Texel stock tups top at 14,000gns in Lanark fixture
Texel stock tups top at 14,000gns in Lanark fixture
By Jeremy Hunt
PEDIGREE breeders competed vigorously for stock tups during almost 10 hours of selling and produced a top price of 14,000gns at the Texel Sheep Societys Lanark sale.
But confidence was not restricted to the big spenders. Commercial lamb producers were paying £300-£500 for sires on a day described as "fantastic" by auctioneer Brian Ross.
"Considering the current problems of the sheep industry it was very encouraging to see the trade well above vendors expectations. There were plenty of buyers for commercial tups at £250-£300 and even up to £500," said Mr Ross.
In the pre-sale judging at the two-day fixture it was a ram lamb from Jim and Helen Clarks flock at Lesmahagow that collected the reserve championship ticket after being beaten by a lamb from Robert Forsyths Baltier pen.
But ringsiders favoured the runner-up and biding soon broke the five-figure barrier to settle at 14,000gns. The call came from a three-way buying partnership comprising Alan Cullen, Carluke (Craighead), Robert and Tom Laird, Biggar (Cambwell) and David McCall, Arncroach.
The top priced lamb, Garngour Field Marshall, is a twin-born son of Garngour Elite and out of a Glenside Clear Cut ewe.
The champion lamb was Baltier Flagship from Mr Forsyths flock in Wigtownshire. He is by the 33,000gns Muiresk Blondin and out of a Collielaw Victor ewe and realised 3500gns to the Marquis of Northampton, Castle Ashby.
Lancashire breeder David Houghton from Bury achieved last years top price of 22,000gns with a lamb from his Tophill flock. This season he joined with Lancastrians Mick and Jean Gould, now well established in Shropshire, to pay 11,000gns for Baltier Freddie.
The first lamb from the Hull House pen of Yorkshireman John Mellin put him back among the high prices when it realised 9500gns to Jim Neil, Castle Douglas (Boreland), Douganhill Farms, Castle Douglas and Bob Osborne, Dumfries (Durisdeer).
Hull House Fisticuffs is by Donaghadee Extra Gold and out of a 5000gns Noresk ewe.
Best for John Forsyths entries from his flock at Maybole, Ayrshire was a 9000gns call from a trio of Aberdeenshire breeders (Lawrie and Symington).
Willie Knox (Haddo), Mrs Margaret Lyon (Milnbank) and Kenny and Bruce Mair (Muiresk).
They purchased the breeders namesake Glenside Forsyth, a lamb by Culterallers Exocet and bred out of a ewe by Blondin. The lamb was reserve champion on its only outing at Ayr Show.
Willie Knox went alone to pay 8000gns for Muiresk Forever, a well-bred lamb from the Mairs sired by Annan Diadem and out of a ewe that is full sister to the noted sire Baltier Winston and has already produced a 10,000gns son.
Invading the main price list usually dominated by ram lambs was a 7500gns call for the champion female. The bid came from Mrs Laine Daff, Renfrewshire for a Blondin-sired gimmer – the female champion – from John Forsyths Glenside consignment.
Stonebridge Fantastic, winner of the ram lamb class at the Great Yorkshire Show and also the reserve male champion, sold to Jim Neil (Boreland) and Tommy MacTaggart, Auchencairn, (Rascarrel) for 6000gns.
There were three ram lambs at 5200gns: Mid-Wales breeder Brian Joseph (Waen) secured an Anan Braveheart son from Keith Jamieson; Northern Ireland flock owners John Currie, Robert Kennedy and Robert Robinson bought a Milnbank Estate son from the Glenside pen and Keith Jamieson (Annan) and Mrs Caroline Hastings (Courthill), made a shared investment in a Watchknowe lamb from Jim Warnock.
Averages: 424 ram lambs £780; 57 shearling rams £401; 31 ewe lambs £128 and 128 gimmer shearlings £312. .