Claybury Texels hit 8500gns for ewe lamb

“The best Texel ewe lamb I have ever seen,” – that was how auctioneer Brian Ross described an outstanding ewe lamb by Garngour Nijinski that made 8500gns – a breed record price for a ewe lamb – when Hannah and James Draper staged a major reduction from their Claybury flock at Shrewsbury last weekend.

A big crowd of committed breeders created an electric trade throughout the day producing tremendous averages in all sections. Among the highest was £1971 for 12 ewe lambs and £1029 for 24 one-crop ewes.

The record breaker, which joins the Devernvale flock of Graham Morrison at Inchbruich, Banff, Aberdeenshire, impressed for size, shape and character. She is out of a ewe by Glenside Lord of the Ring and from one of the flock’s best families.

And the ringside stayed in spending mood for the next lot when a ewe lamb made 4200gns to Charlie Boden of the Cheshire-based Sportsman’s flock of Boden and Davies. This daughter of the 7000gns Garngour Maestro is also out of a Lord of the Ring ewe. And another Maestro ewe lamb out of a Humeston Juniper dam was bought by Mrs E Young at 2600gns.

Bidders wasted no time moving into top gear and a 4000gns call for the second lot in the ring secured an in-lamb gimmer for an undisclosed Eire-based flock. The gimmer – which is in-lamb to the 6000gns Millar’s Olympian – is by Maestro and out of a Muiresk Forever ewe. The same buyer also gave 2000gns for a gimmer by Lord of the Ring and in-lamb to Olympian.

Best of the one-crop ewes was a Lord of the Ring daughter out of a Humeston Juniper dam and in-lamb to Olympian. Buyer was Willie Ingram for his Logie Durno flock at Inverurie. He matched the bid to claim another gimmer by Lord of the Ring and in-lamb (AI) to Claybury Falcon who made 6000gns when he was champion at the 1999 National sale.

Two-crop ewes reached 2000gns when C Gauld took one by Haddo Kenny that has already bred a Royal Show prize winner. This ewe was in-lamb to the Humeston tup. And making an early venture into Texels was Sudbury, Suffolk-based Suffolk breeder Steven Cobbold. He gave 2000gns for a three-crop ewe by Humeston Juniper and in-lamb to Claybury Falcon.

Averages: 12 ewe lambs £1971; 39 gimmers £778; 24 on-crop ewes £1029; 12 two-crop ewes £867; 19 three-crop ewes £878; six four-crop ewes £572 and four older ewes £876. (Lawrie and Symington with Halls)