Records were smashed at the North Country Cheviot sale at Quoybrae in Caithness when a shearling ram from the Campbell family’s Bardnaclavan flock from Thurso sold for £11,000.
Bardnaclavan Cooper by Cairnside Action Man was the pre-sale show champion and was bought by R & N Barclay, Hare-stone, Banchory, and Stewie Sleigh, Wells Flock, Fyvie.
Cooper beat the £9,500 centre record which had only been set hours earlier in the day by J & J Smith, Upper Cornquoy, Holm, for Upper Cornquoy Classic by Durran Ace which sold to Andrew Polson, Smerlie, Roadside.
The reserve champion was a shearling, Biggins Classis by Upper Cornquoy Athletic from James S Biggins, Killimster, Wick, which sold for £5,000 to D & E Waugh, Effgill, Westerkirk.
The Campbells also sold Bardnaclavan Challenger for £5,000 to J S Baillie & Son, Sebay, Tankerness, followed by Mr Smith’s Upper Cornquoy Cosmopolitan, which sold for £3,500.
A total of 85 rams sold to average £1,282.56 (+£160.13) against £1,122.43 for 74 last year, four ram lambs averaged £683.33 (N/C) and four gimmers to average £681.66 (+£243.34).
Leading flock averages: Bardnaclavan top price £11,000 average £2,350 for 10 (£1,775 for 10 last year); Sebay Farm £2,500 average £1,075 for (£1,518.75 for 8)Roadside; Smerlie £2,800 average £1,212.50 for 4 (£1.458.33 for 6); Longoe Farm £ 2,200 average £1116.66 for 6 (£1,400 for 8); Biggins £1,500 average £766.66 for 6 (£1150 for 10); Achscrabster £2,600 average £955.55 for 9 (£936 for 5); Upper Cornquoy £9,500 averaged £2528.57 for 7; Oldfield Farm £750 average £516 for 3 (£900 for 1); Boultach £1,000 average £725 for 4 (£800 for 2); Cairnside £1,100 average £800 for 6 (£700 for 3); Garson Farms £850 average £850 for one.
Gimmers sold to £2,000 from D N Campbell & Sons to M Thomas, Knowle Farm, New Radnor.
Prize List
Ram Lamb: 1 C & I Angus, Oldfield, Thurso, 2. Garson Farms, Garson, Orkney, 3 C & I Angus, Oldfield, Thurso, 4 R & K Sutherland, Hilliclay, Thurso.
Shearling Ram: 1 D N Campbell & Sons, Bardnaclavan, Westfield, 2 J & W Mackay, Biggins, Killimster, 3 J Mackay, Henderson Square, Watten, 4 A G Simpson, Cairnside, Watten, 5 A Polson, Roadside, Smerlie, 6 J S Baillie & Co, Sebay.
Group of three Shearling Rams – D N Campbell & Sons, Bardnaclavan, Westfield, 2 J & J Smith, Upper Cornquoy, Orkney, 3 Messrs H Mill, Achscrabster, Thurso, 4 The Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust, Longoe Farm, Mey, 5 A G Simpson, Cairnside, Watten.
Females: 1. R & K Sutherland, Hilliclay, Thurso, 2 D N Campbell & Sons, Bardnaclavan, Westfield, 3 R & K Sutherland, Hilliclay, Thurso, 4 R & K Sutherland, Hilliclay, 5 R & K Sutherland, Hilliclay.
Group of five shearling Rams 1 J & W Mackay, Biggins, 2 D N Campbell & Sons, Bardnaclavan, 3 Messrs H Mill, Achscrabster, Thurso
Overall Group – D N Campbell & Sons, Bardnaclavan, reserve J & W Mackay, Biggins.