Suffolks led the way in the sale of pedigree female sheep at the Aberdeen Christmas Classic yesterday evening when two lots sold at 5,000gns.
The sale attracted a packed ringside of buyers and spectators, and saw 153 sheep cash in at £967.92.
From that, 14 Suffolk ewe lambs averaged £1526.25, 22 Suffolk gimmers levelled at £1589.31 and 50 Texel gimmers cashed in at £1,078.35.
First at this money was a gimmer from Jim Innes of the Strathbogie flock at Dunscroft, Huntly.
Brought out by shepherd Michael Leggat, was a daughter of Crewelands Kingpin, out of a home-bred dam by Lakeview No Limits.
Full sister to a 3,200gns tup, she sold carrying a single to the 30,000gns Rempstone Gambler, when purchased by Craig Paterson for his Cranorskie flock, Cranna Bridge, Aberchirder.
The Strathbogie flock also sold the champion Texel for 4,000gns to an undisclosed buyer.
This was a gimmer by Cressage Enforcer, out of a Mullan Armani ewe, which bred the £120,000 Strathbogie Gladiator.
An ET sister to the flock’s show gimmer this year, she changed hands carrying a single to the 28,000gns Auldhouseburn Fancy Pants.
Suffolk ewe lambs from Strathbogie sold for 3,200gns and 2,200gns.
Dearest, when sold to Stewart Craft’s Lakeview flock based in Fife, was a Muirton The Joker daughter, out of the best ewe in the flock.
At 2,200gns, when sold to Richard Crossley, Yorkshire, was a Frongoy Explosion daughter.
The Stuart family from Milltown of Birness, Ellon, sold their first prize Suffolk ewe lamb for 5,000gns to Neil Benzie, Meikle Whiterashes, Turriff.
She is by Forkins Firecracker, which has bred sons to 20,000gns, and out of a Limestone Legend dam.
The reserve champion Suffolk from Birness sold at 3,000gns to Neil Benzie.
She is by Forkins Firecracker, out of a Thurston Urastar dam, and sold scanned with twins to the 18,000gns Sharps Charlies Angel.
Also selling for 4,000gns was the second prize winner to the Texel champion, a gimmer from Kenny Pratt’s Hilltop flock at Oldtown Farm, Peterculter.
Selling to the Knox family at Mid Haddo, Fyvie, Turriff, when brought out by shepherd Richard Reynolds, was a gimmer by the 38,000gns Cressage Enforcer.
Bred out of a Garngour Alabama dam, she is also in-lamb to the 28,000gns Audlhouseburn Fancy Pants.
Another Strathbogie Texel gimmer, by the same sire, and this time in-lamb to the £120,000 Strathbogie Gladiator, sold to Hugh MacRae, Shethin Farm, Tarves, Ellon.
Robbie Wilson’s Milnbank Texel flock peaked at 3,500gns for a gimmer when sold up to Orkney with KW Hourston, Skelbister, Stromness.
She is by Harestone Eldorado, out of a dam by the 28,000gns Auldhouseburn Billy The Kid, and sold in-lamb to the 30,000gns Clanfield Golden.
Milbank sold the reserve champion Texel for 1,800gns to the Wood family of Garson Farms, Sandwick.
This was Robbie’s ewe lamb by the 26,000gns Knockem Ferocious, out of an Auldhouseburn Billy The Kid dam.
Her sister sold at last year’s sale for 7,000gns.
Graham Morrison’s Deveronvale flock from Cornhill, topped at 2,500gns for a Deveronvale Eurostar gimmer in-lamb to Deveronvale Gino, when bought by Paul and Kay Castle, Ulmus Farm, Cambridgeshire.
Blue Texels sold to a top of 1,500gns for the champion from Stuart and Wendy Hunter, West Cairnhill, Insch.
Selling to the judge Katrina Rendall, Newton of Budgate, Cawdor, Nairn, was a gimmer by Baltor Blues Eddie, bred out of the 2019 unbeaten show ewe Hunters Bramble.
She sold carrying twins to Hunters Highland Cathedral – the best ram lamb in the flock’s 2023 crop and by the 5,000gns Hackney Fury.
Zoey Rennie’s Beltex ewe sold for 1,000gns to an undisclosed buyer.
