Top price of 3,600gns for ram at Beltex sale

Beltex rams met a steady trade at the Beltex Scotland show and sale at Lawrie and Symington’s Lanark Mart, with shearling averages up on the 2018 sale, while gimmers were back on the year, but for more sold.

Topping the trade at 3,600gns, was the shearling ram, Heatheryhall Deric, from Tommy and Alfie Taylor, Heatheryhall, Biggar.

Sired by the 2,800gns Carlisle purchase, Skiddaw View Boggle, he sold to I Knight, Stephney Farm, Calderbridge, Seascale.

The same buyer took home the second top seller at 3,200gns. That was Roadside Darren, another shearling by the Skiddaw View sire, from the Buntings at Balgray Gass House, Lockerbie.

Huntly breeders Ross and Kirsty Williams, Upper Tullochbeg Farm, sold to a top of 1,800gns, for shearling Black Jack Dangerous. Buyer was W Gribbon, Waterside Farm, Dumfries.

Ram lambs peaked at 1,600gns, again from the Taylors of Heatheryhall. Leading the way was Heatheryhall Extra Specialbought by J Forrest, Herons Point, Lanark.

At 1,200gns, Murray Wood, Woolhillock Croft, Skene, sold Murrays Ethan to JS Shaw, West Lethans, Dunfermline.

Commercial buyers were thin on the ground at the Scottish Texel Breeders’ Club show and sale, with averages for ram lambs back by £100 on the year, for 33 fewer sold.

Top price at 1,400gns, was Clyde Cassanova, a ram lamb from Gavin Jackson, Boat Farm, Thankerton, Biggar. He went to the Orrs at Wester Walston, Biggar.

Next best, at 1,300gns, was Broomknowes Comrade, a Forkins Bootyhunter son from David and Ian Gilmour, Broomknowes, Maybole.

Out of a ewe by Glenside Warhorse, he sold to Jim Innes, for his Strathbogie flock at Dunscroft, Huntly.

Two lambs reached the 1,000gns mark, including Carluke-based John Tough’s Easterseat Cabin Boy, which sold to Alasdair Beaton, Wester Crosswoodhill, Slammanon.

At the same money, Angus McColm, Crailloch, Newton Stewart, sold Crailloch Cracker, a Scotsman Bullseye son, which went to Hugh McPhee, of Freedom Texels, Dundonald.

Averages: Beltex – Three aged rams, £367.50; 125 shearling rams, £643.94; 40 ram lambs, £535.50; three aged ewes, £287; 69 gimmers (including dispersal), £425.93; two ewe lambs, £640.50.

Texel – 23 shearling rams, £513.13; 101 ram lambs, £411.27; 25 gimmers, £389.34.