LIVESTOCK THAINSTONE CHRISTMAS CLASSIC –

Unhaltered heifers (24) ave 282.5ppk or £1,739.70 and 20 steers ave 260.9p or £1,702.04.

The champion was a Limousin cross heifer from Harry Brown, Auchmaliddie Mains, Maud, which weighed 615kg and sold for £4,100. The second top price of £2,400 was paid for the native champion animal, a 622kg Aberdeen-Angus cross bullock from David and Neil Work, Mains of Dumbreck, Udny, Ellon. The reserve overall champion, a Limousin cross heifer (645kg) from Blair Duffton and Rebecca Stuart of Huntly and Insch made £2,100. They also sold the reserve bullock champion at 370ppk or £2,072 and the bullock champion for £2,405 (370ppk). The reserve champion in the young farmers section came from Lewis Keir, Cairncoullie, Glenkindie, Alford, and made £2,000.

The young farmers’ winner came from Cally Harper from Turriff and made £1,750. In the prime lamb section, the overall championship was won by Ronnie Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt, with a pair of home-bred Beltex cross lambs scaling 43.5kg which sold for £250 each. The reserve champion lambs, a pair of 54kg Texel crosses from Jacqueline Davidson, Southfield, New Deer made £180/head. The young farmers’ champion lambs were from Lewis Gallier, The Sheiling, Daviot, Inverurie. The pair of Beltex crosses weighing 45kg made £260/ head. In reserve place was a pair of 42kg Beltex crosses from Craig Buchan, Nether Savoch, Longside, which sold for £110. HUNTLY – United Auctions sold 155 store and OTM cattle. HFRS (68) ave 219.1p per kg selling to a top of 254.3p per kg for a 350kg LimX from Ernam, Strathdon. Top price was £1,200 for a CharX from Auchairn, Keith. BLKS (73) sold to ave 223.2ppk selling to a top of 273ppk for a 315kg Lim X from Ernam, Strathdon. Top price £1255 for a SImX from Auchairn, Keith. OTMs (14) sold to a top of 148.8p per kg for a 645kg Lim from Quarryhead, Rosehearty. Top gross being £1,170 for a CharX from Old Stirkoke, Wick.

HFRS: Up to 250kg - £380, 179.2p Mill Forgue Croft, Forgue; 301-350kg - £890, 254.3p Ernan, Strathdon; 351-400kg - £890, 247.2p Ernan, Strathdon; 401-450kg - £1,010, 232.4p Stonebriggs, Rosehearty; 451-500kg - £1085, 236.9p Ernan, Strathdon; 501-550kg - £1,140, 210.8p Auchairn, Aultmore; 551-600kg - £1,200, 212.4p Auchairn, Aultmore.

BLKS: Up to 250kg - £390, 186.6p Mill of Forgue, Forgue; 251-300kg - £720, 240p Raws Farm, Dufftown; 351-400kg - £995, 248.8p Ballintomb, Dulnain Bridge; 401450kg - £1065 Auchorties Farm, Keith, 239.1p Ballintomb, Dulnain Bridge; 451500kg - £1110 Quarryhead, Rosehearty, 226.1p Bush Farm, Aberlour; 501-550kg - £1120, 205.5p Auchairn, Aultmore; 551600kg - £1255, 214.3p Auchairn, Aultmore.

United Auctions sold 7,291 prime sheep, comprising of 4942 new season lambs selling to an average of 212.94p and 2349 ewes and rams.

New season lambs (4942) Luckenburn (BTex) £127.00 & £120.00; Doune Farms (BTex) £119.00 & £118.00; Dalachy, Doune Farms & Braeside of Lindores (BTex) £117.00; Ard Na Moy (Tex) £114.00; Wester Cambushinie (Tex) £113.00; Braeside of Lindores (Tex) £111.00; Pittenkerrie (Suf) £107.50 & £106.50; Kincragie (Suf) £106.00; Cranshaws (Suf) £105.50 x2; Easter Craigduckie (Cross) £103.00; South

