £5000 to the Jacksons for another shearling, by a £24,000 Dalchirla.

The McArthur's ram lamb offering sold to £5500 for a son of a £4800 Dalchirla and a ewe by a £5500 Glenrath. Buyers were David and Jack Kay, of Hartside, Oxton, Lauder.

Midlock accepted £5200 for lamb, by a son of a £22,000 Connachan and out of a ewe by £34,000 Dalchirla X Factor. This lamb is off to Darvel, Ayrshire to join the Burnhead flock of Jim Boswell.

Auldhouseburn then sold a lamb at £4800. He was by a £65,000 Auldhouseburn and sold to the Campbells, of Succothmore, Strachur, Argyll.

National Sheep Association Scotland chairman Jimmy Sinclair and his son,
Graeme, of Crookston, Heriot, topped at £3500 for their lambs.  Dalchirla and Willie McNicol, of Cladich, Dalmally, bought this one.

Averages; 499 shearling rams £653, 159 ram lambs £732 (United Auctions).

Blackface gimmers sold to a new centre record at Stirling yesterday when Messrs Hunter and Wood, Dachirla, sold a pen of 10 for £1020 to F Thomson, Rannoch Farm, Kellas. The 50 forward from Dachirla went on to level the sale at £580.

Another pen from Dachirla took the second top of the day when they sold at £400, with third best a pen from Gavinburn at £200/head.

Meanwhile in the Blackface ewes forward the best call of £500/head also marked a new centre record, with this price given from a pen from Ewan MacMillan, Lurg, which were bought by N S P Parry, Marbreck, Carspairn. Second best in the ewes was a £390 call for another pen from Mr MacMillan.

Averages; Accredited Blackface ewes £84.52, Non Accredited Blackface ewes £78.07, Accredited Blackface gimmers £135.60, Non Accredited Blackface gimmers £109.13 (United Auctions).

Last Tuesday's sale of Blackface draft ewes and gimmers at Lanark saw a new breed record set for gimmers with the new mark being a £780 call for a pen from Hugh Blackwood, Auldhouseburn. These were snapped up by Sam Wallace, Broughshane, Co Antrim.

Next best was a £610 bid for a pen from Mary McColl-Smith's Connachan flock which also headed to Northern Ireland when joining Robert Loughery, Limavady, co Antrim.

Other highlights in the gimmers included sales at £435 for Messrs Wight Midlock and £390 for Messrs MacArthur, Nunnerie.

In the draft ewes the best price was £370 for a pen of 25 from Messrs Wight, Midlock, which went to Ewan McMillan, Lurg. This price was then matched by a pen from John Finlay's Blackcraig flock, with these selling to J Campbell and Sons, Strachur.

Further leading prices here included Connachan and Glenrath at £300 and Allanfauld at £280.

Averages; 4295 Blackface ewes £98.38, 954 Blackface gimmers £175.25 (Lawrie and Symington).

The Blackface champion, a two shear tup from the Ramsey family of Milnmark and shared with the Gosland flock of John Marshall, has taken the overall sheep interbreed championship here at the Royal Highland.This one was bred by Graham McClymount in the Cuil flock at Newton Stewart, Wigtonshire, and was bought by the Milnmark and Gosland flocks at Newton Stewart sale last autumn for £7500. He is by a £3000 Cuil tup.

Standing reserve overall was Roderick Runciman's North Country Cheviot shearling ewe from the family's 900 ewe flock at Allanshaws, Galashiels. She was on her first show outing and is by £2200 sire Sinton Bullseye out of a homebred dam. She now heads on the Great Yorkshire Show having picked up the highest award the family has ever achieved at the Highland.And that's it from me here at the Royal Highland, I'm off home to sort out the sale sheep and will be back in show action for Taking Stock at Norfolk on Thursday and will have some sale reports for you on Monday....

Black Welsh Mountain

E O Williams' pair of shearling ewes; res, E O Williams' ram.

 

Bluefaced Leicester

Messrs H W & H M Braddick's ewe lamb.

 

Bleu du Maine

Messrs Norman & Vile's shearling ram; res, Mrs J Bury's senior ram.

 

Charollais

Mrs Jennifer Curtis's ewe; res, Mr G F Burrough's ram.

 

Devon Closewool

Mrs H Marks' shearling ram; res, Mr P A  Dallyn's shearling ewe. 

