Entries from no fewer than 10 Texel breeding homes and another four guest consignments meant there was plenty to choose from at the Select Seven sale at Lanark, where prices peaked at 16,000gns for a gimmer from Hugh and Alan Blackwood’s Auldhouseburn flock, Muirkirk.
The export sale was led by the consignment of five gimmers from the father and son duo who also produced the lead flock average at £6573.00. Their dearest was the pen leader, an ET bred from a flush from a 17,000gns Garngour ewe by Knock Yardsman, bought in 2018.
She is sired by the 7000gns Seaford Empire King, a tup that bred the 28,000gns Auldhouseburn Fancy Pants and sold to Charlie Boden and family buying for the Sportsmans flock from Stockport, Cheshire. The gimmer also sold carrying a pair of lamb to the 90,000gns Hilltop Goliath, a ram bought in partnership with Glenside at Carlisle in September.
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Empire King was the sire of all the Auldhouseburn gimmers, with the No 3, an ET bred from a ewe by the 350,000gns Sportsmans Double Diamond, making 7000gns when carrying twin lambs to Hope Valley Golden Balls, a Sportsmans First Class son bought privately from Rob Evans. Buying back some of his own genetics was Mark Priestley of the Seaforde flock, Downpatrick, Northern Ireland.
Her full sister, which changed hands carrying twins to the 16,000gns Scholars Governor, made 4800gns selling to Angus Howie, Sunrise Farm, Cherigon Bishop, Exeter.
Allan Clark’s Garngour flock from Lesmahagow sold to 8500gns and 6500gns for gimmer daughters of the 34,000gns jointly purchased Claybury Dunkirk. The dearest, which was the pen’s No 2, is bred from a ewe by Procters Chumba Wumba and sold carrying two lambs by the 20,000gns Sportsmans Grand Slam to Jonny Cubitt of the Long Mountain flock, Ballymena, Co Antrim.
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Garngour’s No 1, which is a full sister to the 52,000gns Garngour First Class, is out of a ewe by Procters Chumba Wumba, and changed hands due with a single to the £22,000 Midlock Flockstar in a two-way split. Lancashire breeders, MJ and K Ayrton, Bambers Farm, Thurnham, paid 3250gns, and Alan Clark paid the remainder to retain a half share.
The Ayrtons also went to 3800gns for a Garngour gimmer by Proctors Chumba Wumba carrying a single to Flockstar.
The top price for Gordon and David Gray’s Ettrick flock from Selkirk was 6000gns paid for a gimmer by the 24,000gns jointly purchased by New View Electrifying. Another ET, her dam, a Midcombe Brigadier daughter, also produced the 42,000gns Grey Goose and the 17,000gns Everest. The gimmer sold due with a single lamb to the 8000gns Knap Godzilla, selling to James Theyer, Clanfield, Oxfordshire.
Another the same way bred carrying twin lambs to the 30,000gns Clarks Gray Goose made 4800gns to Ewan MacTaggart, Rascarrel, Auchencairn, Castle Douglas.
A gimmer by Teiglum Exocet and bred from a Hexel ewe by Castlecairn Vavavoom bought privately two years ago, topped John and Archie MacGregor’s Allanfauld trade, at 5200gns. Their pen leader from the Kilsyth, Glasgow-based flock changed hands carrying triplets to the 20,000gns Sportmans Grand Slam, to Sheena and Brooke Woodrow, Newmains, Port Charlotte, Islay.
Just behind, on 4700gns, Richard Close, Nethermill, Port Glasgow, bought the No 1 Teiglum gimmer from Andrew Clark, Blackhills, Carluke. One of the summer show teams, this ET by Knock Eastwood sold due to Mullan Governor.
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The same genetics were behind the second Teiglum gimmer that stood first at Lesmahagow and fourth at the Royal Highland as a ewe lamb. She made 4000gns served to Forkins Fancy when selling jointly to Northern Ireland breeders, Alastair Gault and Eugene Branagan of the Forkins and Largy flocks, respectively.
Younger brothers, Dye Clark, Lee Meadow, Braidwood, Carluke, sold his pen leader for 3800gns to Charlie Fielder, Duttons, Timsbury, Romsey. Her pedigree features Ettrick Earthquake, with the service sire being Seaforde Game Changer.
Ewe lambs sold to 1900gns from Donald and Ross Macpherson’s Hexel flock from Berwick Upon Tweed, purchased by C Campbell, Deanscales, Cockermouth. She is by Coniston Equinox.
Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington.
Averages: Allanfauld, five gimmers, £2394.00. Auldhouseburn, five gimmers, £6573.00. Boghouse/Crawfordjohn, six gimmers, £1155.00; Cambwell, eight gimmers, £1043.44; Clarks, four gimmers, £1561.88; Craighead five recipients, £541.80; Ettrick/Tima, eight gimmers, £2126.25; Garngour, 11 gimmers, £2276.59; Grougfoot/Champany, seven gimmers, £532.50; Harestone, four gimmers, £1194.38; Hexel, four ewe lambs, £1141.88; Strawfrank, three gimmers, £682.50; Teiglum, nine gimmers, £2333.33.
Overall, 70 gimmers, £2038.50; five ewe lambs, £1123.50; five embryos, £541.80.
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