Pedigree sheep breeders from the north-east were out in force at shows and sales of in-lamb females at Carlisle.
Producers from across the UK and Ireland flocked to Harrison and Hetherington’s Borderway Mart, where eight sales of sheep took place.
Aberdeenshire breeder Stuart Wood, Woolhillock, Skene, Westhill, stood champion in the Badger Face Texel section and reserve champion amongst the Beltex.
Topping the inaugural sale of Badger Face Texels at 2,800gn when sold to Messrs Millar, Lockerbie, was an imported gimmer from Ireland, which sold carrying twins to an imported ram from Holland.
Mr Wood’s reserve champion Beltex, Woodies Elderflower, sold for 1,800gn to Messrs McCrabbe, Raphoe, Co Donegal.
This was an ET-bred ewe lamb by Woodies Cookie Master, out of Woodies Bramble. The top priced Beltex female at 4,400gn from the Buckle family, Kirkby Stephen, sold to Aberdeenshire with Rory and Pat Machray, Bilboa, Daviot, Inverurie.
This was Buckles Dream Come True, an ET-bred gimmer by Broxty Supreme, out of Buckles Annie Power.
In all, the Beltex sale saw 23 aged ewes average £492.59 and 90 gimmers level at £600.69 while 32 ewes lambs achieved an average of £680.86.
Mr Wood’s partner Stasa Moyse stood champion in the Festive Fireworks sale of Blue Texels with a ewe bred by Peter Kemp.
She is by Foxhill Yogie, out of a Kingscaird imported dam, and sold carrying twins to Caryls Captain, for 1,300gn to Messrs Fleming, Heriot, Midlothian.
The top priced Blue Texel at 1,600gn from David and Jennifer Alexander’s Millside flock, Ayrshire, sold to Messrs Reid, Drybridge, Banffshire.
This was a gimmer by a Millside import, out of a Jonsland Dan-sired ewe, carrying twins to the 1,500gn Lyle’s Django.
Two other gimmers in-lamb to the same sire from the Millside flock, also sold north for 1,350gn apiece.
First at this money was a gimmer by Sams Yoyo, which sold to Katrina Macarthur, Newton of Budgate, Cawdor, and another by a Beili Blues sire, to Jennifer Duncan, Palace Farm, Gamrie.
Blue Texels sold at the Sapphire Blue Texel production sale peaked at 4,200gn from Paul and Christine Tippett’s Hackney flock, Shropshire.
This was a gimmer by a Turbo Blue ram, carrying twins to Nantyderri Derek, which sold to Messrs Beck, Halesworth, Suffolk.
Overall, the averages for Blue Texels sold in the society sale included 17 aged ewes at £795.52, 20 shearling ewes at £942.37 and 16 ewe lambs to average £414.75.
Robbie Wilson, North Dorlaithers, Turriff, stood reserve champion in the Solway and Tyne Texel club show and sale with a gimmer from his Milnbank flock.
By Holylee Acrobat, she sold for 1,800gn in-lamb to Knock Yardsman to Messrs Kenny, Ballinasloe, Co Galway.
Top price in the Texel breed was 9,000gn for a ewe from Edward Pugh’s Glanllyn flock, Wales, which sold in-lamb to Plasucha Big Gun to Messrs Boden and Davies, Stockport, Cheshire.
Averages in the Solway and Tyne Texel club show and sale were six aged ewes at £2,371.25, 58 gimmers at £629.45, and eight ewe lambs at £291.37.
Other sale averages: Dutch Spotted – 10 gimmers at £2,247 and 10 ewe lambs at £1,585.50; Badger Face Texel – 13 aged ewes at £844.03, eight gimmers at £1,161.56, and eight ewe lambs at £511.87.
