Solwaybank tops Lanark Suffolk sale at 40,000gns

Suffolk sheep breeders met a disappointing trade at the Scottish Area show and sale at Lanark, where the ongoing ban on exports of breeding sheep and cattle from Britain to the continent and Ireland, saw averages slip by £730 per head on the year.

The government’s ban following several cases of bluetongue in the UK last year meant that leading Irish breeders who would normally buy several of the top priced lots went home empty handed, although they could bring consignments to sell.

Despite this reduced demand, sales held up well with top prices of 40,000gns, 30,000gns and 25,000gns for ram lambs. Furthermore, 141 ram lambs out of the 164 forward, found new homes which represents an 86% clearance while 100% of the gimmers sold.

Commenting on the trade, Barrie Turner, chief executive and breed secretary said: “Averages were back at the Scottish Branch sale due to the inability of our Northern Irish and EU members who usually buy at Lanark being unable to do so because of restrictions on transportation over the Irish sea.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely and look forward to being able to recommence trading relationships that have existed for years to the mutual benefit of all concerned.”

While it was frustrating for Irish buyers and those hoping to sell outwith Britain, it was nevertheless an extremely good day for Iain and Judith Barbour’s Solwaybank flock from Annan, who sold two out of the three top priced lots at 40,000gns and 25,000gns.

The brother and sister duo also produced the second prize group of three, and the lead average at £13,965 for five.

Their dearest was the No 3 lamb, a January-born ET bred from the same family as the 5000gns Sapphire 2 that produced the 44,000gns Ballinatone Show Stopper. He is bred from a home-bred ewe by Crewelands Carolus and sired by Limestone Online – the reserve at the National sale in 2023 purchased for 7000gns in partnership with Paul Delves of the Bridgeview flock. The buyer was Charlie Boden, buying for the Sportsmans flock from Stockport, Cheshire.

Pen leader from the Solwaybank flock made 25,000gns

The Barbours also received 25,000gns for the pen leader which is a full ET brother of the 40,000gns lamb. He was knocked down to Philip Poole of the Salopian flock from Upper Battlefield, Shrewsbury.

All Solwaybank lambs were sired by the Castleisle A Kingsman son, Limestone Online, with the second prize pen of three selling for 4500gns, 3000gns and 6300gns. The latter was the pen’s No 5, bred from a ewe by Lakeview Harbinger. He was purchased by America’s biggest Suffolk breeder, Bill MacCaulay, Pennsylvania, who bought his first here last year at 22,000gns from Solwaybank. Mr MacCaulay is hoping to import semen from the tup.

Lilia Hutchinson and her father Richard took 30,000gns for their Howgillfoot lamb

Second top price was 30,000gns paid for Lilia Hutchinson and her father Richard’s pen leader from the 30-strong Howgillfoot ewe flock from Kirkby Stephen. Another backed by the best of genetics, his dam, a home-bred gimmer by the 25,000gns Frongoy Rocket, goes back to a Lakeview ewe that was full sister to Lakeview Harbinger.

The sire is Pyeston Real Deal, a full ET brother to Pyeston Prince and Pyeston Phoenix, bought privately from Stewart Lathangie. Bought on line, he sold to Darragh McMenamin, Killygordon, Lifford, Co Donegal.

Aberdeenshire breeder Finn Christie who runs a handful of pedigree Suffolks and Beltex females had a cracking couple of days amongst the males and the females.

On the Thursday he produced the reserve male champion which the following day went on to sell for 15,000gns, and the female best, a gimmer, that made 4000gns.

Finn Christie's reserve champion sold for 15,000gns

Producing a personal best in the show ring at Lanark for Mr Christie’s Maidenstone flock was a January-born lamb bred from his 2023 Highland Show champion, a home-bred gimmer by Howgillfoot Sniper. Jim Innes of the Strathbogie flock, Dunscoft, Huntly, was the final bidder on this Castleisle Blackadder-sired lamb.

His champion female, a gimmer which is a full ET sister to this year’s second prize gimmer at the Royal Highland Show and a maternal sister to the 2023 champion at Ingliston, made 4000gns selling to Neil McDonald, Bowmore, Islay. The sire is the 32,000gns Pyeston Prince.

Jed Sharp and Benni Lacharden sold their second Sharps lamb for 10,000gns

Forfar-based breeders, Gordon and Donald Mackie, Drimmie, also forked out the big bucks, going to 10,000gns for the second lamb from Jed Sharp and Benni Lacharden’s Sharps flock from Firth, Tenbury Wells, Worcs. This late January-born ET is the result of a flush from a home-bred daughter of a Stockton ewe bought privately and sired by Strathbogie A Kind of Magic. The sire of the lamb is Sportsmans Striker, a 30,000gns son of the 200,000gns Salopian Solid Gold.