Moorhouse (Cross) £99.00; Pittenkerrie (Cross) £96.50; Shanry (Cha) £102.50; Gibsley (Cha) £101.00 & £98.00; Balmyre & Balgay (Cha) £97.50; Meadows of Ballied (Chev) £98.50; Wester Cambushinie (Chev) £98.00; Killearn HF (Chev) £97.00; Kinaldy (Chev) £95.00; Auchenrivoch (Mule) £95.00; Drumnessie (Mule) £94.00; Milton (Mule) £93.00; Halls (Mule) £92.00; Gaskbeg (BF) £92.00; West Bracklinn (BF) £89.00; Drumnessie (BF) £86.00. Ewes (2349): Achnaba (Tex) £153.00; Luckenburn (Tex) £144.00; Ard Na Moy (Tex) £143.00; West Park (Tex) £134.00; Dalachy (BTex) £130.00; Milnbank (Suf) £126.00; Meadows of Ballied (TexX) £120.00; Dalachy & Milnbank (TexX) £116.00; Inch Cottage (TexX) £115.00; Milnbank (Cont) £112.00; Kinloch, Dalachy & Redheugh (Cont) £110.00; Pittenkerrie (Cont) £107.00; Bonnington (SufX) £105.00; Dalcapon (Chev/Mule) £95.00; Cochno (Mule) £94.00; South Baldutho (Mule) £91.00; Milton (Mule) £90.00; Dullomuir & Milnbank (Mule) £87.00; Milnbank (Chev) £92.00; Pittenkerrie (Chev) £90.00; Dalcapon (Chev) £87.00; White Sykes (Cross) £91.00; Kinloch (Cross) £86.00; Dalmahoy (BFL) £76.00; Hillhead (BF) £68.00; Ormsary (BF) £67.00; Woodhend (BF) £64.50; Milton (BF) £63.00.

Tups: Redheugh (Tex) £118.00; Cauldcoates (Tex) £116.00; South Baldutho (Suf) £116.00; Drumloist (Chev) £104.00; White Sykes (Cha) £100.00; Little Glenniston (Rye) £90.00; Tullymurdoch (BF) £80.00; Balnabroich (BF) £72.00. DINGWALL – Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd sold 1,566 store sheep. Lambs (881) sold to £80 for Texel crosses from 29 Fraser Park, Nairn. Ewes (574) sold to £99 or a Texel cross from Brae of Coulmore, North Kessock. Rams (29) sold to £170 for a Texel from Kilmaluag House, Duntulm. Feeding sheep (82) sold to £79 for a Texel cross wedder from Drimore Farm, Lochboisdale. Leading prices Lambs: TexX – Bernera Farm, Glenelg, £80, Cambusmore Estate, Dornoch, £79, 29 Fraser Park, £76; SuffX – Geiselittle Farm, Thurso, £76 & £75.50, 4 Tomich, Beauly, £72, Fendom Farm, Tain, £72; Cross – Culfoichmore, Grantown, £75; Chev – Logie Farm, Muir of Ord, £73.50 & £73, Achnagart, Glenshiel, £67, 14 Ormiscaig, Aultbea, £66; CharX – Leanach Farm, Inverness, £70; Mule – Achnamoine, Watten, £65.50; BF – Torrin Sheep Stock Club, Broadford, £62.

Ewes: TexX Balintraid, Delny, £90, Broynach, Thurso, £88, Drimore Farm, £78; Zwb - Upper Cultie, Gorthleck, £86; Mule - Balintraid, £77; Chev - Kintradwell Estate, Brora, £75, Tarn House, Inver, £73, Dunearn Farm, Nairn, £71; Mule - Broynach, £74, Drimore Farm, £68; SuffX - Broynach, £71; LynX - Fendom Farm, £66; HrdX - Edderton Mains, Tain, £66; Cross - Cypress, Achterneed, £63. Feeding sheep: Cross gmr - Kintradwell, £77; TexX gmr - 72 Westford, Alness, £71; TexX wdr - Cambusmore, £70; Chev wdr - Glenvarragill, Portree, £61. THAINSTONE – Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 2,687 prime sheep and feeding ewes and rams. New season lambs (1,971) ave201p (+6.3p) per kg and sold outwith the show to 265.4p per kg for 39kg Beltex from Valeview, Tough and £130 gross for 49kg Beltex from Ranch House Cottage, Thainstone. New season lambs SQQ up to 45.5kg (948) averaged 207.7p (+2.5p) per kg. Feeding ewes and rams (716) sold to £140 Newton of Tulloch, St Katherines.