North-east breeder Stasa Moyse achieved the top price in the ram section at the annual show and sale of Blue Texels at Carlisle.
Ms Moyse runs the Saltire flock at Wool Hillock, Skene, Aberdeenshire.
Auctioneers Harrison and Hetherington put the hammer down at 1,200gn for Ms Moyse’s shearling ram Saltire Blue Avitar.
An ET son of Foxhill Yogie, out of an imported ewe, he sold to the Campbell family’s Craigalbert flock at Ballantrae, Girvan.
Ms Moyse also achieved 800gn for another shearling by Foxhill Yogie – Saltire Blue Adrenaline, which was overall any other breed champion at the Turriff Show. He sold to S. McConnell, Gass Farm, Glenluce, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire. In the ram lamb section, Ms Moyse sold two lots for 800gn.
First at this price was February-born Saltire Blue Bulldozer, by the 3,300gn Hackney Your Joking. He sold to Lynn Brierley, Dixton Farm, Cumnock.
The other – March-born Saltire Blue Barack Obama, also by Hackney Your Joking – sold to P. Gentry, Thorn Lodge, Carlton Road, Brant, Broughton, Lincs.
The second best male price of 1,000gn was also paid for an entry from the north-east, which was crowned overall champion in the pre-sale show.
This was a February-born ram lamb, by Saltire Blue Yogi and out of Corra, from Neil Barclay’s Harestone flock at South Road, Insch. He sold to C.C. and S. Edwards, Freehold Farm, Norbury, Bishops Castle, Shropshire.
Meanwhile, W.J. and M Hunter, of West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Insch, sold to a top of 700gn. Their sale topper was February-2017 born ram lamb Hunters Boyo, by Dulas Axe and out of Glan-Y-Mor. He sold to D. and J. Alexander, Millside Frm, Galston, Ayrshire.
Meanwhile, in the female section a top price of 2,000gn was paid for a gimmer named Sunnybank American Beauty from Henry Jewitt, Gracie’s Farm, Romaldkirk, Durham. This ET daughter of Heckney Xcel, out of a Gregors dam, sold to G. and H. Forsyth, Corra Farm, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire.
Next best in the females at 1,400gn was a gimmer from Ms Moyse’s Saltire.Saltire Blue Angel Eyes – an ET daughter of Beili Blues Peter and out of an imported ewe – sold to M.S.H. Benson, Horrace Farm, Pennington, Ulverston, Cumbria.
Ms Moyse also achieved 1,000gn for a gimmer, by the same sire, named Saltire Blue Angelica. She sold to A.D. Bishop, Pitfield Farm, Eldersfield, Gloucester. The Aberdeenshire breeder then went on to pay 1,100gn for the reserve female champion – January-born ewe lamb Pen-Y-Bec Bethan from Herefordshire breeder Glyndwrd Arrowsmith.
Averages were: 21 shearling rams £419.75; 34 ram lambs £383.25; 49 shearling ewes £509.61; 13 ewe lambs £428.08; and seven ewes £406.50.