Trade rose by more than £700 on the year (but for 89 fewer sold) at the Scottish National Show and Sale of Texel rams at Lanark, where prices peaked at 125,000gn.
Confidence in breeders’ sheep remained strong, but there was a noticeable lack of commercial trade, said Lawrie & Symington auctioneer, Brian Ross.
The sale topper was Welsh breeder Myfyr Evans’ aptly named Rhaeadr Best Of The Best.
Mr Evans runs 20 Texel ewes, alongside 90 Suffolks and 40 Charollais in Denbighshire, and bought the dam of this lamb from Auldhouseburn in 2016 for 12,000gn. Sired by the 70,000gn Teiglum Young Gun, he sold to the Blackwoods for their Auldhouseburn flock in Muirkirk.
The Blackwoods were able to recoup that money when their own lambs sold up to 75,000gn. Dearest of the pen was Auldhouseburn Boss, by the 130,000gn Sportsmans A Star, selling to the Campbells at Cowal.
Another A Star son, Auldhouseburn Billy The Kid, made 28,000gn, selling to Perthshire breeder Robert Cockburn for his Knap flock, and Robbie Wilson, Milnbank, Turriff.
Firing up proceedings early in the day, selling at 40,000gn, was the pre-sale champion, Haddo Balvenie, from the Knox family, Mid Haddo, Fyvie, Turriff.
Overall champion at the Highland in June, this son of Clinterty Yuga Khan, sold in a three-way split to John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso; Ken Hodge, Green Arch, and Mike and Melanie Alford, Foxhill, Devon.
The Knox family also made 24,000gn selling Haddo Breadwinner to Allan Campbell, Strawfrank, Carstairs; the Currie family, Carlinside, Nemphlar, and Hugh and Andrew Neilson, Brackenridge, Strathaven. Haddo retained a quarter share of this one, by the 24,000gn Allanfauld Am The Man.
From the same pen, Haddo Bright Spark, another by Yuga Khan, sold at 9,000gn to four north breeders, Alan Chisholm, Wester Moy; Rodney Blackhall, Sheeoch; Douglas Webster, Lower Reiss and Jack Rendall, Orkney.
The first lamb to be sold on the day was Albert and George Howie’s Knock Banker, which made 28,000gn to the McKerrows at Nochnary, Freuchie and Robert Cockburn’s Knap flock, with the Howies keeping a share. He is by Allanfauld Am The Man.
At 26,000gn was Sportsmans Benchmark, from Charlie Boden, Mellor Hall, Stockport. A Fordafourie Amalert son, he sold jointly to Graham Morrison, Deveronvale, and Jim Innes, Strathbogie.
The Campbell brothers of Drimsynie, Lochgoilhead, sold their best, Cowal Bucking Bronco, at 22,000gn. A Midlock Avicii son, he sold to Robbie Wilson, Milnbank, and Jemma Green, Corskie, Garmouth.
Meanwhile, the Clarks at Garngour, Lesmahagow, sold Garngour Bullet, for 17,000gn to Kenny Pratt, Oldtown, Peterculter; Stuart Barclay, Harestone, Insch, and Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth. Reserve champion at the pre-sale show, he is by Fordafourie Young Star.
Leading the way for Graham Morrison’s Banff-based Deveronvale flock, was Deveronvale Braveheart, by Mullan Armani, selling at 15,000gn to Northern Irish breeders.
Sandy Lee, who runs the Fordafourie flock at Memsie, Fraserburgh, sold Fordafourie Balvenie, by Fachell Victor, for 12,000gn to the Douganhill and Procters flocks.
Jim Innes, Dunscroft, Huntly, had two at 10,000gn, both sons of Mullan Armani. The first, a third prizewinner at the Highland, Strathbogie Best Bet, sold to Steven McCollam, James Wilkinson and Adrian Liggett, all Northern Ireland. The other, Strathbogie Bees Knees, sold to Roger Strawbridge, Tamnamoney.