Ross-shire based Beltex breeder Alan Munro enjoyed a memorable day at the Beltex Scotland show and sale at Lanark achieving 11,000gn and 7,000gn for ram lambs from his Loandhu flock.
It was a successful sale all-round for the breed, with increased averages and more sold on the year.
Overall, 132 shearling rams sold to level at £687.27, while 63 ram lambs averaged £982.20, six ewes leveled at £350 and 43 gimmers at £567.
Leading the way at 11,000gn was the male and overall champion, Loandhu Brian, a son of the Lanark-bought tup, Airyolland Wurzel, which also sired this year’s National show champion, Loandhu Bullet.
Securing the best price to-date for Alan Munro, who runs his own construction company and keeps 20 pedigree ewes at Loandhu, Fearn, this one sold in a three-way split to Kevin and Rachel Buckle, Barras, Kirkby Stephen; Neale and Janet McQuistin, High Airyolland, New Luce, and Thomas Sayer, Hackthorpe, Penrith.
A full ET brother to that lamb was next in the ring and reached 7,000gn.
That was Loandhu Bonzo, which sold to four breeders – John Young, Muirton, Alford; Stuart Wood, Woolhillock, Skene; Ross and Kirsty Williams, Upper Tullochbeg, Huntly, and the Mairs’ Aviemore flock at Cuminestown, Turriff.
It was a worthwhile journey from Tiree for Alasdair Maclean, Heylipol, who sold to a top of 8,000gn. Making that money was the ram lamb, Tiree Benchmark, the pre-sale reserve champion and a son of the 13,000gn Callacrag Wise Crack. Out of Tiree Spice, one of 30 ewes in the flock, this one sold jointly to Stuart Wood’s Woodies flock and Richard Wood, Kingledores, Biggar.
Earlier in the sale, Alasdair had sold shearling rams at 4,000gn and 2,200gn. The dearer of the two, Tiree AJ, sired by Woodies Ringleader and out of a Horseclose Power House daughter, sold to K Preston, Omagh, Co Tyrone, whilst the other, Tiree Austin, went to John Gray, Unthank, Alnwick.
Next best in the shearlings was 1,900gn, paid for Todhall Andy, from the Wainwright family at Todhall, Dairsie, Cupar. A son of Woodies Pride of the North, he was knocked down to JM Thompson, Townfoot, Penrith.
Top price in the gimmers was a 2,300gn bid for Aviemore Adeen, from Colin Mair, Muirfield, Cuminestown, Turriff. Sired by the imported ram, Damien V/D Drie Mussehen and out of a home-bred daughter of Kingledores Mr Muscle, she sold to Paul Tippetts, for the Shropshire-based Hackney flock.
Meanwhile, at the Scottish Texel Club’s sale, held the same day, trade peaked at 2,400gn, for a ram lamb from Allan Chisholm’s Wester Moy flock, based at Urray, Muir of Ord. A son of Knock Vantastic, out of a ewe by Teiglum Tornado, Wester Moy Yankee sold to Jamie Gibson, for his Heatherpark flock at Greenwall, Forth.
Shearlings sold to 1,800gn for Cambwell Wanderer, the pre-sale champion from Robert Laird, Cambwell, Biggar. Sired by Cambwell Trademark, he was knocked down to A Smellie, Posso, Peebles and J Brown, Cardon. Biggar.
Overall, 20 Texel shearlings averaged £551.78, with 136 ram lambs leveling at £500.37 and 19 gimmers averaged out at £386.84.