 

Devon & Cornwall Longwool

J A Darke Ltd's ram; res, J A Darke Ltd's ewe with her lambs.

 

Dorset Down

W D Burrough & Sons Ltd's ram lamb; res, W D Burrough & Sons Ltd's shearling ram.

 

Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset

Mr Rod Dallyn's shearling ewe; res, R & R M Hole's ram lamb.

 

Exmoor Horn

Messrs T  Atkins & Sons' ram; res, Messrs T  Atkins & Sons' yearling ewe.

 

Greyface Dartmoor

Miss Christine Nugent's ewe; res, Mrs S James' yearling ram.

 

Hampshire Down

Mr C J Westlake's pair of ram lambs.

 

Jacob

Dr Jerry Strong's ram; res, J & A Milner's shearling ewe.

 

Lleyn

Mr P J & M Hendy's shearling ewe; res, Mr P J & M Hendy's shearling ewe with twin lambs at foot.

 

Oxford Down

Mrs C J Watson and G C & Grain's ewe; res, Mrs C J Watson and G C & Grain's ram lamb.

 

Ryeland

Mr R P Wear's ewe; res, Mr J (Ifan)E O Lloyd's ram lamb.

 

Scotch Blackface

W J & D M Jordan's ram; res, W J & D M Jordan's yearling ewe.

 

Suffolk

Mr R F Holmes' shearling ewe; res, Mr Phillip Brooks' ram lamb.

 

Texel

Mr C S Pontings' ram; res, Mr A J Carter's shearling ram.

 

Zwartbles

R & V  Grinnall's ram lamb; res, Mr Peter Coombs' ewe.

 

Commercial sheep

Mr Roger Lyons' ewe; res, Steve and Rachel Stamp's ewe. 

The Texel champion, a shearling ewe from the Quick family's Loosebeare flock has just scooped the interbreed championship here at Devon. This one is a Cennwm Magnum daughter out of a dam by Loosebeare Nightrider. She was shown previously as a ewe lamb, taking the first prize at Royal Cornwall last year. She is one of 170 shearling ewes in the Loosebeare flock, which runs to 350 ewes.Reserve overall was the Scottish Blackface champion, an aged tup from John and Robert Jordan, Gidleigh, Dartmoor. This one was bred by Sandy Smith and was bought from Stirling in 2009. The Jordans run 650 Blackie ewes and he was part of the winning interbreed group last year and a daughter stood reserve breed champion to him yesterday.

 

Prices for Blackface rams at Lanark failed to keep up with rates paid last year.

Not even a £65,000 top trade and a string of other five-figure prices could hide the significant drop recorded in the values of ram lambs and shearlings.

Today's 231 ram lambs sold  to average £2,771.41, down £331.56 on 2009 when there were 22 fewer sold.

The shearling average in ring one dropped £184 to £1,694.40 for 343, against 330 in 2009. The ring two average at £360.36 for 280 was down on £80 on the last year when eight more were sold.

Hugh Blackwood and son, Alan, of Auldhouseburn, Cumnock, notched up their best-ever performance, with the £65,000 sale leader  boosting their average for the six they sold to £18,150.

The leader,  a ram lamb by The Roofer and out of a ewe by McTavish, was split four ways. The Blackwoods kept a half, while the rest was shared by John Campbell, of Glenrath, Peebles; Billy Renwick, of the Blackhouse, Yarrow, near Selkirk, and Andy Woodburn, of Netherwood, Muirkirk, Ayrshire.

The Blackwoods were then bid to £20,000 for a lamb by an £8,000 Crossflatt and a out of  ewe by a £30,000 Glenrath. They also retained a half in him.  John Murray, of Crossflatt, Muirkirk, and and Ian and David MacArthur, of Arnicle, Glenbarr, Tarbert, shared the rest.

Auldhouseburn also sold another lamb at £11,000 to Jimmy and Donald MacGregor, of Dyke, Milton of Campsie, near Glasgow, and Willie Dunlop, of Elmscleugh, Innerwick, Dunbar. This one was by a £36,000 Drumgrange and out of a  gimmer by a son of McTavish.

Dyke then sold at £28,000 a Travis-sired lamb  out of a ewe by a £40,000 Nunnerie. Allan Wight, of Midlock, Crawford, Biggar,  the MacArthurs, of Arnicle, and the Blackhouses split him.

