A packed ringside of North Country Cheviot breeders from all over the UK descended on Lairg Auction Mart for the annual tup sale yesterday.
United Auctions sold 243 hill-type rams to average £1,490, a rise of £87 on the year for 17 more sold.
Auctioneer Donald Young said buyers were “very selective’’.
Twenty tups sold at £4,200 or above, with a top price of £14,000 paid for the best from Bowmount Farming’s Attonburn flock at Yetholm, Kelso.
Robert and Becca Rennie, who run 2,200 ewes between Attonburn and Mowhaugh, topped with Attonburn Cocaine, a two-shear son of the £5,000 Badanloch Wildfire.
Bred out of a Newbank Vintage dam, he sold to Ted Fox, St Johns Kirk, Biggar.
Mr Fox also paid £11,000 for one from the same home, this time two-shear Mowhaugh Centurian, by Attonburn Achilles.
Coul Estate Partnership, Laggan, Newtonmore, bought the other at £11,000, this time Attonburn Crackhead, which is a full brother to the sale leader.
Biggar breeder pays £14,000 and £11,000 for two lead price tups
The Allen family from Stouphill, Alnwick, sold a two-shear ram for £12,000 to the Adam family’s Auldallan flock, Newhouse of Glamis, Forfar.
This was a son of Stouphill Admiral, which the Allen family used at home, before selling for £14,000 at Lairg in 2021.
Messrs Pottinger, Isauld, Caithness, paid £4,600 for another two-shear from Stouphill, this time by Badanloch Tip Top Tup, which sired the family’s previous breed record holder at £24,000 in 2021.
Leslie Robertson, Inkstack, Thurso, sold to a top of £11,000 and £7,200.
Dearest was a two-shear by the £7,000 Langdale Let’s Be Having You, which sold to Northumberland with RJ and LA Acton, Bradley Farm.
The other was a three-shear by a Badanloch sire, bought by Andrew Elliot, for his Balnakeil flock, Galashiels.
Martyn Cook’s 1,000-ewe Dorrery flock from Scotscalder, produced sales at £8,000, £7,000 and £6,000. His best, which sold to Achentoul Farms, Kinbrace, is a two-shear by a home-bred son which sold for £5,000 and goes back to a £5,500 Badanloch.
Dorrery flock sells at £8,000, £7,000 and £6,000
Neil Mackay, 110 East Kirtomy, Bettyhill, paid £7,000 for a son of a £4,000 Langdale, while SE and HB Robinson, Skyes Farm, Clitheroe, paid £6,000 for another bred the same way.
Earlier in the day, local breeder W Robertson of 3 Borgie sold two-shear rams at £5,200, £4,600 and £4,200.
The Tweedies from Buchtrig, Jedburgh, paid £5,200 for a son of the £2,800 Bailenacraobh Bizzaz, while the Renwicks of Keppoch, Dundonnell, went to £4,600 for another bred the same way.
Martyn Cook bought the latter at £4,200.
Hughie Mackenzie, who manages Badanloch Estate, Kinbrace, sold a number of tups above £2,000, including two three-shears at £5,000 and £4,800.
Both are sons of the loaned Langdale Wizard, with the dearest bought by Ted Fox, St Johns Kirk, the other by SJ Harrison, Aimshaugh Farm, Alston, Cumbria.
Ali Robertson’s Tournaig flock from 14 Cashbreac, Lairg, sold to £5,000 for a two-shear by a privately purchased Suisgill sire to Achentoul Farms, Kinbrace.
The Elliots of Woodside, also sold at £4,800 to Welbeck Scottish Farms, Nottinghamshire.
A second sale takes place at Lairg today of ewes and gimmers.
