Trade peaked at 10,000gns at the Blackface Sheep Breeders’ Association’s annual show and sale of in-lamb females at Lanark.
A strong demand saw 87% of the entries find buyers, with the sale’s export eligibility allowing several to head across the water to Northern Ireland purchasers.
The 17 ewes averaged £2,646.62 and the 39 gimmers levelled at £1,478.08, with an overall average of £1,832.81 for the 56 head.
Sale topper at 10,000gns, came from Eoin Blackwood’s Muirkirk-based Dalblair flock.
A one-crop ewe, sired by a home-bred ram named The Bodyguard, out of a ewe by £52,000 Crossflatt, this one sold carrying twins to the £85,000 Dalblair ram which was sold last October with a share retained.
She sold to Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk.
From the same pen, another one-crop ewe by The Bodyguard and due twins to £85,000 Dalblair, sold at 6,500gns to Brian and Christopher Curran’s Glackmore flock in Culmore, Co Derry.
Strabane-based John and Patrick Harkin, received a top of 8,800gns for a two-crop ewe from their Loughash flock.
Sired by £30,000 Loughash, this one is out of a ewe by £24,000 Elmscleugh and sold due twins to £20,000 Auldhouseburn, to joint buyers David Morrison, Dalwyne, Barr, Girvan and Veronica Fullerton, Draperstown.
Hugh and Alan Blackwood’s Auldhouseburn gimmers, from Muirkirk, were amongst the top sellers, with a daughter of £30,000 McCurdy, carrying a single to £160,000 Dyke, making 4,500gns to J McCurdy, Broughshane, Ballymena.
At 4,000gns, another by the same sire and carrying twins to £38,000 Merkland, sold to Charlie and Cathal Harkin, The Rock, Strabane.
The Rock flock also had a successful sale, with their gimmer, by a ram named Top Secret, selling at 4,200gns to E Fraser, Balgowan, Laggan, Newtonmore, while another gimmer, by £21,000 Dalchirla, sold at 2,500gns to Oliver and Sean Brannigan, Glenbeg, Dungannon.
Archie and John MacGregor’s Allanfauld consignment, from Kilsyth, topped at 3,800gns for a gimmer by son of £3,500 Dalchirla, due with a single lamb to £65,000 Crossflatt.
She sold to D McMullan, Maghera, Co Derry.
Other gimmers from Allanfauld, by £30,000 McCurdy, made 2,500gns to I McLarty, Little Port, St Fillans, Crieff, and 2,000gns to Finlay Robertson, The Beeches, West Calder.
Reserve champion at the pre-sale show, judged by Nunnerie shepherd Craig Thornborrow, was a gimmer from Ewen Macmillan, Lurg, Fintry.
Sired by £10,000 Loughash and due with twins having been served by £13,000 Greenside, she sold at 3,000gns to D Roberts, Heol Las, Penderyn.
Robert Cockburn, Hill of Errol, Perthshire, sold to a top of 2,200gns for a gimmer by £20,000 Orchilmore, to K McAleer, Pomeroy, Dungannon.
Meanwhile, Mr Cockburn’s pre-sale champion , a gimmer by £26,000 Dalchirla, scanned with twins to £24,000 Dyke, made 2,000gns to E Fraser, Balgowan, Laggan.
The Aberuchill consignment, brought out by Craig Paterson at Comrie, sold to 2,100gns, for a one-crop ewe by £22,000 Auldhouseburn, carrying twins.
She went to Neil and Stuart Barclay’s Harestone flock at Insch.
The Aberuchill team donated the proceeds of their pen number three, a gimmer by £14,000 Crossflatt, to Cancer Research UK, in memory of two employees of the estate, who sadly lost their battle with cancer.
She made 1,000gns to Allan MacGillivray, Archaracle, Argyll.
The first prize ewe at the pre-sale show, a two-crop from Derek Brown and Ben Cluckie’s Waterhead flock, made 2,000gns to Andrew Walker, Cramie, Glen Prosen.