Dyke sold another Travis lamb out of a ewe by a £26,000 Glen at £14,000 to the Ramsays, of Milnmark, Dalry, Castle Douglas.

Crossflatt accepted £26,000  for a lamb. He was by a £27,000 Auldhouseburn and out a ewe by a £13,000 Midlock. A quarter stake in him was retained by Crossfalt. Splitting the rest of him were the Blackwoods, the Ramsays,  J. and F. Burns, of Craignell, New Galloway, and I. Bond of Glen Gatehouse, Gatehouse of Fleet.

Mary McCall Smith saw her ram lamb pen from Connachan, Crieff, top at £22,000 for Connachan Cyclone. Midlock bought this  son of Connachan Highland Storm and out of a ewe by a grandson of Connachan Highland Gold.

Archie MacGregor and son, John, of Allanfauld, Kilsyth, received £20,000 for a lamb, by Mad Max and out of a ewe by the Big Yin. The Dunlops and Blackwoods bought a third each, with the MacGregors retaining the remaining the share.

There followed a deal at £18,000 involving the Dunlops, the Blackwoods and  Euan McMillan, of Traquairhill, Innerleithen, Peebles. They bought from Mr Woodburn, of Netherwood, a lamb by a   £27,000 Auldhouseburn and out of a ewe by £7,000 Midlock.

Selling at £18,000 too was a lamb, by a  £26,000 Dalchirla and out of a ewe by a £37,000 Dyke, from Alastair MacArthur, of Nunnerie, Elvanfoot. The Burns, of Clennell, R. and H. Finlay, of Blackcraig, Corsock, Castle Douglas, and Ewen Macmillan, of  Lurg, Fintry, near Glasgow, joined forces to acquire him.

Allan Wight and son, Allan, also received £18,000  for a lamb, by   a £60,000 Nunnerie and out of a ewe by a £40,000 Nunnerie. Mr MacArthur, of Nunnerie, Ms McCall Smith and Ian Hunter, of Dalchirla, Crieff, were the purchasers..

Mr Dunlop and sons, Quintin and William,  recouped their outlay, selling a lamb at £19,000. He was by  a £5,000 Dalwyne and out of a ewe by £20,000 Midlock. Buyers were Malcolm Coubrough, of Whelphill, Crawford, Biggar, and John Hamilton, of Aitkengall, Dunbar.

 

Northern Irish breeders John and Charlie Harkin, of Loughash, Co Tyrone, were bid to  £16,000 for a lamb, by a £6,500 Midlock and out of a ewe by a £42,000 Nunnerie. Purchasers were  David Jackson, of The Pole, Lochgoilhead; Robert McInnes, and Stuart Heads, of Aitkenhead, Fenwick; Donald MacVicar, of Lephinchapel, Strachlachlan, Strachur , and the  Brisbane Glen Estate Co, of Carlung, West Kilbride.

Thursday's shearling trade was topped at £25,000 by Nunnerie with a son of a £20,000 Dyke and a ewe by The Caveman. He went to Glenrath, Midlock and Dalchirla.

Connachan was next at £24,000 with a Jings-sired son that was shared by Graham and Colin McClymont, of Cuil, Newton Stewart, and Sam McClymont, of Tinnis, Yarrow.

There were other Connachan deals at £16,000 and £15,000. Midlock sold too at £16,000, while Dyke's best was £12,000.

Today's Blackface sale at Lanark has got off to a flying start with Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Aulhouseburn, taking bids of £65,000 and £20,000 already for tup lambs.

The top priced lamb sold to three buyers, with a half retained by the Blackwoods. The other buyers are Messrs Campbell, Glenrath, Billy Renwick, and Messrs Woodburn, Netherton.

 Sharing a half of the £20,000 lamb were Messrs Murray, Crossflats, and Messrs MacArthur, Arnickle.

EDITED

Latest news is a brace of five figure sales from the Dunlop family of Elmscleugh. One has gone at £19,000 and the second made £13,000.

Many thanks to my correspondent for the updates, more news to follow....

I've only got a brief report and not photos from the Blackface sale at Newton Stewart I'm afraid, but here's what I have got.

