Lanark Blackface hit 60,000gns top call
The trade for Blackface rams at Lanark was exceptional, with ram lambs selling to £60,000 and shearlings £40,000.
The ram lambs saw no fewer than 20 five-figure prices, all of which helped lift the average by £1,013.06 to £3,102.97 for 209, against 234 last year.
The shearlings were similarly strong. Ring one prices rose £493.93 to £1,878,76 for 330, 67 more than 2008. Ring two was up £77.88 at £440.28 for 288, compared to 296.
Alastair MacArthur, of Nunnerie, Elvanfoot, was the sale topper in the ram lamb ring, where he achieved a personal best of £60,000 for a son of a £20,000 Midlock and a ewe by a £49,000 Glenrath.
He was shared three ways by Willie Dunlop and sons, Quintin and William, of Elmscleugh, Dunbar; John Campbell and sons, Ian and Colin, of Glenrath, Peebles, and Allan Wight and son, Allan, of Midlock, Crawford, Biggar.
Going at £36,000 was a son of the Black Magic – last year’s £42,000 Lanark sale topper – and out of a ewe by a £16,000 Harkin from from Billy McFarlane and sons, Alfie and Joe, of Drumgrange,
The Blackwoods had a very strong pen and drew admiring glances all day. They sold to £27,000 and also had two at £11,000.
Their leader was by an £8000 Crossflatt and out of a ewe by a £47,000 Dalchirla. He was shared by John Murray, of Crossflatt, and Andy Woodburn, of Netherwood, and Sanny Blackwood, Greenside, all Muirkirk; and Iain and David MacArthur, of Arnicle, Campbeltown.
Mary McCall Smith, Connachan, Crieff, then sold two sons of Jings – a grandson of the Dalchirla Crackpot – at £26,000 each.
The first, from a ewe by a £42,000 Midlock, went three ways to Jake and Robert Aitken, of Overton, Fintry, Glasgow; Andrew Kay, of The Gass, Straiton, and Jimmy MacGregor and son, Donald, of The Dyke, Milton of Campsie., Glasgow.
The second, from a ewe by a £10,000 Dalchirla, was bought by Ian Hunter, of Dalchirla, Muthill, Crieff.
Mr MacArthur, who has 1500 ewes, also sold at £22,000 a lamb by an £8000 Dyke and out of a ewe by a £37,000 Dyke. The Dunlops bought him.
The Dunlops sold to £18,000 a lamb, by a £20,000 Midlock and out of a ewe by a £37,000 Dalchirla. Buyers were Allan Wight and son, Allan, Ms McCall Smith and Michael Wood, Shawsknowe, Straiton. Elmscleugh received £14,000 for another.
The other five-figure deals saw Midlock sell at £15,000 and £10,000; Loughash at £13,000;. Allanfauld, Netherwood and Drumgrange at £12,000 each, and Dyke and Nunnerie at £10,000.
The MacGregors, of Dyke, achieved their best ever price of £40,000 among the shearlings for a son of Travis and a Hi Spec ewe. The shearling – champion at Doune and Dunblane Show -was bought by the McFarlanes, of Drumgrange.
The Wights, of Midlock, followed at £34,000 for a son of a £5000 Glenrath and a ewe by a £19,000 Dalchirla. The
Allan Wight then sold at £22,000 a shearling from his Grains flock at Midlock. This one – by Magners, off a £40,000 Nunnerie, and out of a Tango ewe – went to Billy Ramsay and sons, Wilson, Jim and Colin, of Milnmark, Castle Douglas, and Will Barrie, of Cambret, Creetown.
Conachan’s pen topper – a shearling by HD, who is by Centurion, and out of a Viking ewe – was bid to £22,000 by Ian Hunter, of Dalchirla; Ewen Macmillan, of The Lurg, Fintry, Glasgow, and Graham McClymont and son Colin, of Cuil, Newton Stewart.
Elmscleugh received £22,00 too for The Roofer, a shearling by a £10,000 Elmscleugh and out of a ewe by a £31,000 Milnmark, from a consortium involving Arnicle, Auldhouseburn, Greenside, John and Iain Finlay, of Blackcraig, Corsock, Castle Douglas, and John and Charlie Harkin, Loughash, They bought the Roofer – so-called because he likes to jump on roofs.
Other five-figure shearling deals included Dyke at £16,000, Glenrath at £14,000, Loughash at £11,000 and Nunnerie at £10,000.