Beltex Champions

Category	Breed	Breeder Name
Best Pen of Shearling Rams	Overall Champion Pen (7-10)	Matthew Burleigh, Matt's flock
Best Pen of Shearling Rams	Reserve Overall Champion Pen	Grant Maxwell, Faughhill flock
Best Pen of Shearling Rams	1st Place Pen (3-6)	Liam Swinnerton, Lipley Beltex
Male Champion	1st Place Shearling Ram	G Beacom
Reserve Male Champion	1st Place Ram Lamb	A Miller
Female Champion	1st Place Shearling Gimmer	A Miller
Overall Champion	1st Place Shearling Ram	G Beacom
Reserve Overall Champion	1st Place Shearling Gimmer	A Miller

View Images

Landman lands 70,000gns to set new Beltex breed record

The Beltex Sheep Society’s Harbro Premier Show and Sale rewrote the record books at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, when a shearling ram sold for 70,000gns to set an outright new breed record — and a second shearling matched the previous record of 65,000gns only minutes of trade apart.

Setting the new mark at 70,000gns was Faughhill Landman ET from Grant and Katie Maxwell’s Faughhill flock, Melrose, Roxburghshire. The February-2025-born ram is by Callacrag Hot Shot ET and out of Faughhill Gannet ET, a Mortons Cheeky Boy daughter. Used as a lamb, he won first prize shearling ram and stood Male Champion at the Royal Highland Show 2026, and semen has been retained for the vendor’s own use. He was knocked down to A. Taylor, Southholm Farm, Pettinain, Lanark.

The price surpasses the 65,000gns paid for Airyolland Castro in 2018, which had stood as the Beltex breed record for eight years, and betters the 60,000gns lamb record set by Mellor Vale Lionheart at last year’s Premier Sale.

Next best, and equalling that former breed record at 65,000gns, was the pre-sale show supreme champion, Lakeview Lancelot ET from Gary Beacom, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The early-February shearling is by the 20,000gns Carlisle Premier Sale champion Logie Durno Jack Daniels ET and out of Lakeview Flying Beauty ET. He won the shearling ram class and took both the male and overall championships under judge Grant Maxwell, having earlier been Reserve Male Champion at the Irish National 2026, before selling to Alan Miller of Miller Farms, The Lurg, Midmar, Inverurie.

Reflecting on his day in the ring, Mr Maxwell said: “The quality and quantity of stock brought out was fantastic and a real privilege to judge, and a real credit to the breeders and the breed. The highlight for me was the shearling ram class, in which I found my champion.

“Lakeview Lancelot was a standout with real masculinity, power and meat in all the right bits, with great mobility for his size. He was closely followed by Lurg Liberty, who is a lovely balanced sheep, handled well and has a real bit of flash. The turnout was a fantastic showcase for the breed.”

Judging honours were shared between the two flocks that dominated the day’s trade: Mr Maxwell’s own Faughhill pen took Reserve Overall Champion pen of shearling rams, with the Overall Champion pen (7-10) going to Matthew Burleigh’s Matt’s flock and the first-prize pen (3-6) to Liam Swinnerton of Lipley Beltex.

Shearling rams

Shearling ram trade was exceptional throughout, with 390 selling to average £2,354.77 — up more than £440 on the year.

Third top at 23,000gns was McKnight’s Legend ET from I. McKnight, Dalhabboch, Glenluce. By Geffens Kurt Cobain ET and out of McKnight’s Ginger, he sold to Wannops Farms Ltd, Heaton Hall Farm, Morecambe, Lancashire.

At 18,000gns, Faughhill Loki made it a strong day for the Melrose flock. A natural-born son of the 18,000gns Callacrag Jesus ET out of a homebred Faughhill gimmer, he was bought by Miller Farms, Inverurie.

Also at 18,000gns was Stonehills Let’s Go from J. Riby and Son, Low Stonehills Farm, Fraisthorpe, Bridlington. By Lakeview Doozer ET and out of Stonehills Foxtrot, the big, wide ram sold in a four-way share between Alastair Dodd, Tundergarth Mains, Lockerbie; G. Anderson, Kirkstyle Farm, Ruthwell, Dumfries; Katie Aiken, Ainstable Hall, Carlisle; and an undisclosed purchaser, Leasowes Farm, Shrewsbury.

Miller Farms’ Lurg Limitless ET made 12,000gns to G. Anderson, Ruthwell. A Mellor Vale King Kong ET son, he stood second prize shearling ram in the pre-sale show, having been Reserve Champion at the Royal Highland Show 2026, and is out of Lurg Hiccup ET, the 2025 Royal Highland champion.

