A new centre record for a Beltex has been set at Lanark, with a ram lamb selling to an Aberdeenshire sheep farmer for 21,000gns (£22,050).
It eclipsed the previous breed record of 7,800gns at Lanark.
Faughhill Kealey is a February-born lamb from Grant Maxwell’s 60-ewe flock at Melrose.
It is now joining Alan Miller’s flock at Midmar, between Inverurie and Banchory.
Impressive pedigree
Mr Miller’s new ram was declared champion at Thursday’s Beltex Scotland show.
It boasts an impressive pedigree as the son of the 11,000gns Kingledores Godzilla.
And the dam is the home-bred Faughill Full Swing, by the 8000gns Faughill Elephant in the Room.
Meanwhile, full ET (embryo transfer) brothers of the prize-winning lamb have sold for up to 9000gns.
Millers sold another ram lamb, bringing in 10,000gns
Mr Miller and his daughter, Ellie, had earlier received 10,000gns for their best, Lurg Knockout, a ram lamb sired by the 14,000gns Pager Jackpot, bought at Carlisle last year. The dam is the 11,000gns Buckles Gem, a daughter of Buckles Dark Dawn.
Brought out by Finn Christie, of Newton of Balquhain, near Inverurie, Lurg Knockout was male champion at the Scottish National show at Echt, in July.
It was sold to a trio of buyers from England.
What are Beltex?
Beltex arrived in the UK from Belgium in 1989.
The Beltex Sheep Society’s website says: “With their double-muscle traits they brought a totally new dimension to British lamb production.
“Results of the combined efforts of science and stockmanship can be seen today in the superb conformation and gigots (legs) -which are the Beltex trademark.”
The first Beltex rams imported into the UK were named Lotar van het Korenhof and Mistral. They were chosen for their outstanding “conformation” (muscular development) and used extensively in the breed in the early years.
Mary Dunlop and John McIlwraith established the first Beltex flocks in Scotland.
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