A pair of full brothers proved to be the star attractions at the Beltex Sheep Society’s Premier Sale at Carlisle when the Supreme Champion from the pre-sale show, Alan Miller’s Lurg Goliath ET, soared to 50,000gns on Thursday and Friday, 11 and 12 August, with his brother not far behind at 45,000gns.

These two, plus a further 10 shearling rams at five-figure prices, helped set a new record for shearling rams of £1865 for the 575 that changed hands. This compares to 669 shearling rams in 2021 at £1500, and 656 at £1392 in 2020.

The sale-leading duo from Alan, wife Rachel, and daughter, Ellie, from Midmar, Inverurie, are the result of a flush from the 16,000gns Woodies Explosive bought back in 2020, and the 3000gns Sinclair’s Daisy, a Kingledores Battleaxe daughter bought the previous year and a favourite of Rachel’s.

Prior to sale day, Goliath had caught the eye of the judge of the pre-sale show, Alfie Taylor, of the Heatheryhall Flock near Lanark, who put the shearling up as Male Champion before tapping him out as Supreme Champion.

“He’s very well put together and balanced and just what a Beltex should be with great character and carcase,” commented Mr Taylor.

Goliath also had a successful summer show season, standing Reserve to his dam at Banchory and Turriff shows as well as at the Scottish National at Perth Show the previous week.

From an opening bid of 20,000gns, the sale leading Goliath sold in a four-way split to Kevin, Jack and Tom Buckle, Buckles Flock; Neale and Janet McQuistin, Airyolland; James McGarva, Horseclose; and Rafe Cartman, Atherton.

Two lots later and his embryo brother, Lurg Grand Slam ET, attracted nearly as much attention when sold on the phone to two breeders from the Emerald Isle – Gary Beacom, Lakeview, and Brian Mathews, Quarrymount. Incredibly, Alan’s 10 shearlings averaged £15,488.

The very next one through the ring, Lurg Gino ET, sold to Gordon and Lynsey Carroll, of the Edendiack Flock, for 16,000gns. Again sired by the Woodies Explosive ram, his dam is Ardstewart Dodo, a daughter of the imported Iglo V/D Drie Musschen.

Grant Maxwell had a good run too when his best, the second prize Faughhill Godfather, realised 30,000gns when knocked down to a trio of Aberdeenshire breeders – Jimmy Young, Muirton; Ross and Kirsty Williams, Black Jack; and Bruce and Colin Mair, Aviemore. By the privately purchased Heatheryhall Fireman Sam, this blue bare boy is out of the Mortons Cheeky Boy daughter, Faughhill Dana.

Another breeder celebrating a strong run was Dan Towers whose Curwen Hill pen of seven levelled at £10,440, thanks to two at 20,000gns and another at 18,000gns.

First to hit 20,000gns when sold to Alfie Taylor for his Heatheryhall Flock was Curwen Golden Boy, a son of the Rathbone Desperado ram shared with Nick and Charlotte Brown’s Bronic Flock. His dam is the Belvoir View Chaos daughter, Wannop’s Eureka.

The same sire was behind the rest of the pen and it was the black ram, Curwen Hill Gilbert, that also achieved 20,000gns when chapped down to Ed Page for the Rookwith Flock near Ripon. He is out of Bronic Evie, an Artnagullion Bull daughter.

At 18,000gns when sold in a four-way split to the team at Procters Farm, Procters; Neil Harvey, Blackadder; Richard Wood, Kingledores; and Gordon Gray, Ettrick, was Curwen Hill George ET which this time is out of another Artnagullion Bull-sired Bronic ewe in the shape of Bronic Diva.

Two other full siblings were in the money, this time for Neale and Janet McQuistin, when their Airyolland Goldmine ET and Airyolland Goin’ Gets Tough ET, sold for 18,000gns and 12,000gns, respectively. Bred from the Ardstewart Super Mario-sired Airyolland Baby Face, this duo are by the 9000gns Ardstewart Dare Devil shared with the Horseclose and Buckles flocks.

The first to sell, Goldmine, heads to Andrew Wainwright’s Todhall flock while Goin’ Gets Tough sold two ways with James Wannop, Wannop’s and Dan Towers, Curwen Hill, both taking a half share.

Sticking with the five-figure prices at Brian Ryder welcomed top calls of 12,000gns and 10,000gns for his best two. The dearest of these, Ryder Game On – by Aviemore Casual and out of the Kingledores Trojan-sired College Wilma – sold to Alan Munro, Loandhu; Andrew Ireland, Feoch; and John Scott, Fearn.

At 10,000gns when knocked down to Andrew Baillie, Callacrag, was Ryder G&T ET which offers some different breeding being by Swffryd Eye Catcher while his dam is full of home breeding as Ryder Bingo is by Ryder Apache.

Slater Farms, Whiteley Hey, paid 10,000gns for the dearest from James Wannop’s pen in the shape of the Belvoir View Chaos-sired Wannop’s Godzilla ET, which is out of Buckles Temptress, a Newton Leo daughter.

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