The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Quoybrae records tumble
A new centre record for a North Country Cheviot was achieved at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ Quoybrae centre yesterday, when a shearling from first time consignor Jacqueline Mackay, sold for £7,500.
With buyers forward from as far south as Wales, right up to Shetland, breeders enjoyed a cracking trade with 67 rams averaging £955.61, up £166.44 on the year for four less sold.
Sale leader for Miss Mackay, who runs nine ewes alongside her dad’s James’ well-known Biggins flock at Killimster, Wick, was the appropriately named Biggins Well-Bred.
Reserve champion in the pre-sale show, he is by Biggins Topnotch, a tup that was retained in the flock as a shearling.
Bred out of a ewe by the £4,500 Bardnaclavan Champion, he sold to Cheshire with John and Allison Sandle of the Spring Bank flock.
There was more success for the Mackay family when James’ 50-strong flock sold the next best at £4,000 to James Allan, Durran Mains, Thurso. That was Biggins Wizard, another shearling by Biggins Topnotch, bred out of a ewe by Hilltop Senator.
The last consignment through the ring from Johnny Campbell’s Bardnaclavan flock at Westfield, Thurso, produced sales at £3,400 and £2,600. The dearest, selling to to J and M Macdonald, Tormore, Dunbeath, was Bardnaclavan Wizzkid, by the Biggins Napier-sired, £1,400 Durran Thunder.
Selling at £2,600 to the Biggins flock was Bardnaclavan Warlord, by Longoe Regal - a tup loaned from Alan Smith in Orkney -and out of a £1,500 Cairnside Northern Light daughter.
Aberdeenshire breeders, Neil and Stuart Barclay, sold Harestone Woohoo, by the £2,000 Biggins Titan, for £2,800 to James Baillie, Sebay, Tankerness, Orkney.
The overall champion from James Baillie – Reaster Warlord by Allanshaws Tornadeo – made £1,200 to Ron McKay, Clyth Mains, Lybster.
Welsh breeder, IH Hughes, Pontllyfni, paid £2,200 for the first shearling from the Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust’s Longoe flock.
Brought out by brothers Danny and Sandy McCarthy, was Longoe Willie Beeb, a son of Bardnaclavan Trident, a former Caithness County Show male champion, out of a Sebay Nobleman ewe.
Last to hit the £2,000 bracket was Cairnside Wonderboy from Alan Simpson’s Cairnside flock at Oldhall, Wick. He is a son of Longoe Statesman and was snapped up by Chelgrove Ltd, Kilrenny.
“Lots of breeders enjoyed a cracking trade”