At the same money, Lakeview Lord of The Ring ET from Gary Beacom, another Logie Durno Jack Daniels ET son, this time out of Aviemore Curie ET, sold at 12,000gns to Rosie Boden of the Mellor Vale flock, Stockport.

A further 10,000gns was paid for Faughhill Las Vegas, a natural-born Callacrag Jesus ET son out of a homebred Faughhill gimmer, selling in a half share to Andrew Ireland, Braeside, Darvel, Ayrshire, and Alistair Meikle, Helentongate Farm, Kilmarnock.

Two shearlings shared the next rung at 8,000gns: Lipley Lancelot, a Curwen Hill Jericho ET son from Lipley Beltex, Market Drayton, to J. Mulholland, Great Orton, Carlisle; and Lurg Lieutenant ET, a full brother to the 50,000gns Lurg Lucifer, to B. Hall, Ainstable Hall, Carlisle.

Ram lambs

Ram lambs peaked at 18,000gns for Lurg Magic Mike ET from Miller Farms, the first prize ram lamb and Reserve Male Champion. A January-born Mellor Vale King Kong ET son out of Lurg Jessie ET, and a full brother to the 30,000gns Lurg Messi, he sold in a three-way share to Paul and Christine Tippetts, Lodge Hill Farm, Shifnal, Shropshire; M.J. Wells and Sons, One Ash Grange, Monyash; and Lipley Beltex, Market Drayton.

Next at 15,000gns was Buckles Macbeth ET from Messrs Buckle, Buckles Farm, Barras, Kirkby Stephen — the first son offered by the 50,000gns Lurg Lucifer ET and out of Buckles J20 ET. He was retained in a half share between Messrs Buckle and Rafe Cartman, Scosthrop Farm, Skipton.

R.E. Wood and Sons’ Kingledores flock, Broughton, Biggar, sold a Lurg Lennie ET son at 9,000gns to V. and G. Bowring, Nether Langwith, Mansfield, with a second Kingledores lamb away at 5,000gns to W. McCrabbe of the Ardstewart flock, Co Donegal.

Two lambs from Stuart Wood’s Woodies flock, Westhill, sold at 6,000gns apiece. Woodies Monster Munch ET, a first-prize ram lamb winner at the Royal Highland Show 2026, went to J. and J. McLean, Mains of Culsh, New Deer, Turriff, while Woodies Mad Dog ET sold in a half share to M. Friend, Cherry Trees Farm, Kent, and Stuart Wood, Broadwater, Skene.

Faughhill Farming’s Faughhill Monarch ET, an Ainstable Lovebug ET son, made 5,000gns to C. and C. Cormack, Oxnam Neuk, Jedburgh.

Females

The shearling gimmer trade was the most consistent section of the sale, with a 94% clearance and a lift of almost £140 on 2025’s average.

Leading the females at 10,000gns was Lurg Liberty ET from Miller Farms, Female Champion and Reserve Overall Champion of the pre-sale show. By Mellor Vale King Kong ET and out of Lurg Honour ET — a ewe that has already bred lambs to 8,000gns and 6,000gns and gimmers to 6,000gns — she sold to Faughhill Farming Ltd, Melrose.

Fin Christie’s Balquhain flock enjoyed a strong day, selling Balquhain Looking Good at 7,000gns to Arwel T. Davies, Bryn y Groes Fawr, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. Her dam, Lurg Haggis ET, is a full sister to the 50,000gns Lurg Goliath and the 45,000gns Lurg Grandslam. Flock-mate Balquhain Linda ET, a Faughhill Kealey ET daughter, followed at 5,000gns to G. and L. Carroll, Aucharroch Farm, Kirriemuir.

Gyffin Lucie from Lloyd-Lewis made 4,000gns to W.D. Stephen and Co, Meikle Geddes Farm, Nairn, with three gimmers at 3,500gns: Woodies Lady Boss ET to I. McKnight, Glenluce, and Miller Farms’ Lurg Lala ET and Lurg Link ET to W.D. Stephen and Co and G. and L. Carroll respectively.

Aged rams

A small aged ram section cleared 100% to average £2,450. Trade was led at 2,800gns by Curwen Hill Jericho ET, a 10,000gns Carlisle purchase in 2024 held between the Tippetts, Thornley and Lipley flocks, selling to J. Watson and Co, Bowsden Moor Farm, Berwick upon Tweed. The class winner, Blackadder Jailhouse Rock ET, owned jointly by D.E. Owen and the Gyffin flock, made 2,400gns to Page Farm Partnership, Rookwith House, Ripon, with the second prize aged ram, J. Farquharson’s Glencoe Jackson ET, away at 1,800gns to W. and J. Brown, Hilton of Culsh, Turriff.

Auctioneers: Harrison & Hetherington