There were unprecedented scenes at Carlisle’s Borderway Mart yesterday with just standing room left in the sales ring for the dispersal sale of one of the UK’s top Suffolk sheep flocks.
Hundreds crammed into the mart from across the British Isles and Europe to secure a share of the Strathisla flock established in 1991 by Robbie Wilson, of North Dorlaithers, Turriff. It has been at the forefront of the breed since and yesterday that placing was confirmed with the sheep grossing in excess of £265,000.
Mr Wilson has won the breed’s supreme flock award – the Bristol Gold Cup – on five occasions and taken the Suffolk breed championship at the Royal Highland Show three times. Three of the rams he has bred have also won the breed’s sire of the year award.
His top-priced rams include Strathisla Dylan Thomas at 48,000gn, Strathisla Red McGregor at 28,000gn, Strathisla Scorpion at 25,000gn and Strathisla Speedson at 25,000gn. Females from Strathisla have sold to 12,000gn.
Mr Wilson has dispersed the Suffolks so he can concentrate on developing the Milnbank Texel flock he acquired from the late Margaret Lyon, of Turriff.
Strathisla’s foundation Suffolk females were all from the Glenisla flock run by Mr Wilson’s late brother, Gordon, who died aged 42 from a heart attack. The 12th anniversary of his death is today. Mr Wilson said it had been a great sale, but a day tinged with a degree of sadness.
Topping the sale at 10,000gn was a 2010 ewe by the 12,000gn Glenhead Golden Phoenix and out of a Strathisla Schumacher dam. She is carrying twins to Ballynacanon Big Den. Mr Wilson said she was one of the best ewes he had bred, and was the mother of this year’s Royal Highland Show reserve Suffolk champion. She was bought by Irish breeder Joe Stewart.
At 8,200gn was a 2009 Schumacher-sired ewe out of a Glenhead McCoy dam. She is carrying twins to Big Den too and is a embryo transfer sister to Dylan Thomas as well as the dam of rams which have sold for 9,000gn, 3,500gn, 3,200gn and 2,800gn. Her daughters have traded to 4,500gn. She was knocked down to Robbie Scott, of Cornhill, who is thought to have been buying on behalf of James Innes, of Dunscroft, Huntly.
Northern Irish breeder S. Sufferin, of 36 Crew Road, Maghera, paid 6,200gn for the top-priced gimmer, a daughter of the 23,000gn Rookery Rooney and out of a Lakeview Leeroy dam. She is carrying twins to Strathisla Spielberg.
Best among the ewe lambs at 5,000gn was one by the 12,000gn Strathisla Stifler and out of the 8,200gn ewe. R. and S. Hiddleston, of Rigghead, Irongray, Dumfries, acquired her.
Devon breeder M.J. Cornish, of Buckfastleigh, paid 4,500gn for a ewe lamb sired by Forkins Figo and out of a ewe by Strathbeg Stan The man.
Another ewe lamb, by Strathisla Stifler and out also out of the 8,200gn ewe, went at 4,500gn to a Welshman.
Belgian breeder Claude Vanwignsberghe forked out 8,200gn for two. He paid 4,200gn for a Rooney-sired gimmer out of a Meikleson Impression ewe. The gimmer, an embryo sister to the 10,000gn Strathisla Stone, is carrying twins to the 18,000gn Rhaeadr Ring-A-Ding, a son of the 90,000gn Ardlea Arbenning. Mr Vanwijnsberghe also bought at 4,000gn a gimmer, which was an embryo transfer sister to the 28,000gn Red McGregor. The Rooney-sired gimmer is out of a ewe by Lakeview Leeroy and carrying twins to Big Den.
Bryden Nicholson, of Garth, Mossbank, Shetland, paid 3,800gn for a much-fancied gimmer, by Rooney and out of a ewe by Schumacher. She is carrying a single to Big Den and won a second at the Royal Highland as well as standing breed champion and reserve interbreed at Turriff.
Another ewe lamb by Stifler and out of a Schumacher ewe made 3,800gn to an Irish breeder.
Mr Innes paid 3,500gn for a Stifler-sired ewe lamb out of a Glenhead Golden Phoenix ewe.
There were other ewes at 3,300gn, 3,200gn and a ewe lamb at 3,000gn.
ANM Group chief executive Patrick Machray who with his wife, Heather, and son, Rory, run the Middlemuir pedigree flock at Bilboa, Daviot, Inverurie, paid 3,000gn for a Stifler-sired ewe lamb out of a Schumacher ewe.
Averages at the sale conducted by Harrison and Hetherington were: 47 ewes at £1,853.81; 61 gimmers at £1,600.82 and 61 ewe lambs at £1,259.83.