Sharps’ pen leader which stood second in the novice class, made 6200gns selling to Paul Delves buying for the Bridgestone flock from Churchstoke, Powys. His pedigree features a home-bred ewe by Sportsmans Safari and the 10,000gns sire Bridgeview Benson.

Trade held up right until the very last lot, when the pen leader from Jim Innes’ Strathbogie flock brought out by flockmaster, Michael Leggat, made 10,000gns selling to Stephen Cobbald, Acton Hall, Suffolk. There is another big show winning pedigree behind this January-born ET, with the dam being a home-bred ewe by Crewelands Kingpin that was third at the Royal Highland as a ewe lamb in 2022 while the grand-dam was champion in 2018. The sire is the 30,000gns Shrewsbury purchase, Rempstone Gambler.

James Wallace’s consignment from the Claycrop flock based near Kirkinner, Wigtownshire, was another that came up with the goods late on, selling seven lambs to average £3000 with a top of 7000gns. Producing a personal best for this 40-strong ewe flock was a January-born lamb bred from a home-bred ewe that stood second at the Highland in June by Castleisle Cobra. Three breeders teamed up to buy this son of the 8000gns Ballynacannon Iron Mike – Stewart Lathangie, Pyeston, Glenrothes; Melvin Stuart and family, Milton of Birness, Ellon and Craig Paterson or the Cranorskie flock, Aberchirder.

Rory and Pat Machray sold their No 2 Middlemuir lamb for 6200gns

It was another team of three that purchased the second lamb from Rory and Pat Machray’s Middlemuir flock from Inverurie, going to 6200gns for a late December-born lamb – Gavin Brown, Springfield, Penicuik; Thomas Darling, Ladyflatt, Duns and Elaine Wilkie, Boreland, Lockerbie. The lamb is is bred from a Middlemuir ewe by Lakeview Harbinger that last year bred the 9500gns Middlemuir Mannuka and sired by Salopian Zoolander.

Just behind on 6000gns, Ronnie Black and sons Mike and Pete, Newton of Collessie, Ladybank, Fife and Helen Goldie and son Michael, Harpercroft, Kilmarnock, joined forces to buy Steven and Louise Buckley’s pen leader from the Sitlow flock, Sittinglow, Buxton. This was a AI son of Redbrae Russo, out of a ewe by Roundacre Big Bang.

Top price for Alastair Gault’s Forkins flock from Northern Ireland was 5800gns paid for the second prize ram lamb, purchased by Melvin Stuart and family, Milton of Birness and Stewart Lathangie, Pyeston. Bred from a ewe that is an ET sister to the 26,000gns Forkins McCoy and a ewe lamb that made 17,000gns, he is sired by Annakisha Bright Eye.

James Wallace sold his first Claycrop lamb for 7000gns

Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington.

LEADING awards

Young handlers – Under 12 years – 1, Lara Taylor; 2, Glenn Henderson; 3, Milly Shelley. 12-18yrs – 1, Noah Taylor; 2, Neil Flemming; 3, Beau Taylor

OTHER LEADING prices

Ram lambs – 5500gns – M Stuart, Birness, by Crewelands Megastar, to R Bowdler, Parkhall Farm, Ellesmere, Shropshire

5200gns – D Taylor, Ballynacannon, by Limestone Springbok, to R Bowdler, Parkhall Farm.

5000gns – J Sharp and B Lacharden, Sharps, by Sharps Skylark, to MJ Bignal, Gruinart, Bridgend, Islay.

4500gns – AR Gault, Forkins, by Annakisha Bright Eye, to JR and JA Barron, Findowrie, Brechin; I and J Barbour, Solwaybank, by Limestone Online, to G Killilea, Cregarragh, Co Galway; S Craft Farming, Lakeview, by Ballynacannon Playboy, to GL Stuart, Milltown of Birness and C Paterson, Crannabridge

4200gns – J Wallace, Claycrop, by Ballynacannnon Iron Mike, to WJ and M Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Insch, A Jackson, Maulscastle, Annan and RH Black, Newton of Collessie.

FLOCK averages

Flock (No) Top (Gns) Average (£)

Redbrae (3) 4000 3185.00

Cairnton (6) 3000 1207.50

Frongoy (3) 1000 822.50

Harpercroft (3) 1500 1102.50

Sharps (6) 10,000 4200.00

Forkins (3) 5800 3955.00

Solwaybank (6) 40,000 13,965.00

Strathview (4) 1600 1076.25

Muirton (4) 2600 1522.50

Bridgeview (5) 1700 1071.00