Taking the day's top call at £30,000 was a tup lamb from J and F Burns, Craignell which sold in a four way split. One quarter was retained by Messrs Burns, with the remainder split between J McWhirter, Grimmet, A Paton and Co, Craig Straiton and a Blackwood, Greenside Farm.

Top call in the shearlings was a £10,000 sale for J and A Findlay, Blackcraig, which sold in a two way partnership to Messrs Wilson, Kirkmabreck, and Messrs Drannandow Farms.

Other leading shearling prices included a £9000 sale for one from Messrs McIlwrick, Balmurrie and a £6500 sale for Messrs McClymount, Cuil.

Averages; 363 shearlings £823.33, 122 ram lambs £1394.18 (Craig Wilson).

Blackface breed records were smashed at Dalmally on Saturday. Ian Hunter, of Dalchirla, Muthill, Crieff, Perthshire, broke both of his existing  breed and centre bests as he sold a shearling at £90,000.

His previous best at Dalmally was £76,000 for a shearling in 2002. He had also held since 1997 the breed's all-time high of £85,000 for a ram lamb he bought at Lanark.

He was again the biggest single consignor, with 51 shearlings forward from his much sought-after 1,100-ewe Dalchirla flock. His average was £2889.22. The shearlings and ram lambs from Mr Hunter grossed just short of £190,000.

Mr Hunter told United Auctions' auctioneer George Purves the shearling - his second in the ring  and by a home-bred son of a £28,000 Midlock and out of a ewe by Dalchirla Kingsmill - was the best ram he had ever bred.

The ringside agreed and so began a frenetic round of bidding in which the eventual victors were a three-strong consortium involving  Alasdair Macarthur, of Nunnerie, Elvanfoot, and Allan Wight, of Midlock, Crawford, both Biggar, and Mary McCall Smith, of Connachan, Crieff.

A stoney silence greeted each call. A round of applause was triggered as the gavel fell.

Dalchirla also sold  £6000 from Billy McFarlane, of Drumgrange, Patna, and D Morrison, of Dalwyne, Barr, Girvan, for a shearling by  a home-bred son of a £14,000 Elmscleugh and out of  a ewe by The Fox.

There then followed for Dalchirla a deal at £4,000 for  a son of Dalchirla McKay and a out of ewe by the Fox from R Dixon, of Cowburn, Lockerbie.

Ms McCall Smith's entry topped at £21,000. Paying that  for a shearling by an £800 Finglen and out of a ewe by a son of a £12,000 Midlock were Charlie Phillips, of 12 Cavanreagh Road, Draperstown, and Graham Loughry, of 21 Temain Road, Limavady.

Ewen MacMillan, of Lurg, Fintray, Glasgow, and Messrs McArthur, of Arnicle, Glenbarr, Tarbert, shared at  £6000 from Connachan a shearling son of HD and a ewe by a £3000 Boldarroch.

Connachan sold at £5000 a shearling, by Jings and out of a ewe by Junior, to John McCalmont, of Glenarm, Co Antrim.

Hugh and Alan Blackwood, of Auldhouseburn, Cumnock, had the first shearling in the ring and set the pace of the trade, receiving £5500 for  a son of an £8000 Dyke and out of a ewe by a £17,000 Netherwood.  McLaren and Wood, of West Bracklinn, Callander, were the buyers.

David Jackson, of The Pole, Lochgoilhead, sold five shearlings in excess of £3500.

Best at £5500 - paid by Donald MacVicar, of Lephinchapel, Strachlachlan, Strachur - was  a son of a £1,700 Allanfauld and a ewe by a £2000 Gartel.

Brothers Willie and Ewan Bennie, of Merkins, Alexandria, then paid £5000 to Pole for a son of a £24,000 Dalchirla and out of a ewe by a home-bred sire.

Jimmy MacGregor, of Dyke, Milton of Campsie, and Archie MacGregor, of Allanfauld, Kilsyth, shared another from Pole at £4500. It was by a  £10,000 Elmscleugh and out of a ewe by a £28,000 Midlock.

Another making £4500 from Pole was a son of a £24,000 Dalchirla and a ewe by a £2,000 Dyke. He was bought by Billy Renwick, of Craigdouglas, Yarrow, near Selkirk.

James Duncan Millar, of Remony, Aberfeldy, then bid Pole to £3500 for a  shearling by a £750 Midlock and out of a ewe by a £2000 Dyke.

