The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Breed averages up at Thainstone
Average prices for all breeds were up on last year at Aberdeen & Northern Marts’ annual multi-breed show and sale at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie.
All breeds met a steady trade, with no high-flyers and a top price of 2,200gns for a Border Leicester ,which compares with last year’s record 5,000gns for a Texel.
The top price of the sale of 2,200gns was paid by Bruce Mair, buying on behalf of Christine Williams and Paul Tippets, Shifnal, Shropshire, for the Border Leicester champion from Jimmy Douglas.
His winner was sired by Muir mouth Mustang, bred by Sandy Haggart, Muir mouth, Crieff, who is working hard to see the breed survive and prosper.
Mr Douglas bought the ram from him last year and was pleased to see another son win the championship at the recent Lanark sale.
Mr Douglas sold another son at 1,500gns to DM Walker, Laigh Alticane, Girvan.
Texels sold to 1,600gns twice for the first-prize lamb, champion of the show, from Robbie Wilson’s Milnbank flock at North Dorlaithers, Turriff; and the firstprize shearling by Willie Knox and sons Graeme and Andrew, Mid Haddo, Fyvie.
The champion, by the 60,000gns Strathbogie Yes Sir out of a ewe by Strathbogie Untouchable, sold to Elma Alexander, Auchen breddie, Insch.
Mr Wilson also sold another by the same sire at 1,400gns to DWM Gilmour, Broomknowes, Maybole, Ayrshire.
The Knox’s shearling topper, Haddo Yorker, by Tophill Wall St and out of a ewe by Strathbogie Smokey Blue, was bought by S&Y Finnie, Newseat.
The Strathbogie flock of James Innes & Sons, Dunscroft, Huntly, had a strong trade, selling to 1,200gns for a shearling by Millar’s Windbrook to Ballintomb Farms, Dulnain Bridge, Grantown-onSpey; and 1,000gns for one by Aman Vyrnwy Dya to Guise Farm Partnership.
Sandy Lee, of Feurdies, Memsie, Fraserburgh, received the joint-secondhighest price for ram lambs, selling a Stainton You Bet son at 1,400gns to near neighbour Jimmy Douglas, Woodhead, Cairness, Fraserburgh.
Suffolks met a very steady trade, selling to 850gns for the champion, a January-born ram lamb by 2016 Royal Highland Show champion Irongray Ironman, from Mrs Judith Lorimer, Cadgerford, Kingswells, and her son Stuart and 15-year-old granddaughter Hannah, who presented the winner in the showring.
The lamb was being shown for the first time, and sold to A Williams, Wales.
Bluefaced Leicester ram lambs sold to 950gns paid by Eric Mutch, Burnside of Whitefield, Forglen, for the champion from M Seed & Son, Home Farm of Auchry, Cuminestown.
Charollais shearlings sold to 1,400gns for a son of Wedrnfawr OMG from Howard and Andrew Davies, Hillhead of Cannahars, Whitecairns.
Both the champion and reserve Charollais came from Eilidh and Erin Duncan, Barnyards, Clola, Mintlaw, who sold their champion, sired by Lowerye Nevis and a first-prize winner at four shows this summer, at 650gns to Emslie Livestock, Kinknockie, Mintlaw.
Champion in the Beltex section was a ram lamb from Stuart Wood’s Woodies flock at Woodhillock, Skene, which sold for 1,050gns to AW Mackintosh, Tombreckachie, Glenlivet.
One from Rory Machray, Bilboa, Daviot, Inverurie, by Drumchapel Replay and out of a dam bought for 2,600gns, realised the same price to Mrs Nancy Fraser, Auchnarrow, Glenlivet.
Champion other pure-bred was a Blue Texel shearling ram from WJ & M Hunter, West Cairnhill, Culslamond, which sold for £1,000 to DJ Scott, Burnside, Marypark, Ballindalloch.