Cheviot rams peak at £14,000 at Lockerbie

A large contingency of buyers descended on Lockerbie Market, determined not to go home empty handed, when Cheviot Hill rams went under the hammer this week.

A heady demand from the ringside saw averages boosted by £120 on the year, with a clearance of over 90%.

Leading trade with a top call of £14,000 was local vendor Mr T Halliday with his Stirkfield Tam son. He was bought by Messrs J Robertson and Son, Langholm.

The Robertson family also bought the day’s second dearest tup and overall champion, with a bid of £10,000. This Stirkfield Senator son is from WN Douglas’ Catslackburn flock, Selkirk.

Also among the leading prices was I H G Warden, Hawick, who commanded £8,000 when selling his reserve champion – an ARR/ARQ genotype son of Stirkfield Quest. He stays locally with Langholm Farms, Cooms.

Stirkfield Farms, Biggar received the same money not long after.  With breeding from this well established flock proving so potent, it took little convincing for the Halliday team to invest in another Stirkfield sire; adding a Kale Bistro son to their Springwells prefix.

Going through the ring at £7,500 was lot 30, from Cnewr Estates, Sennybridge.  The ARQ/ARQ genotype one-shear now joins the Biggar-based Stirkfield flock.

At the same money was lot 137 from the Becks flock of Messrs Robertson, Langholm.  Sired by Stirkfield Top Tip, he was knocked down in a half-share to Cnewr Estates, Brecon for the Sennybridge Flock and DJM Lloyd, Brecon.  The Becks pen also sold to £5,000 on two occasions; for lots 118 and 119, two Mainside Starburst-sired one-shears, which were purchased by Cnewr Estates and Mr W N Douglas of the Yarrow-based Catslackburn Flock respectively.

Averages: 183 one-shear rams, £947.65; 104 two-shear rams, £729.32.