Suffolk ram sells for 36,000gns at Stirling

BY JEREMY HUNT

The Barbour family’s Solwaybank flock continued its run of success with a top price of 36,000gns at the Suffolk society’s two day fixture at Stirling.

There was also a steady trade for good quality pedigree tups bound for commercial flocks on a day that saw 146 ram lambs average £1871, with a 76% clearance rate.

Topping the trade was an impressive ram lamb from the Solwaybank pen of Annan-based brother and sister partnership of Iain and Judith Barbour that created the day’s fiercest competition.

Their son of Solwaybank Skyfall – himself a son of the top producing Rhaeadr Rastafari – earned the day’s top price of 36,000gns which was a new record price for the flock. Out of a ewe by Baileys Bugatti, he goes back to Glenisla Grimaldi on his dam’s side. Buyer was Gary Beacom who takes the ram back to his flock in Northern Ireland. The lamb stood third in his class at the pre-sale show.

A man who has so often savoured some of the richest pickings from this sale with sheep from his renowned Cairness flock is Aberdeenshire’s ace breeder Jimmy Douglas. And once again he was among the headline prices earning the day’s second highest bid of 21,000gns. The bid came for a lamb by the home-bred sire Cairness Diamond Jubilee and out of a ewe by Cairness New Approach who is a full sister to the 8000gns sire Baileys BMW. This line goes back to Rhaeadr Rossi.

The Cairness lamb was split four ways and will be shared by Ross Lawrence (Devon) Geoff Biddulph (Cheshire) Chris Holmes (Worcestershire) and Robin Irwin (Devon).

Last year’s winner of the reserve championship at this sale was Lakeview Gold Rush who sold for 7000gns and this year one of his sons consigned by George and Melvin Stuart from their Birness flock sold for 15,000gns. Out of a ewe by Rhaeadr Flash Harry and tracing back to Cairness Bondi, the lamb goes in a three-way split between the Collessie (Ronnie Black) Pyeston (Stuart Lathangie) and Harpercroft (Mrs R Goldie) flocks.

Another fancied lamb from the Cairness pen realised 10,000gns. By Cairness Xfactor and out of a ewe by Burnview Olympic Gold that was bought at the dispersal of Robbie Scott’s flock, he goes jointly to work in Jim Fleming’s Hallhill flock and John Christie’s Westcarse flock.

Dennis Taylor’s first lamb in from his Ballynacanon pen made 7,500gns. This son of the 12,000gns Birness Bacardi was reserve male champion at the Northern Ireland championships earlier in the year. He’s an ET-bred lamb out of a ewe by Strathisla Shadrach. Buyers were George and Melvin Stuart.

An early day spate of keen bidding settled at 5,500gns when Myfyr Evans sold the first from his Rhaeadr pen. By the 90,000gns breed record holder Ardlea Arbennig, the lamb is out of a ewe by Broomknowes Kelso The Best and his grand-dam – a Cairness First Flight daughter – is a former Royal Welsh Show champion. He joins the Deveronside flock of the Mair family at Turriff.

The bid was matched by a lamb from Dennis Taylor’s Ballynacanon pen  – full brother to his 7,500gns lamb – and was sold the sale judge Myfyr Evans.

The Solwaybank pen produced another lamb at 5,000gns. Also by Skyfall, he’s out of a Glenhead Morangie ewe and is from the same family as the 36,000gns sale topper. Stephen and Colm Govin and G Killilea will share the ram in their Coolmeen and Carragh flocks respectively.

A 4,800gns call from Fife flockmaster Ronnie Black secured the ram lamb from Mark Priestley’s Limestone flock that had taken the overall championship. By Rhaeadr Ringading and out of a ewe by Kings Theatre, he’d stood first prize ram lamb and reserve overall at Balmoral in May.

Northern Ireland flocks fared well with a lamb from Alistair Gault selling at 4,000gns. By Birness Bacardi he’s out of a Cairness Kanine daughter that was All Ireland native breed champion as a gimmer in 2011. Buyer was Mike Davies, Powys.

Robbie Wilson’s Strathisla flock also achieved a best of 4,000gns for a son of Forkins Figo out of a ewe by Strathbeg Stan The Man. This ewe is sister to the 25,000gns Strathisla Speedson that stood champion at the Royal Highland and at the Edinburgh sale in 2008. Buyers were R and J More, Caithness.

The pre-sale show’s elite commercial ram lamb class was led by a son of Strathisla Stifler out of a ewe by Cairness Time Bomb. Consigned by Graeme Christie it goes to Herefordshire with Messrs Farr.

Average: 146 lambs £1871

(United Auctions).