The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Suffolks command top prices at Stirling.
SHEEP: Suffolk buyers were clearly in the mood with nine five-figure prices achieved
Suffolks met a red-hot trade at the breed’s Scottish area show and sale in Stirling.
United Auctions (UA) sold 136 sheep to a record sale average for the breed of £2,841.87 – up £722.87 on the year before.
UA managing director George Purves hailed a good show of sheep with plenty “breeders’ sheep” and said buyers were “prepared to go all the way”.
Nine five-figure sums were achieved with a top price of 40,000gn paid for the overall champion from the pre-sale show as judged by Ron Grieg, of South Tillydesk, Udny.
This was a January-born ram lamb from Northern Irish breeder Mark Priestley’s Limestone flock.
An ET son of Strathbogie A Kind of Magic, and out of a home-bred ewe by Castleisle Knockout which sold for 5,500gn, he sold to Irish breeder Andrew Wilson for his Castleisle flock.
Next best at 30,000gn was a ram lamb from father and son duo George and Melvin Stuart’s Birness flock at Milltown of Birness, Ellon.
By the jointly owned 9,500gn Limestone Legacy and out of a dam by Lakeview Gold Rush, he sold to Northern Irish breeder Stephen Sufferin. Melvin Stuart said it’s the highest price the flock had ever achieved.
Another Birness entry – this time a ram lamb by the 3,800gn Crewelands Megastar – sold for 10,000gn in a twoway split to Devon.
Other leading prices included 24,000gn for another Limestone Legacy son from Stewart Lathangie’s Pyeston flock at Glenrothes.
He was male and reserve overall champion at the Fife and West Fife Shows and sold to SW Cobbald, Acton Hall, Suffolk.
Thereafter 22,000gn was paid for a Strathbogie A Kind of Magic son, out of a Castleisle Knockout daughter, from Jim Innes’ Strathbogie flock at Dunscroft, Huntly.
He sold in a three-way split to the Fife breeder Stewart Craft, Annan breeders Iain and Judith Barbour, and the Delves family from Wales. Meanwhile, 20,000gn was paid twice. First at this price was an entry from Jimmy Douglas’ Cairness flock at Woodhead of Cairness, Fraserburgh. By Cairness Agent and out of a dam by Cloontagh Chieftain, he sold to WH Sinnet & Son, Stockton, with Mr Douglas retaining a quarter share.
The other at 20,000gn was a Mullaghboy Goliath son, out of a dam by Cariness Liam, from Northern Irish breeder Alastair Gault’s Forkins flock.
He sold in a three-way split to the Strathbogie, Limestone and Middlemuir flocks.
Young breeder Finn Christie had success selling his first lamb at the sale with an entry from his Maidenstone flock.
By the 6,000gn Lakeview Under the Radar, he sold for 600gn to N Moir, The Rectory, Cairness, Lonmay, Fraserburgh.