A phenomenal two-day sale of Blackface rams at Lanark saw four lots break the six-figure barrier and a further 26 hit five-figure prices.
The lamb ram sale on day two, achieved the majority of top prices, selling up to £130,000, with the sale average lifting by just short of £2000 on the year, to £7665 for 156 lots.
Making the day’s lead price, was the pen number one from father and son, Archie and John MacGregor and shepherd David Kinloch, Allanfauld, Kilsyth.
Eclipsing the flock’s previous top of £80,000, this year’s star is sired by a full brother to that £80,000 lamb, a home-bred ram named Strike.
Out of a ewe by a £5500 Elmscleugh – one of 1500 ewes in the flock – he was knocked down in a two-way split to Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk, and Alastair and David MacArthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot.
The MacArthurs had a day to remember themselves, selling their Nunnerie consignment to a top of £125,000 – their best price to-date.
Their leader, sired by the £80,000 Allanfauld, which they bought last year, is out of a ewe by a £30,000 Midlock. He sold to a consortium of three buyers – the Dunlops at Elmscleugh, Dunbar; John Murray, Crossflatt, Muirkirk; and Paul Coulson, High Staward, Hexham.
Trade also peaked at six-figures on the shearling ram sale day, with the Wight family from Midlock, Crawford, receiving £100,000 for their pen number one, a son of £45,000 Nunnerie, out of a ewe by £24,000 Connachan, which sold to Nunnerie, Glenrath and Ian Hunter, Dalchirla, Crieff, with the Wights keeping a quarter share.
Three shearlings hit the £40,000 mark, with one from the Campbells’ Glenrath flock selling at that money to Dalchirla and Nunnerie. He is by the £100,000 Nunnerie, bought in 2019.
Jimmy and Donald MacGregor continued their successful year with sheep from their Dyke flock, selling to a top of £40,000 for a son of a £17,000 Midlock. He went in a two-way split to Midlock and Dalchirla.
The other at £40,000, was one from Burncastle Farming, Lauder, managed by Alan Rogerson. Sired by £42,000 Glenrath, that one sold to the Pates at Moorfoot, Gorebridge, and Alan McClymont, Kirkstead, Yarrow.
Prior to receiving their big lamb trade, Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, sold their best shearling, named the Bandicoot, at £32,000, to Burncastle, buying along with Sam McClymont, Tinnis, and Billy Renwick, Blackhouse, both Yarrow.
Overall, 236 shearling rams in ring one sold to average £3487.92 (+£331.83 for two fewer sold), while 129 shearling rams in ring two averaged £495.40 (+£6 for three more sold).