Allan Wight received £4000 from Tom Nelson, of Glengorm Estate, Mull, for a son of a £1000 Blackhouse and a ewe by a £22,000 Dalchirla. Mr Wight collected  £3800 from the Ronald family, of Keilator, Crianlarich,   for a son of a Big Al and a ewe by a £40,000 Nunnerie.

The MacGregors of Dyke were bid to £3500 for a son of a £32,000 Auchloy and a ewe by a £40,000 Nunnerie. He was shared by Billy Renwick and John Campbell and sons, Ian and Colin, of Glenrath, Peebles.

The was another £3500 call made for a three-shear home-bred ram from the Taylors, of Dall,  which sold to Castles Estate, Hursley, Standon, Winchester.

A Travis-sired shearling that was out of a ewe by High Spec from Dyke made £3200 to the Carruthers, of Silloans, Rochester, Northumberland.

Dalchirla topped the ram lamb trade too. Mr Hunter sold at £13,000 to W  Graham, of Craigdarroch, Sanquhar, Dumfries, and Chirmorrie Farms, of Barrhill, Girvana a son of The Bolt, by a £28,000 Midlock, and a ewe by Kingsmill sire.

Mr Hunter then accepted £7500 for a another son of The Bolt and a Kingsmill ewe. Buyer this time was McInnes, of Greystoneknowe, Kilmnaroch.

Also going at £4500 from Dalchirla was a son of the £44,000 Connachan Highland Storm and a ewe by a Kingsmill. He is headed to Northern Ireland to join the flock of Brendan McAllister, of Glenarm, and who last set a new Northern Ireland record of 25,000gn for a Blackie.

The last of the ram lambs in the big money from Dalchirla was at £3500 for another by The Bolt. Shaw, of Innisaig, Ardfairn, Lochgiphead, bought him.

The Blackwoods secured £6000 for their best ram lamb, by a £12,000 Drumgrange and out of a ewe by a £49,000 Glenrath, from Messrs Burnett, of Rhynaclach, Menteith, Kippen, Stirling.

Doubling up to pay £6000 were John and Charlie Harkin, of Loughash, Co Tyrone, and Alasdair Macarthur, of Nunnerie. They bought a son of a £22,000 Nunnerie and a ewe by a £10,000 Elmscleugh, from  Willie Dunlop and sons, Quintin and William, of Elmscleugh, Innerwick, Dunbar.

Billy McFarlane, of Drumgrange, Patna, sold at £6000 too a son of a £40,000 Dyke and out a ewe by a £4500 Midlock. The Dunlops and David Jackson, of the Pole, split him.

Elmscleugh received £5000 from Allan Wight at Midlock and Mr Macarthur for a son of a £20,000 Midlock and a ewe by £1,100 Dyke

New breeder Fraser Thomson sold at £4500  a son of a £1000 Dalchirla and a ewe that goes back to a £34,000 Dalchirla King Commander. Mr Thomson has 100 ewes at Kellas, Broughty Ferry, Dundee. The Dunlop family were the buyers.

Overall, the average for 572 shearlings was £774, up £42 on last year when 570 were traded. The 195 ram lambs sold to average £830, well up on the £624 achieved for 172 in 2009.

Blackface ram breeders had plenty to cheer about at the first sale of the season at Stirling on Saturday. Averages were well up on the year for the 998 shearlings and ram lambs sold at the combined sale of the bigger framed, longer wooled north-types traditionally sold at Perth and the tighter-fleeced south that have always been traded at Stirling.

Gross takings were £651,422, while the top trade was £13,000 for a ram lamb from father and son Hugh and Alan Blackwood, of Auldhouseburn, Cumnock.

The 179 Perth shearlings averaged £770, up £63 on the year for one more sold. The 48 ram lambs sold to average £599, a £184 a head increase on 2009 when 55 were traded. There was 253 shearlings and 80 ram lambs catalogued.

The average for the 573 Stirling shearlings was £646, against the £529 achieved for 578 in 2009. Stirling ram lambs averaged £589 for 198, against £463 for 193. The catalogue had 766 shearlings and 312 ram rambs entered.

United Auctions' executive chairman David Leggat, who on Saturday was marking 35 years with the firm, said: "It was incredibly obvious from the rostrum that bidding was more pronounced than ever on quality sheep.

