The overall sale average was up on the year and a 94% clearance of the 977 catalogued entries was achieved. According to Harrison and Hetherington’s Jimmy Little, himself a breeder, the strong trade was down very much to breeders’ time and effort over the last ten years in adapting the breed and changing its dynamics with maybe a little less type in some cases but considerably more weight which is what buyers were wanting.

Second top among the 607 shearling rams was Langlands Jack The Lad at 22,000gns from J. and S. Wilkinson, Richmond. A single by Smart Ass Alfie and out of Ardstewart Gaynor, he went in a five way share between Messrs Gray, Selkirk; Messrs Cockburn, Perth; Harvey Farms, Duns; Faughhill Farming Melrose and Messrs Hunter, Dalry, Castle Douglas.

Two in this class made 18,000gns. They were Wannop’s Jetski from Morecambe-based Wannops Farms. This single by Aviemore Festival out of a home-bred ewe was bought by Brian Ryder. At the same price and selling in half shares to Faughhill Farming, and A. Morton, Denny, Stirlingshire, was Callacrag Jesus from Andrew Baillie, Carstairs. A single, it is by Callacrag Hot Shot out of a home-bred ewe.

Lipley Beltex and Paul Tippetts joined with Messrs Thornley, Leicester to make a three-way purchase of 10,000gns for Lancaster vendor Daniel Towers’ Curwen Hill Jericho, a son of Airyolland Goin’ Gets Tough out of Curwen Hill Glam Girl . At the same price William McMillan, Newton Stewart, sold his Carse Jump Start. By Buckles Fizzy Pop out of Matt’s Gillyflower, the ram was bought jointly by Messrs Williams, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire and Messrs Gregor, Inverurie.

Making 9,000gns was Faughhill Jackal, a twin by the 11,000gns Kingledores Godzilla out of a home-bred dam, from Grant Maxwell, Melrose. He was bought by Paul Slater, Macclesfied. Then at the same price, Messrs Ingram, Inverurie, bought Carmarthensire breeder Tegwyn Jones’s Teg Jelly Baby. This Gyffin Dexter sired single is out of Sinclair’s Fantasia .

Miller Farms, Inverurie, took an 8,000gns bid from Messrs Bell, Carluke for their Lurg Judgey, a son of Woodies Explosive out of Ardstewart Crazy Angel. Matching the sale champion’s price of 7,000gns was Neil Harvey with Blackadder Jaws, one of his run of ten. It is a son of Curwen Hill George out of an Airyolland Weapon-sired Blackadder ewe.

A 25,000gns bid saw the sale’s reserve champion from Stuart Wood, Westhill, Aberdeen leading the entry of 154 ram lambs and “exceeding their wildest dreams.” In selling at this level it was this flock’s highest price to date. Selling to Messrs Ingram, Woodies Karate Kid is a single end-of-January born son of Vicky’s Gladiator out of the Woodies Snoop Dog sires Bailey Brook Diamond and contributed to the Woodies pen average of 10,080gns.
Grant Maxwell, Melrose, took a 16,000gns bid on his Faughhill Kaiser, a son of
Ainstable Javelin out of the Buckles Dark Dawn daughter, Heatheryhall Glitter. The joint buyers were Messrs Laing, Biggar; Messrs Baillie, Carstairs and Messrs Taylor, Lanark. Mr Maxwell had also won the sale’s overall championship under judge Sue Wilkinson who owns the Longlands Flock. His winner was Faughhill Julius by Kingledores Godzilla and made 7,000gns to Messrs Wales, Carlisle.

At 10,000gns Miller Farms, Inverurie, and Stuart Wood, shared at Mellor Vale King Kong from Rosie Boden, Mellor, Stockport. By Lipley Hugo Boss, the early January single lamb is out of Lakeview Golden Girl.

Close behind at 9,000gns was Matthew Burleigh, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh with his Matt’s Kungfu, an April born quad by Todhall Hurricane out of the Buckles Fizzy Pop-sired Matt’s Haggis, and this one was knocked down to Wannops Farms.
A three way split saw Huntly, Aberdeen vendors Gordon and Lynsey Carroll’s lamb Edendiack King selling a 7,000gns to Messrs Cormack, Jedburgh, the Woodies flock, and the Biggar-based Wood and Sons. The lamb is a son of the 16,000gns Lurg Gino out of Logie Durno Hannah.
The 6,000gns bid which secured Geffens Kanye West from Louie Van Geffen, Stokesley, North Yorkshire came from the combination of Messrs Taylor, Lanark; Messrs Wood and Sons; Stuart Wood, Westhill, and Miller Farms. Buckles Jaegarbomb was the sire of this single and its dam was also Buckles-bred.
A small entry of aged rams peaked at 5,000gns with a bid from Messrs Standen and Son, Quernmore, Lancaster, for Airyolland Goldmine, a powerful March 2021 ram which has been used in the flock of I. A. Wainwright’s Todhall flock at Cupar, Fife for the last two years. He is by Ardstewart Dare Devil out of an Airyolland dam.

The top priced shearling ewe at 7,000gns came for an Aviemore entry and part of Colin G. Mair and Partners’ dispersal of their Turriff based flock. The shearling is by Bailey Brook CR7 out of Aviemore Fay. Two at 3,000gns were from the Logie flock of W. and C. Ingram, Inverurie, and from Mrs A. Story’s Longtown based Borderesk flock, sellimg for the first time at auction in several years. Logie Durno Josephine is by Buckles Fury out of Airyolland Brandi, while Borderesk Jezabelle is by Ryder Gino out of a home-bred dam. They sold respectively to Glenturk Farming Company, Wigtown, Newton Stewart, and Messrs Bowring, Mansfield.

Miller Farms made 2,800gns for their shearling, Lurg Justify. It is a twin by
Woodies Explosive, the sire of rams to 50,000gns and 45,000gns, and full brothers of Justify have sold up to 16,000gns. The buyers were Messrs Simpson from Derbyshire’s Hope Valley.
Another from Faughill, and by Kingledores Godzilla, was Faughhill Jasmine which made 2,600gns to Messrs Burke, Blairgowrie, while a bid of 2,500gns from Messrs Massie, Finzean, Aberdeenshire, came for Colin Mair and Partners’ Aviemore Janet by Bailey Brook CR7. Her Aviemore dam has bred sons to 5,500gns and daughters to 3,000gns. Also at 2,500gns was Daniel Towers’ Curwen Hill Jemimah by Airyolland Goin’ Gets Tough and out of one of the flock’s firm favourites, a Todhall ewe. This one went back to Lancashire with Messrs Standen and Son.
AVERAGES
6 Aged Ram £2,590.00; 477 Shearling Rams £1,765.54; 80 Ram Lambs £2,227.96; 166 Shearling Gimmers £844.65.
Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington