A Texel gimmer from the Auldhouseburn flock sold for the top price of 5,500gns at the Longtown Ladies sale on Monday evening when purchased by a new Aberdeenshire breeder.
The annual sale, held at C and D Auction Marts’ Longtown Mart, attracted consignments from leading Texel flocks and saw huge interest from throughout the UK.
More than 30 sheep sold at 1,000gns or above, with 113 gimmers averaging £936.00 and 30 ewe hoggs cashing in at £796.00.
Longtown Ladies sale leader
Sale leader at 5,500gns, when selling up to Banchory, with Nicola Howie from Cairnton Farm, was Hugh and Alan Blackwood’s gimmer by Sportsmans Double Diamond, from their well-known flock at Muirkirk, Ayrshire.
Bred out of a Rhaeadr Best of The Best dam, she sold scanned with a single to Auldhouseburn Finbars Fury.
The same flock sold another Sportsmans Double Diamond gimmer for 3,400 to Paul Swindell, Northern Ireland.
Aberdeenshire breeder Kenny Pratt of the Hilltop flock, Peterculter, stood overall champion with a gimmer when tapped out by judge Caroline Orr of the Halbeath flock, Dunfermline.
This was a gimmer by Knock Dalwhinnie, out of a Sportsmans Benchmark dam.
She sold in-lamb to the 22,000gns Plasucha Fireball, and was bought by the judge.
Mr Pratt also sold another at 2,000gns.
Second top prize
The second top price of the evening came from the Usk Vale Pedigrees in Wales, when they sold a Teiglum Cinnamon gimmer for 4,500gns to W Thomas, Wales.
Another in-lamb gimmer from the home, this time a daughter of Sportsmans Chieftain, made 3,400gns to Barry Farrell, County Meath.
First-time consignors Bruce Renwick and family from Legars Farm, Kelso, topped at 4,500gns for a Sportsmans Dirty Harry gimmer, in lamb to Haymount Foremost.
She was knocked down to Jonny Cubbitt, Ballymena.
Robert Cockburn’s Knap consignment from Crieff, sold to 3,800gns for a daughter of Sportsmans Deal Breaker, when purchased by A Hambleton, Merkland, Thornhill.
His pen cashed in at £1,875.
Scottish breeders Gordon and David Gray of the Ettrick flock, Selkirk, received 2,200gns for a gimmer sold to Messrs Wilkinson, as did Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, when knocked down to Messrs Ellis, Wales.
Charlotte and James Nicholson’s Knockem entire gimmer offering from Duns, topped at 2,000gns, to the Douglas family, Catslackburn, Yarrow.
Michael Turner’s Okehall flock, Staffordshire, topped the ewe hoggs at 2,000gns, and stood reserve overall champion with a ewe hogg by Glenside Drum Major.
Bred out of a Strathbogie Boombastic dam, she sold for 1,200gns to Biggar, with Robert Laird of the Cambwell flock.