"Buyers were clearly willing to go the distance on top sheep for stud use. The commercial end was a bit more difficult, but it was good to see much the same numbers sold as last year at better values."

The Blackwoods run 1500 Blackie ewes and achieved the best deals on their ram lambs. Their sale topper, Black Pearl, was by a £36,000 Drumgrange and out of a ewe by Elmscleugh's McTavish. He was shared by J McWhirter, Grimmet, Dalmellington, and Billy McFarlane, Drumgrange, Patna.

At £6000 they sold a son of a £12,000 Drumgrange out of a ewe by Burnfoot Raptor to Billy Renwick, of Coresbank, Sanquhar, and Angus Kennedy, of Mitchelhill, Biggar.

Mr Renwick paid £4500 for another Auldhouseburn ram lamb, also by the £36,000 Drumgrange, but this time out of a ewe by a home-bred son of McTavish. Mr Renwick acquired again at £3000 from Auldhouseburn.

The best shearling from the Blackwoods made £3800 to Billy MacPherson, Croy, Inverness. Brothers Willie and Ewan Bennie, of Merkins, Alexandria, received the day's second highest price at £10,000 from Alistair McArthur, of Nunnerie, Elvanfoot.

Achieving that was a south-type shearling, by a home-bred son of a £1300 Midlock and a ewe by a £1600 Nunnerie. Merkins traded again at £4500 a Midlock-sired shearling to K Taylor, Dall, Killin.

Matthew Hamilton, of Woolfords, West Lothian, did well with sons of a 10,000gn Conway sire he had on loan from David Baillie, of Calla, Carnwarth, and which was used on just two ewes.

A north-type shearling by the sire and out of a ewe by the Playboy was knocked down at £8000 to Stephen Duncan and son, also Stephen, of Achdregnie, Glenlivet, Banffshire.

A full brother then made £3500 to Paul McEvoy, of Tullaree Road, Kilcoo, Newry, Co Down. Ian Shearer, of Hillhead of Morenish, Glenlivet, paid £2800 for another son of the Conway sire.

Mr Hamilton was then among the leading purchasers, buying at £5500 a home-bred shearling that stood reserve champion in the pre-sale show for Bert Grant, of Glendamph, Glenisla. He acquired another at £2500 from Glendamph, who also sold at £3500 to Tom Paterson, of Craigneich, Crieff.

Craigneich sold at £5500 a shearling, by an East Bracklinn sire and out of a ewe by a £4000 Glendamph, to Mr Grant and Duncan Beaton, of Newmill of Inneshewan.

Achdregnie was bid to £6500 by judge Andy Hunter, of Glenarm, Ballymena, Northern Ireland, for their Perth shearling champion - a home-bred son of a £7500 Achdregnie that led the same show in 2008.

Best among the Perth ram lambs was £3200 from Mr Shearer to Sandy Smith, Haughton, Glenkindie, Aberdeenshire.

Neil and Anne Kydd, of Glenhead, Lintrathen, Angus. sold two sons of The Triplet at each £2100, one to Craigneich and the other to Doldy Farms, Glenisla.

Other leading prices; Perth shearlings: Hillhead of Morenish - £4000 to Calla and £3500 to Doldy; Doldy - £4000 to Cadogan Estates, Auchnacloich; Achdregnie - £3000 to Craigneich and £3000 to Woolfords and Calla.

Perth ram lambs: Newmill of Innishewan - £2000 to Watson, Coleraine; Calla - £1700 to Johnstone, Chamberwells.

Stirling shearlings: McMillan, Lurg - £4000 to Connachan and Plenderleith; Mary McCall Smith, Connachan - £3500 to Lurg and Merkins; MacGregor, Allanfauld - £3500 to Doldy, Southside; McArthur, Arnicle - £3000 to Hogg, Longyester; Campbell, Glenrath - £3000 to Matheson, Aberarder; Kay, Gass - £3000 to Balliemeanoch and Lurg.

Stirling ram lambs: Wight, Midlock - £6000 to Hartside and Elmscleuch, £3000 to Drumnessie, Allanfauld, Burnhead and Crossflat; Dunlop, Elmscleuch - £3500 to Taylor, Braes of Ardeonaig and £3500; Allanfauld - £3500 to Remony.