Blackface females from Eoin and Kirstyn Blackwood, Dalblair, Muirkirk, proved the star attraction at the breed society’s in-lamb sale at Lanark, producing two of the top three highest prices at 10,000gns and 6500gns.

The brother and sister duo alongside father Jim, who run a 500 stud ewe flock, topped the trade with a one-crop ewe by the Bodyguard, a home-bred son of a £28,000 Auldhouseburn, out of a ewe by the £52,000 Crossflatt. She sold carrying a pair of lambs to the £85,000 Dalblair lamb sold last year at Lanark to Dyke, of which a half share was retained, to near neighbours, Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk.

Dalblair’s No 2, another one-crop ewew by the same sire and carrying two lambs by the £85,000 lamb, made 6500gns selling to Brian and Christopher Curran, who run 300 ewes in their Glackmore flock from Culmore, Co Derry, Northern Ireland.

Second top price was 8800gns paid for a two-crop ewe from John and Patrick Harkin, Loughash, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Their entry, by the £30,000 Loughash lamb sold at Lanark in 2019, is bred from a ewe by a £24,000 Elmscleugh. Flushed before the sale, she sold due with a pair of lambs to the £20,000 Auldhouseburn, to David Morrison, Dalwyne, Barr, Girvan and Veronica and Patrick Fullerton, Draperstown, Northern Ireland, jointly.

Latest Business News:

Northern Ireland breeders also bought the top two from Auldhouseburn at 4500gns and 4000gns. Dearest was the pen’s No 2, a gimmer by the 30,000gns McCurdy of which a share was bought at Ballymena, in 2020, in partnership with Allanfauld and Crossflatt. Bred from a ewe by the £160,000 Elmscleugh which is a full sister to the dam of the £18,000 Auldhouseburn gimmer, she sold carrying a single to last year’s £160,000 Dyke lamb. Buying back some of his own genetics, she sold to James McCurdy, Broughshane, Northern Ireland.

The first gimmer, which is similarly bred, with the dam being a full sister to the £21,000 Auldhouseburn, changed hands carrying twins to the £38,000 Merkland lamb, to Charlie and Cathal Harkin, The Rock, Loughash, Co Tyrone.

More than financing that transaction, The Rock sold their pen leader for 4200gns to Ewan Fraser, Balgowan, Laggan, Newtonmore. The breeding behind this gimmer includes the home-bred sire Top Secret – a son of a £35,000 Auldhouseburn that was sold privately to Damien McSwiggan – onto a ewe by the £24,000 Elmscleugh. She sold scanned for twins to the 12,000gns Glenbeg bought last year at Ballymena, to Oliver and Sean Brannigan of the Glenbeg flock, Galbally, Dungannon.

Father and son duo, Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth, had a good day selling four females to average £2520. Dearest here at 3800gns was a gimmer by a home-bred son of a £3500 Dalchirla, out of a ewe by the £100,000 Elmscleugh. She was purchased by David McMullan, Maghera, Co Derry, carrying a single lamb to the £65,000 Crossflatt, a shared tup bought last year.

Allanfauld also took 2500gns from Iain McLarty, Little Port, Lochearnhead, for a gimmer by the same 30,000gns McCurdy, but bred from a ewe by Pogba, a home-bred son of a £35,000 Dalchirla, retained for breeding. She sold due to the £55,000 Dyke shearling of which a share was bought last year at Dalmally, and carrying two lambs.

Finlay Robertson, The Beeches, Crosswoodhill, West Calder, bought the first gimmer from the MacGregors at 2000gns. Another by the McCurdy tup, but bred from a ewe by a £32,000 Midlock, she sold due with a single lamb by the £16,000 Blackhouse lamb bought last year. Her full brothers have sold to £10,000 and £6500.

The reserve champion from Ewen Macmillan, Lurg, Fintry, made 3000gns selling to Welsh breeder, D Roberts, Heol Las, Penderyn, Aberdare. This was the second prize gimmer to the champion, a daughter of a £10,000 Loughash, out of a ewe by a £22,000 Dalchirla and sold carrying twins to the £13,000 Greenside.

Judge, Craig Thornborrow, found his champion in a gimmer from Robert Cockburn, Hill of Errol, Perth, which made 2000gns also selling to Ewan Fraser, Ballagan. Her pedigree features a £26,000 Dalchirla lamb onto a ewe by a £12,000 Crossflatt and she sold served to the £24,000 Dyke.

Superseding that price at 2200gns, Hill of Errol sold his fourth prize gimmer to Northern Ireland breeder, Kevin McAleer, Pomeroy, Dungannon. She is by a £20,000 Orchilmore lamb, bred from a ewe by a son of the £12,000 Crossflatt, and sold carrying twins to a £5000 Crossflatt.

Top price for the Aberuchill flock from Comrie, managed by Craig Paterson, was 2100gns paid for a one-crop ewe by a £22,000 Auldhouseburn that sold served due with a pair of lambs to a £12,000 Connachan. Neil and Stuart Barclay, Harestone, Insch, were the final bidders on this entry bred from a ewe by a £12,000 Nunnerie.

Aberuchill also sold a gimmer by a £14,000 Crossflatt and due with a single to a home-bred son of a £4000 Midlock, for 1000gns in aid of Cancer Research UK. The buyer was Allan MacGillivray, Acharacle, Argyll.

The first prize ewe from Derek Brown and Ben Cluckie’s Lanarkshire-based Waterhead flock, made 2000gns when knocked down to Andrew Walker, Crammie, Glenprosen. She is by a £6000 Elmscleugh and bred from a Troloss ewe by a son of a £40,000 Dalchirla. She sold carrying a single lamb by a £3200 Dalchirla.

Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington.

Averages: 17 aged ewes, £2646.62; 39 gimmers, £1478.08. Overall, 56 head, £1832.81 (-£66.55 for 18 less).