South Country Cheviots hit £16,000 twice at Lockerbie

Averages improved by almost £200 per head at the South Country Cheviot annual sale at Lockerbie, with more sold on the year achieving a 98% clearance rate and a joint top price of £16,000.

Achieving a personal best of £16,000 was Sid Anderson and sons, Ross and Scott, Easter Alemoor, Roberton, doubling their previous best of £8000. This shearling is sired by Castle Geronimo, which was purchased here for £10,000 and goes back to Glenochar Knockout. He stayed in Lockerbie with Billy Common, Crossdykes, having stood third in the pre-sale show.

Joint sale leader at £16,000 came from the Andersons, Easter Alemoor

Joint sale leader came from Jim Robertson, Becks, Langholm, when his shearling sold to Tom Elliot, Hindhope, Jedburgh. A son of Eskdale Hit and Run, a tup bought in 2019 for £3200, which has sold sons to £12,000.

Billy Common, Crossdykes, was back in the buying seat at £7500 for the first crop of sons from the £4500 Shillmoor Endeavour.

The same home took £7000 for another shearling, this one sired by the £10,000 Mountbenger Almighty. Buying back some of his own genetics, this one sold to George Irving, Mount Benger, Selkirk.

This ram from the Weirs, Mainside, realised £14,000

Father-and-son duo, Craig and Stuart Weir, Mainside, Hownam, were next in the money at £14,000. Their two shear ram is the first crop of sons of Castle Godfather, which was purchased here for £5000. Buying back their own breeding, this boy was knocked down to John Paton, Castle Crawford, Abington.

The excitement of the sale carried right through to the end when the last pen in the ring, from Robert and Alastair Warden, Skelfhill, Hawick, reached £14,000, a personal best for the team. This two shear ram is a son of Skelfhill Supreme, which sold two years ago for £2000, and goes back to Kale Foreman. Tom Elliot, Hindhope took this boy home.

Also making £14,000 was this tup from the Wardens, Skelfhill

This pen then achieved £6000 on two occasions, both the first crop of sons from the £5500 Catslack Invincible. The pen leader stood reserve champion in the pre-sale show and was knocked down to Blair and Morag Cockburn, Stirkfield, Biggar.

The latter was purchased by John Paton, Castle Crawford, and stood third in the show.

On the flip side, Blair and Morag Cockburn, Stirkfield, achieved £9000 for their pen leader, when selling to Jim Robertson, Becks. This shearling ram is a son of Becks Tan, which was purchased here two years ago for £7500, while the dam is by Kale Hamish.

Blair and Morag Cockburn, Stirkfield sold this ram for £9000

Jim Robertson, Becks, was back in the buying seat at £8000 for a two shear from John Paton, Castle Crawford, Abington. Castle Highlander is the sire behind this tup, having been used as a shearling before selling for £18,000 last year, with the dam being a daughter of Castle Destroyer.

Castle Crawford high of £8000 for John Paton

Another bred the same way made £7500 when selling to Tom Halliday, Springwells, Johnstonebridge, Moffat.

Castle shepherd James Cochrane achieved £8000 for his own ram, when the hammer fell to Messrs Douglas, Upper Hindhope, Jedburgh. He again is by the same sire and out of a Castle Assassin-bred ewe.

Castle Crawford shepherd, James Cochrane, sold this ram for £8000

The pre-sale show judge Tom Eilliot, Hindhope, Jedburgh, also produced a strong pen of two shear rams selling to £7200. This was for a Hindhope Anthem son, which was purchased here three years ago for £7000. He sold in a three-way split to the North of Scotland with Hugh and Jan MacKenzie, Kinbrace, Caithness; Messrs Matherson, Alness, Highland; and Messrs Robertson, Lairg, Sutherland.

The same home took £6000 from Sandy and William Fleming, Hislop, Hawick. This is the first crop of sons from the £8000 Hindhope Apache.

The Upper Hindhope pen from WJ Douglas and son, Jedburgh, brought out by Callum Caskie, started the sale strong with a £7000 price tag. This two shear ram is the first crop of sons to be sold from Dale Dealer and out of a home-bred ewe. Having topped the sale, Sid Anderson and sons, Ross and Scott, Easter Alemoor, purchased this boy.

averages:

371 rams, £1575.07 (+£194.82 for seven more sold)

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.

Flock averages

Flock (No.) Avg (£) Top (£)

Castle Crawford (10) 8000 3350.00

Skelfhill (13) 14,000 3330.77

Hindhope (12) 7200 3250.00

The Becks (18) 16,000 3022.22

Easter Alemoor (11) 16,000 3018.18

Mainside (10) 14,000 2480.00

Stirkfield (14) 9000 2271.43