Tup sale season got underway at Lanark yesterday when Lawrie and Symington hosted the Suffolk Sheep Society’s Scottish show and sale.
Of the 164 ram lambs forward, 144 sold to new homes to average £2,634.11 with five gimmers levelling at £1,732.50.
Iain and Judith Barbour’s Annan-based Solwaybank flock proved popular, selling to 40,000gns, 25,000gns and 6,000gns.
Dearest of the day was an embryo bred from the same family as the 5,000gns Solwaybank Sapphire 2, which bred the 44,000gns Ballinatone Show Stopper.
Ram lambs average £2,634.11
He is bred from a Crewelands Carolus dam, and by Limestone Online.
The buyer was Charlie Boden of the Sportsmans flock, Cheshire.
Next best from Solwaybank at 25,000gns was another bred exactly the same way, which was knocked down to Philip Poole, Beaconsfield Farm, Shropshire.
The other Solwaybank lamb by Limestone Online, made 6,000gns to the USA with MacCauley Suffolks.
Achieving the second top price of the day at 30,000gns was a lamb from Lilia Hutchinson and her father Richard of the Howgillfoot flock, Kirkby Stephen.
Howgillfoot achieves second top at 30,000gns
This one is an embryo bred from a Frongoy Rocket dam, and by Pyeston Real Deal.
He sold across the water with Darragh McMenamin for his Mullinvale flock, Co Donegal.
Young breeder Finn Christie of the Maidenstone flock at Newton of Balquhain, Inverurie, produced the reserve overall champion as well as the female champion.
Selling for 15,000gns, was his embryo tup lamb bred out of a Howgillfoot Sniper ewe which stood champion at the Highland Show in 2023.
By Castleisle Blackadder, he sold back to Aberdeenshire with Jim Innes for his Strathbogie flock at Huntly.
Young breeder lands reserve and female honours
Finn’s female winner, an embryo bred from a Crewelands Kingpin dam, and by Pyeston Prince, made 4,200gns to Islay with N McDonald.
She is a full sister to the second prize gimmer at this year’s Highland Show and a maternal sister to the last year’s breed champion.
On the other side of the coin, Jim Innes’ Strathbogie consignment, which was last to go through the ring, topped at 10,000gns.
His best was an embryo son of Rempstone Gambler, bred from a Crewelands Kingpin dam, which granddam was Highland Show champion in 2018.
He sold to Stephen Cobbald, Acton, Suffolk.
Jeremy and Bennie Sharp of the Sharps flock from Worcester sold lambs at 10,000gns, 6,200gns and 5,000gns.
Dearest, when sold to Gordon Mackie of the Drimmie flock, Forfar, was an embryo bred out of a Strathbogie A Kind of Magic dam, and by Sportsmans Striker.
Steven Buckley’s Sitlow flock from Derbyshire, topped at 6,000gns for a lamb sold in a two-way split to the Black family, Collessie, Fife, and Helen Goldie, Harpercroft, Kilmarnock.
This was a son of Redbrae Russo, out of a Roundacre Big Bang dam – a female line which regularly produces rams for the Lanark pen.
Melvin Stuart, Birness, Ellon; Craig Paterson, Cranorskie, Huntly; and Stewart Lathangie, Pyeston, Glenrothes, went to 7,000gns between them for a Claycrop lamb by Ballynacannon Iron Mike, from James Wallace, Newton Stewart.
Birness and Pyeston also paid 5,800gns for a Forkins lamb by Shannagh All Star from Alastair Gault, Co Antrim.
Pat Machray and son Rory’s Middlemuir flock from Inverurie, peaked at 6,200gns for one by Salopian Zoolander, when sold in a three-way split to Gavin Brown, Springfield, Penicuik; Thomas Darling, Ladyflat, Duns; and E Wilkie, Lockerbie.
Dearest from the Birness pen was 5,500gns for a son of Crewelands Megastar which sold all the way to Cornwall with Brandon Roth, Sea View Farm.
Aberdeenshire breeders buy new stock rams
Senga Barron, Findowrie, Brechin, paid 4,500gns for another from the Forkins flock, while Finlay Hunter, Insch; Ali Jackson, Annan; and the Blacks, Collessie, went to 4,200gns for one from Claycrop.
Glenrothes breeder Stewart Craft, Lakeview, topped at 4,500gns for a lamb sold in a two-way split to Birness and Cranorskie.
The overall champion from Myfyr Evans, Rhaeadr flock, Wales, was unsold.
