Lanark Texel sale preview

After the excitement caused by the world record price achieved at last year’s Lanark Texel sale for Deveronvale Perfection, I suspect this year’s sale may be a little less newsworthy – at least outside of the agricultural press anyway.

However, looking through the catalogue there are some interesting tups entered. As last year I’m going to restrict this preview to the tup lambs only as this is where most of the big money will be spent.

The first pen to catch my eye is the Rascarrel entry from Thomas MacTaggart, which features lambs by a number of sires, including 14,000gns Clougher President from last year’s Lanark sale. Also here are a pair by Kerryhill Oliver, a Brague Nixon son, so there’s potential in this pen.

Next up in my pick are the Drumpark lambs from the Scotts, these include sons of Kelso Oxygen, sire of Deveronvale Perfection and also 12,000gns Drumpark President for the Scotts last year. Interesting here too is a maternal brother to President by Forkins Powerpacker.

Then comes the offering from the Reid family. First up are Grace and Hugh Reid, with a brace of tup lambs by Kelso Prostar (the lamb passed unsold at 45,000gns last year) and out of a dam bred by Neil and Emma Pamplin and bought at last year’s Worcester sale for 4000gns.

In Malcolm Reid’s pen are lambs by Mellor Vale Officer and Officer son Prostar, as well as those by Kelso Pot Luck, a Douganhill McFly son, Malcolm’s first lamb in the ring is a full brother to last year’s 40,000gns lamb Kelso Pavarotti.

David, Isla and Lisa Gray have a lamb of note, being by Knock Papoose,this year’s shearling tup leader from the Royal Highland, he sells witha massive index of 409.

Following that comes John Forsyth’s pen from Glenside, this onecontains a host of possible stars with every lamb by 9000gns sireStrathbogie Python. Dam lines here include John’s great show ewe Lulu.

The Sportsman’s pen can’t pass unnoticed either with lambs by BaltierPanther, this year’s Yorkshire Show champion and out of dams byAnglezarke Nimrod and Ettrick Mighty Mouse. And the Mellor Vale entrycontains an interesting lamb in the form of Mellor Vale Rival, a son of14,000gns Clougher President out of the dam which is full sister toMellor Vale Masterpiece.

And the Howie’s Knock lambs could be worthy of a look, with some hereby 14,000gns Garngour Playboy, including the second lamb in KnockRonick which is out of the dam of Knock Oregano and countless othernoteworthy lambs.

In the Ettrick pen of Gordon Gray are more lambs by Papoose, includingthe first lamb is which is out of Teiglum Nevada sired dam which ismaternal sister to last year’s first prize shearling ewe at theHighland. This one has an index of 378.

I’ll also be interested to see how the Procters entry gets on, withsome money spent on females last year. A variety of sires play theirpart here, with Kerryhill Oliver and Castlecairn Prince both siringlambs in the pen.

Later through the book are the Garngour lambs from the Clark family.Included here is a maternal brother to Garngour Nixon, Nijinsky,Notorious, Odyessy and Pioneer sired by Procters Playboy, as well as alamb by Teiglum Outlaw which is out of a Hexus Lexus sired dam and isET brother to this year’s second prize ewe lamb from the Royal Highland.

Northern Irish breeders will hope to have their journey rewarded, withMartin and Cyril Millar bringing out lambs by a number of sires,including Sandleford Premier, a private buy last year, and KelsoPresident. Dam lines in this pen include the dam of Millar’sOutstanding and Mellor Vale Masterpiece sired dams.

Also coming across the water are lambs from the Tamnamoney flock andthe Forkins and Cherryvale flocks, all of which should offer some finelambs. In the Forkins pen of Alistair Gault is a lamb by Mullan Playboyout of a full sister to 28,000gns tup Forkins Nijinsky, while both theCherryvale and Forkins pens feature ET bred lambs by Palyboy out of aCastlecairn Kennedy sired dam. The Cherryvale lamb of this breeding wasmale champion at Balmoral earlier this year.

Later on is the Milnbank pen from Margaret Lyon, having sold the flockto Robbie Wilson Margaret has retained the tup lambs for Lanark andCarlisle. Her final Lanark offering features a lamb by Millar’sOutstanding out of a maternal sister to 13,000gns Milnbank Lyon King.

And the comes the Deveronvale pen home of last year’s world recordmaker. And included by Graham Morrison is a full ET brother toPerfection, as well as a maternal brother to him by Bradleys Pure Gold.

Speaking of 220,000gns Perfection, it is interesting to note that JimmyDouglas’ Cairness pen which comes late in the sale only features lambsby the world record sire. It will be interesting to see how these do,although I have heard a rumour of one Perfection lamb having alreadybeen sold for a six figure sum, although I’ve seen nothing tosubstantiate this.

And that concludes the preview, as always I’m quite sure I’ll havemissed something which you will have picked out, so feel free to pointout those you think will be the money makers.