Averages improved on the year at the North Country Cheviot ram sale at Lairg on Monday, albeit for fewer sold.
Topping the sale at £14,000 was the two-shear ram, Attonburn Cocaine, from Robert and Becca Rennie’s flock, Bowmount Farming, Kelso. A son of Badanloch Wildfire, which was bought out of Dingwall for £5000 and has already bred a £9000 ram at Lockerbie, his dam goes back to Newbank Vintage. Cocaine was sold to Ted Fox, St John’s Kirk, Symington, Lanarkshire.
His twin brother Attonburn Crackhead made £11,000 when selling to Coul Estates, Crathie Lodge, Laggan.
Mr Fox was back in the buyer’s seat at £11,000 for the two-shear ram, Mowhaugh Centurian, again from Robert and Becca Rennie. He is sired by Attonburn Achilles, which has since sold to Raehills for £3500.
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The No 2 in the same pen reached £5500, when Mowhaugh Constricter, a two-shear ram by the £10,000 Attonburn Antidote, was knocked down to Wilma Robertson, No 3 Borgie, near Lairg.
It was also a worthwhile trip north for Dallas and Ruth Allen, Stouphill, Humblehaugh, Alnwick, when their sales leader achieved £12,000. Their two-shear ram is a son of Stouphill Admiral, which was sold two years ago for £14,000. The hammer fell to the Adam family of Auldallan, Newhouse of Glamis, Forfar.
The same home took £4600 from Morris Pottinger, Isauld, Reay, Caithness, for another two-shear from Stouphill. He is a son of Badanloch Triple T, which has bred sons to £24,000 and £14,000.
Also hitting that £11,000 price tag was the best from Caithness breeder, Leslie Robertson, of the Inkstack flock, Barrock. This two-shear is by the £7000 Langdale Let’s Be Having You, bought out of Lairg and found a new home with RJ and LA Acton, Braidley, Bardon Mill, Northumberland.
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The same home took £7200 for a three-shear by Badenloch V, from Andrew Elliot, Balnakeil, Caithness.
Inkstack also received £4200 for a two-shear ram by St Johns Awesome purchased by Achentoul Farms, Kinbrace, Sutherland.
Martyn Cook’s 800-ewe flock, from Dorrery, Scotscalder, Halkirk, had a field day selling his top for £8000 again to Achentoul Farm. His two-shear which stood champion at Lairg Show is by a home-bred son of a £5500 Badanloch tup.
Another pair of two-shear rams from the same homemade £7000 and £6000, with both being sons of a £4000 Langdale. The former was knocked down to Neil Mackay, East Kirtomy, Bettyhill, while the latter headed home with Stephen Robinson, Sykes Farm, Trough, Clitheroe.
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Pete Tweedie, Buchtrig, Jedburgh, went to £5200 for a two-shear ram from Wilma Robertson, 3 Borgie, Lairg, brought out by shepherd, Charlie Henderson. This lad is sired by Bailenacraobh Bizzaz, which was bought out of Dingwall for £2800 and out of a home-bred ewe.
Another two tups by the same sire made £4600 and £4200 when selling to David Renwick, Keppoch, Dundonnell, and Martyn Cook, Dorrery, respectively.
Next in the trade stakes at £5000 was a three-shear ram from Badanloch Estate, Kinbrace, managed by Hughie MacKenzie. A son of Langdale Wizard, he was another purchase for Ted Fox, St John’s Kirk.
Another by the same sire achieved £4800 when leaving the ring with Oliver Harrison, Aimshaugh, Alston.
Ally Robertson of the Tournaig flock, Clashbreac, Lairg, sold to £5000 for a two-shear ram by a privately purchased Suisgill tup. He was another that headed home with Achentoul Farms.
Despite a late calling, Michael and Lillias Elliot, Woodside, Kelso, sold their No 3 for £4800. Their two-shear, Woodside Cocktail, is a son of Inkstack Vodka Shot and was knocked down to Welbeck Scottish Farms, Cavendish House, Welbeck.
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Best from the Achentoul pen – managed by Murdo MacDonald and James Brown – was a £4200 sale for a two-shear ram by Badanloch Mr Brightside. He sold south to Lockerbie with Alistair Stewart, shepherd at Gillespie Farms, Boreland.
Auctioneers: United Auctions.
Flock Averages
Flock (No) Top (£) Avg (£)
Buchtrig (3) 450 416.67
Hethpool (5) 2800 1450.00
Borgie (8) 5200 2787.50
Auldallan (8) 1800 850.00
Badanloch (9) 5000 3000.00
Kintail (4) 750 662.50
Dalrachie (8) 1800 912.50
Tournaig (4) 5000 2950.00
Dorrery (7) 8000 4214.29
Langdale (3) 3800 1900.00
North Loch Naver (6) 1400 675.00
Hartside (5) 1600 790.00
Northouse (5) 600 500.00
Inverboom (3) 1100 850.00
Castle Grant (5) 850 740.00
South Balkeith (3) 1100 683.33
Ousdale (3) 1100 633.33
Westview (3) 1300 733.33
East Lodge (4) 1000 555.00
West Garty (9) 1500 738.89
Armadale (9) 2900 1261.11
Keoldale (7) 1150 500.00
Sorbietrees (6) 1100 708.33
Crakaig (9) 1600 966.67
Bardnaclaven (5) 2600 1390.00
Brackside (5) 1100 630.00
Stouphill (5) 12,000 4410.00
Balnakeil (5) 1800 860.00
Bedsheil (5) 3200 1540.00
Upper Bighouse (3) 1700 766.67
Keppoch (3) 500 500.00
Attonburn (4) 14,000 6850.00
Mowhaugh (4) 11,000 5100.00
Dunbeath (4) 2000 1262.50
Torrish (3) 1700 1000.00
Achentoul (8) 4200 1281.25
Inkstack (3) 11,000 7466.67
Backakelday (5) 1200 670.00
Whitehope (7) 1800 757.14
East Kirtomy (3) 500 433.33
Sebay (5) 600 530.00
Rhifail (3) 800 733.33
Gillesbie (3) 1100 583.33
Woodside (5) 4800 2200.00
East Brachmont (3) 2000 1266.67
Averages: 243 rams, £1490.00 (+£87 for 17 fewer)
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