International buyers were among those snapping up sheep at the Summer Sizzlers online timed auction of pedigree sheep.
The sale, which was staged on June 6-8 by Harrison and Hetherington, attracted buyers from Italy, Spain, Portugal and all corners of the UK and Ireland.
A range of breeds were on offer including Suffolk, Texel, Blue Texel and Charollais.
The Suffolk sale topped at £5,300 for a gimmer from Northern Ireland breeder Mark Priestley’s Limestone flock.
By Castleisle Alabama and out of a Summerhill dam, which is a maternal sister to the dam of a 40,000gn Aston, she sold to Messrs Mosca in Italy.
Other leading prices for Suffolks included £3,100 for a gimmer from Fife breeder Stewart Lathangie’s Pyeston flock. By the 9,500gn Limestone Legacy and out of a home-bred dam, she sold to Messrs Cueto Muniz, Urbies Suffolks, Spain.
The Ingram family, which runs the Logie Durno flock at Pitcaple, Inverurie, sold Suffolks to £2,950. This was for a gimmer by Sandyknowe Tweed 18-1, out of a home-bred dam. She sold to Messrs Turner, Newtown, Powys.
The Ingrams also topped the Charollais section with a gimmer at £3,100. By Springhill Untouchable and out of a home-bred dam by Logie Durno Jackpot, she sold to Messrs Roberts, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
Texels and Blue Texels
Meanwhile, Texels topped at £5,100 for a gimmer from Turriff breeder Robbie Wilson’s Milnbank flock based at North Dorlaithers Farm.
By the 15,000gn Knock Yardsman and out of a dam by the £60,000 Strathbogie Yes Sir, she sold to Messrs O’Donnell, Buncrana, Donegal, Ireland.
Next best in the Texels at £4,100 was a February-born ewe lamb from Errol breeder Robert Cockburn’s Errol flock. By the 17,000gn Sportsmans Cannonball, and out of a dam by Procters Yankee, she sold to Messrs Evans, Hope Valley, Shrewsbury.
In the Blue Texels section, Aberdeenshire breeder Stasa Moyse led the charge selling to a top of £3,950 for a pair of lambs from her Saltire Blues flock.
The lambs – a ewe lamb named Saltire Blue Flawless and a ram lamb named Saltire Blue Fearless – are embryo transfer lambs of Caryl’s Blue Captain, out of Saltire Blue A Beauty. They sold to Messrs Scott, Holm, Orkney.
The Barclays, who run the Harestone flock at Insch, paid the next best price of £3,050 for a February-born ewe lamb from the Beili Blues flock in Wales. She is another embryo-bred daughter of Caryl’s Blue Captain, this time out of Beili Blues dam.
Averages: Blue Texel, 16, £1,766.88; Suffolk, 21, £1,665.24; Texel, 27, £1,577.41; and Charollais, 10, £1,515.