Scottish breeders made their mark as vendors and purchasers at the National Suffolk sale at Shrewsbury, where four ram lambs sold for the joint top price of 10,000gns.
First to reach that price was the pen leader from Dumfriesshire breeders, Paula and David Reid’s Conchar flock from Calfpark, Mouswald. This naturally served twin lamb by Claycrop Classic is out of a home-bred dam. His pedigree features paternal grand parents in Sportsmans Masterplan and a Limestone ram and on the maternal side, Roundacre Rolls Royce.
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The lamb sold to Jed Sharp and Benni Lacharden of the Sharps flock, Worcs, who also had a great day producing both the male and the female champion winners at the pre-sale show judged by breed president, Pat Machray of the Middlemuir flock from Aberdeenshire.
Their male winner and overall champion also made 10,000gns. He is sired by the 30,000gns Sportsmans Striker, out of a Hawshill dam by Strathbogie A Kind of Magic and headed home with Ali Jackson, buying for his up and coming Topgun flock which numbers 40 ewes, based at Annan, Dumfriesshire.
Mr Machray found his reserve in Jim Innes’ pen leader from the Strathbogie flock from Huntly. Bred from a show ewe lamb that goes back to the 2018 Highland Show champion and sired by the 30,000gns Rempstone Gambler, he was knocked down at 7000gns to D and J Inman of the Lindum flock, Thornton Satchville, Melton Mowbray.
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Melvin Stuart and family’s Birness flock from Ellon, Aberdeenshire, was another in the money selling six lambs to a top of 10,000gns to average £4023.
Their No 1, a son of Myfyr Evans’ stock ram, Dunfell Dynamite that has bred sons to 20,000gns, is out of a ewe by Ballynacannon Noah, and sold to RG and RA Jones, of the Rowleston flock, Robleston Hall, Camrose, Haverfordwest.
Birness’ second lamb and a member of the winning pen of three made 5500gns to A and S Simpson, Wester Coxton, Elgin. He is also sired by Dynamite but out of a ewe by Forkins Firecracker.
Trade held up right to the end with second last lot of sheep from Myfyr Evans’ Rhaeadr flock from Denbighshire, averaging £5407 for four with a top price of 10,000gns.
Selling at this price was a son of last year’s 19,000gns Carony Cha Ching, bred from a ewe by Stockton Sniper’s Son. He sold in a three-way split to the Frongoy, Kings and Tolgus flocks of Dafydd Jones, Pennant; TA Irwin and Sons, Lower Kingstree, Devon and Brandon Roth, Cornwall, respectively.
Pamela Lupton of the Kexbeck flock, Ripon, then went to 6800gns for a Rhaeadr lamb by the same sire but bred from a ewe by Ardlea Arbennig.
Fife-based breeder, Stewart Craft of the Lakeview flock, Glenrothes, forked out 6500gns for the pen leader from the Irwins Kings flock. He is sired by the Pyeston Partygate son, Kings Cruiser and bred from a show ewe by Birness Bang Tidy.
The champion female from the Sharps flock, a gimmer by Lakeview Logie made 5000gns and sold to C Kenyon, Lathom, Ormskirk, who also bought two other gimmers from the same flock and by the same sire for 4500gns and 2500gns.
The reserve female, a ewe lamb from Mrs JJ Tooze’s Spittal flock from Carnwath, made 1400gns to Mardle Suffolks, Buckfastleigh, Devon. She is sired by Rempstone Rembrant and out of a Beechcrest dam bought for 1800gns that stood third at the Highland.
Auctioneers: J Straker, Chadwick and Sons and Halls.
Averages: Gimmers, £1641.00; ewe lambs, £787.50; shearling rams, £800.63; ram lambs, £1573.52.
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