Suffolks met a red hot trade at the breed’s Scottish area show and sale in Stirling.
United Auctions (UA) sold 136 sheep to a record sale average for the breed of £2,841.87 – up £722.87 on the year before.
UA managing director, George Purves, hailed a good show of sheep with plenty “breeders’ sheep” and said buyers were “prepared to go all the way”.
A total of nine five-figure sums were achieved with a top price of 40,000gn paid for the overall champion from the pre-sale show as judged by Ron Grieg of South Tillydesk, Udny.
This was a January-born ram lamb from Northern Irish breeder Mark Priestley’s Limestone flock.
An ET son of Strathbogie A Kind of Magic, and out of a home-bred ewe by Castleisle Knockout which sold for 5,500gn, he sold to Irish breeder Andrew Wilson for his Castleisle flock.
Next best at 30,000gn was a ram lamb from father and son duo George and Melvin Stuart’s Birness flock at Milltown of Birness, Ellon.
By the jointly owned 9,500gn Limestone Legacy and out of a dam by Lakeview Gold Rush, he sold to Northern Irish breeder Stephen Sufferin.
Melvin Stuart said this was the highest price the flock had ever achieved.
Another Birness entry – this time a ram lamb by the 3,800gn Crewelands Megastar – sold for 10,000gn in a two-way split to Devon.
Other leading prices included 24,000gn for another Limestone Legacy son from Stewart Lathangie’s Pyeston flock at Glenrothes, Fife.
He was male and reserve overall champion at the Fife and West Fife Shows and sold to SW Cobbald, Acton Hall, Suffolk.
Thereafter 22,000gn was paid for a Strathbogie A Kind of Magic son, out of a Castleisle Knockout daughter, from Jim Innes’ Strathbogie flock at Dunscroft, Huntly.
He sold in a three-way split to the Fife breeder Stewart Craft, Annan breeders Iain and Judith Barbour, and to the Delves family in Wales.
Meanwhile, 20,000gn was paid twice.
First at this price was an entry from Jimmy Douglas’ Cairness flock at Woodhead of Cairness, Fraserburgh.
By Cairness Agent and out of a dam by Cloontagh Chieftain, he sold to WH Sinnet & Son, Stockton with Mr Douglas retaining a quarter share.
The other at 20,000gn was a Mullaghboy Goliath son, out of a dam by Cariness Liam, from Northern Irish breeder Alastair Gault’s Forkins flock.
He sold in a three-way split to the Strathbogie, Limestone and Middlemuir flocks.
Young breeder Finn Christie had success selling his first lamb at the sale when an entry from his Maidenstone flock.
By the 6,000gn Lakeview Under the Radar, he sold for 600gn to N Moir, The Rectory, Cairness, Lonmay, Fraserburgh.
Top prices for local breeders included: 700gn twice for father and son duo Pat and Rory Machray’s Middlemuir flock at Bilboa, Inverurie; 400gn twice for first-time seller David Moir’s Moirs flock at Home Farm, Cairness, Fraserburgh; 4,200gn for Graeme Christie’s Balquhain flock at Newton of Balquhain, Inverurie; 750gn for John Gibb’s Cairnton flock at Cairnton, Techmuiry, Fraserburgh; 350gn twice for Stewart Duncan’s Pennan flock at Jacobshall, Gamrie, Banff; 650gn for Craig Paterson’s Cranorskie flock at Cranna Bridge, Aberchirder; 2,800gn for James Young’s Muirton flock at Muirton, Alford; and 600gn for Ronald Greig’s Tillydesk flock at South Tillydesk, Ellon.