Carlisle Texels top 14,000gns

It was certainly a case of “like father like son” last weekend as Texel breeders quickly moved into top gear at Carlisle and produced a top bid of 14,000gns for a son of Cowal Maverick who last year made the same price at the breed’s main Scottish fixture.

The Solway and Tyne Texel Breeders Club’s show and sale at Borderway Mart was a great pipe-opener to the belated start of the main tup buying season and put good sires from leading flocks up for grabs – despite being ahead of the premier gathering at Lanark.

Willie Knox, from those great sheep breeding acres of Aberdeenshire, came south with a smart pen of ram lambs including the eventual sale topper Haddo Neptune.

His sire achieved a flock-best last year for brothers Keith, Allan and Roy Campbell when he was snapped up at 14,000gns by Mr Knox; his first son on offer here at Carlisle sufficiently impressed judge Steve Smith from Welshpool to take the reserve championship.

Out of a ewe by Craighead Hercules, Neptune goes to the Doncaster-based Heyworth Lodge flock owned by Jennifer Lodge.Jim and Helen Clark’s flock of 160 Texel ewes at Lesmahagow produced the day’s champion in Garngour Nixon – a son of the 22,000gns Tamnamoney Lynbrook. This ram lamb is out of a ewe by the good producer Clynnog Joe Tex and was another bound for Yorkshire to join P Cartman’s flock at Skipton at 12,000gns.

And another of the day’s best calls came for flock-mate Garngour Neptune who realised 6000gns in a two-way split between D and S MacPherson, Berwick-on-Tweed and F Murray, Wooler, Northumberland. This lamb is by Craighead Islander and out of a ewe by Ettrick High Jinks.

The day’s second 12,000gns call came late in the day from Banff, Aberdeenshire breeder Graham Morrison to secure Combs Valley Nistleroy. The highest price sheep bred by Penrith, Cumbria breeder Jim Sharratt, Nistelroy is by Glenside Minstrel – who is a son of the prolific sire Castlecairn Keltic Star – and out of a ewe by Greenwood Invincible.

Another split deal saw Karen Wight – of the Midlock flock at Biggar and G A Gibson and Co, Galston, Ayrshire – pay 10,000gns for Castle Douglas breeders Douganhill Farms’ Douganhill Monarch. This shearling ram is a son of the successful sire Glenside King II and out of a ewe by Hull House Hanky Panky; he won a strong class on the day.

And there were more rich pickings for the Douganhill connections when their ram lamb Douganhill Navahoe sold to leading Aberdeenshire breeder Margaret Lyon. She paid 8500gns for this son of Milnbank Jersey Dudeck.

Females reached 3600gns when Graham Morrison bought a shearling ewe from the Knock flock of Albert Howie. She was by Glenside Loneranger – a son of Watchknowe Jimmy’s Pride.

Averages: 212 shearling rams £507; 243 ram lambs £675; 108 shearling gimmers £274. (Harrison and Hetherington).