Lanark Blackface rams top at £50,000

MICHAEL PRIESTLEY

Trade topped at £50,000 at Lanark’s annual two day Blackface ram sale, with a total of 25 rams achieving five figures.

Overall averages held up well despite poor prime lamb trade, with the standout lamb from John Murray, Crossflatt, Muirkirk, making £50,000. He was bought jointly by Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk, and Paul Coulson, High Staward, Hexham.

Crossflat also achieved one of the lead flock averages, selling seven at £12,529, with other lambs at £10,000 and £9,000.

Second highest ram lamb made £34,000. This one was from John and Archie MacGregor’s Allanfauld flock, Kilsyth, and is by a home-bred son of £25,000 The Beast. He sold in a three-way split to Willie Dunlop, Elmscleugh, Dunbar; Jack and Sheila Kay, Hartside, Lammermuir and Jimmy and Donald MacGregor, Dyke, Milton of Campsie. The MacGregor’s pen of four cashed in at £14,800, with £13,000 and £10,000 other notable prices.

Shearlings topped at £36,000, led by an offering from the Wights, Midlock. The Wight pen of 12 shearlings averaged £6571, including rams at £22,000, £20,000 and £15,000.

Grabbing attention for the Wights was a shearling ram by £12,000 Aitkenhead, purchased by Alastair and David Macarthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot and Ian Hunter, Dalchirla, Crieff.

Jimmy and Donald MacGregor, Dyke made £21,000 for a shearling by £11,000 Aitkenhead, to Malcolm Coubrough and son Malcolm, Whelphill and Hartside, Crawford, Biggar, topping a pen of 14 shearlings levelling at £5979.

Father and son team, Jimmy and Donald MacGregor, Dyke, were also in the money on both days selling 14 shearlings at £5979 and five lambs at £7100. They also sold six at five figures and to a top of £21,000 for a shearling by an £11,000 Aitkenhead, bought by Malcolm Coubrough and son Malcolm, Whelphill and Hartside, Crawford, Biggar.

A personal best was achieved by Alan McClymont, Kirkstead, Yarrow when Graham and Colin McClymont, Cuil, Newton Stewart, bid to £21,000 for a shearling by £19,000 Craigdarroch.

Averages: Day one, 270 shearlings, £1910.19 (up £8.70 on the year); 267 shearlings (ring 2): £377.53 (up £100 on the year). (Lawrie and Symington)