Dingwall and Highland Marts’ annual show and sale of Cheviot Mule gimmers coincided with an opening sale of breeding sheep.
The Easter Ross event attracted a large crowd from far and wide.
It featured the sale of 2,475 breeding sheep and all classes of lambs, as well as Lewis livestock.
This year saw gimmer judging in the hands of well-known stockwoman Jan Hamilton.
Dingwall Mart reported a “fine” array of pens of 20 gimmers forward, with the champion pen awarded to local stalwarts Willie and Heather Stewart, of Newmore.
Champion pen hat-trick
Last year’s three-prize pen of 20 ewe lambs, bred by Messrs Bradley, of Tillyminate, Gartly, Aberdeenshire, went on to realise £270 per head to Mr Munro, of Pitkerrie Farm, near Tain, who was making it a hat-trick of champion pen purchases.
Meanwhile, Willie and Heather were unable to take too long to bask in the glory of another gimmer championship as they had agreed to judge the ewe lamb section.
They are both longstanding supporters and patrons of Dingwall Mart, having been involved right from the start of its Cheviot Mule sheep venture.
‘Fantastic’ ewe lambs
The mart also reported a “fantastic” entry of 12 pens of 20 ewe lambs for judges to cast their expert eye over.
It was the first pen they saw that proved to be the one to beat, with Messrs Bradley, of Tillyminate, going all the way to secure their first championship in Dingwall.
Fierce competition
Their winning lambs beat off some fierce competition along the way.
Judges described them as a ” pen oozing class in every department” before buying them for £235 in a frenzy of bidding.
Tillyminate’s team saw their whole consignment of ewe lambs level at £202 per head.
The mart hailed the overall standard of Cheviot Mule sheep on offer as fantastic, with the quality “getting better year-on-year and are a real credit to the vendors’ hard work”.
Meanwhile, the mart said Aberdeenshire “raiders” and top stockmen W&J Brown, Hilton of Culsh, New Deer, “stormed the castle” for a second consecutive year.
They brought “21 of the finest Texel cross gimmers to have ever graced our arena,” it added.
‘Style, body and superb skins’
The mart’s spokesperson continued: “Style, body and superb skins were the three main traits. Bids flew from all corners, however, it was the Kinnahaird crew away up in the gods who were victorious in their quest.
“Not only purchasing the first pen for £310, they gobbled up the second pen of 21 for £300. The same stable ended their day’s trading with their two pens of Beltex cross gimmers cashing in at £265 and £250 to level at £292.”
Topping the Scottish mule gimmers was Sandy Douglas, of Achnamoine, near Halkirk in Caithness, as his Caithness consignment cashed in at £215 to Rhindhu Farms, of Glenlivet.
Scottish mule ewe lambs were topped by first time consigners Glenavon Estate from the hills near Tomintoul. These lambs were described by the mart as a “superb” pen, with “colours to die for”. They cashed in at £165 to Messrs Grant, Upper Blairnain, Aberlour.
Show results
- Cheviot Mule gimmers: 1 WA & HV Stewart, 1 Newmore, Muir of Ord £270 2 GF Job, Blackwood Holdings, Nairn £240 3 WA & HV Stewart, 1 Newmore, Muir of Ord £255
- Cheviot Mule ewe lambs: 1 F Bradley, Tillyminate, Fraserburgh £235 2 R Mackenzie, Glebe of Deisher, Boat of Garten £182 3 Gaich Farms, Lower Gaich, Dulnain Bridge £212
Sale highlights
- Cheviot mule gimmers (245) averaged £220 and sold to £270 gross from 1 Newmore, Muir of Ord
- Other breed gimmers (644) averaged £144.05 and sold to £310 gross for Texel crosses from Hilton of Culsh, New Deer
- Cheviot mule ewes (25) averaged £100 and sold to £120 gross from East Cowbeg Farm, Fraserburgh
- Other breed ewes (289) averaged £99.89 and sold to £170 gross for a Bluefaced Leicester from Bella Croft, Arabella
- Cheviot mule ewe lambs (797) averaged £146.21 and sold to £235 from Tillyminate Farm, Gartly
- Other breed ewe lambs (329) averaged £109.02 and sold to £220 gross for a Blue Texel from Inverbay, Lower Arboll
- Feeding ewes (35) sold to £140 gross for a Texel cross from Chapelton Farm, Muir of Ord
- Rams (four) sold to £400 gross for a Blue Texel from Bella Croft, Arabella.
- Store lambs (107) averaged £92.57 and sold to £133 gross for a pair of crosses from Easter Glackton, Gollanfield
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