Scottish breeders were out in force at the Dark Diamonds sale of pedigree Suffolk female sheep.
The sale, held at Harrison and Hetherington‘s Borderway Mart in Carlisle, attracted entries from well-known breeders in Aberdeenshire and Fife.
It topped at 10,000gn for a January-born ewe lamb from Northern Irish breeder Alastair Gault’s Forkins flock.
By Birness Freedom and a full embryo sister to an 18,000gn lamb sold in Ballymena this year, she sold to Messrs Poole, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
The next best price of 9,000gn was paid twice for entries from Aberdeenshire breeders.
First at this price – selling to Messrs McLaughlin, Malin Town, Co Donegal, Ireland – was a January 2020-born gimmer from the Stuart family’s Birness flock based near Ellon.
By the 16,000gn Castleisle Capaldi and out of a home-bred dam by Middlemuir Maserati, she sold carrying a single lamb to the 5,500gn Mogford Major.
The Stuarts also made 5,000gn selling another January 2020-born gimmer, this time by the 30,000gn Salopian Scuderia, to Fife breeder Stewart Craft for his Lakeview flock based near Glenrothes. She sold carrying a single lamb to Mogford Major.
Meanwhile, the other entry at 9,000gn was a December 2019-born gimmer from Fraserburgh breeder Jimmy Douglas’ Cairness flock.
By Creagislay Cracker, and out of the dam of the 20,000gn Cairness Corker, she sold carrying twins to Middlemuir Best of the Best. The buyer was Messrs Holmes, Broadway, Worcestershire.
Cairness also made 2,200gn selling another gimmer by Creagislay Cracker, but carrying a single by Middlemuir Best of the Best, to Messrs Mather & Son, Brechin.
Fife breeder Stewart Craft’s Lakeview flock sold to a top of 4,500gn for a January 2020-born gimmer by Strathbogie Stradivarius. She sold carrying twins to Salopian Stradle to Messrs Delves & Co, Churchstoke, Powys.
Inverurie breeder Graeme Christie, who runs the Balquhain flock, sold to a top of 4,200gn for a gimmer by Crewelands Kingpin. She sold carrying a single lamb by the 5,500gn Howgillfoot Sniper to Messrs Delves, Churchstoke.
Graeme’s son Finn, who runs the Maidenstone flock, topped at 3,500gn for a gimmer by Crewelands Kingpin. She sold carrying twins to Howgillfoot Sniper to Messrs Lawrence, Iddesleigh, Winkleigh, Devon.
Fraserburgh breeder John Gibb, who runs the Cairnton flock, sold to a top of 3,000gn for a late December 2020-born ewe lamb. By Rookery The Real McCoy, she sold to Messrs Blair, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire.
Lastly, Turriff breeder Craig Paterson sold gimmers from his Cranorskie flock to 2,000gn twice.
Flock averages: Forkins, four ewe lambs, £5,328.75; Birness, 10 gimmers, £3,780.50; Cairness, four gimmers, £3,858.75; Lakeview, 18 gimmers, £1,551.66; Balquhain, seven gimmers, £2,595; Maidenstone, two gimmers, £3,045; Cairnton, three gimmers at £1,890 and four ewe lambs at £1,693.12; and Cranorskie, four gimmers, £1,601.25.
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