Suffolk females to 11,000gns at Carlisle

In-lamb Suffolk ewes met a fierce trade at Carlisle last week when drafts from Jimmy Douglas’ Cairness flock, Roger and Michael Weaver’s Perrinpiit flock and the dispersal of Willie and Annie Hutcheon’s Evandale flock came under the hammer.

Leading the way was one of the breed’s biggest spenders in recent years, Belgium-based breeder Claude Vanwijnsberge, buying for his Meirie flock. Mr Vanwijnsberge, a scrap metal dealer paid the day’s best price of 11,000gns for a Muiresk King of Diamonds daughter which goes back to a ewe lamb bought for 11,000gns from the late Gordon Wilson’s Glenisla flock. This one sold in lamb to Cairness Cold Play.

Next best call of 3500gns again came for a shearling from Mr Douglas’ draft, this time a Thurston Chieftan daughter which goes back on its maternal side to the great breeding Pankymoor Prelude and is in lamb to Glenagh Gregan. Buyer of this one was Fetterangus, Aberdeenshire-based breeder D Cranston.

Following on swiftly behind was a bid of 3000gns from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland-based Gary Beacom for a Langside Lightening sired shearling ewe from Cairness. This one, whose grand dam is an ET sister to 20,000gns sire Cairness Capello sold in lamb to Cairness Cold Play.

A 2002-born ewe took the next best price of 2000gns when E Williams, Penmynydd, Llanfair, bought a Cairness Cellnett daughter which was flushed earlier in the summer and sold in lamb to Glenagh Gregan.

Also trading at that money was a Glenhead Grandmaster daughter from Cairness which bred one of the flock’s top tup lambs this year which was sold privately. Bought by an undisclosed buyer, this one is in-lamb to Whitestone Warrior.

Another Chieftan daughter sold at the next best money, with Nan Moir paying 1800gns for a grand daughter of renowned sire Stockton Storm. This one is a daughter of a 9500gns Laurelbank dam and sold in lamb to Cairness Cold Play.

And Cairness breeding was to the fore among the Evandale dispersal when a Cairness Destiny sired one lamb ewe secured to top price of 1800gns. With a back pedigree including Muiresk Master Craftsman and Laurelbank Flashman, this one is in lamb to Glenhead Glenmorangie, this one’s dam was breed champion at the Royal Highland in 2005. This one went home with A Sked, Kilnford Croft, Dumfries.

And it was this ewe’s dam which was the second top among the Evandale females when selling at 1300gns. Mr Sked was the buyer of this one too.

Among the Perrinpit entry the best call was a brace of 550gns bids. First up at this money was a Strathisla Rock of McCoy daughter out of a ewe by Solwaybank Ranger. Sold in lamb to Deveronside Dynamo, this one went to Aiden Collins, Co Clare, Eire. And an Irish buyer took the second one at this price, a Solwaybank Ranger daughter out of a Glenho Galaxy sired dam. Again in-lamb to Dynamo, this one went to F O’Shea, Co Kerry.