Texel breeders were in spending mood at the breed’s Scottish National Sale, Lanark, on Thursday (26th August) with the sale seeing a top price of 100,000gns, four ram lambs selling at more than 50,000gns and a total of 23 lambs trading at five figure prices.
And this year’s trade followed the form of previous years, with lambs by last year’s record 350,000gns priced Sportsmans Double Diamond among many of the top sellers and a host of other top priced sires in the back pedigrees of several leading lots.
On a day which saw 289 ram lambs average £3811.06, a total of 15 sons of Double Diamond levelled the day at £20,804, with grandsons of the 2019 Lanark leader, Garngour Craftsman dominating the trade.
Taking the day’s leading call at 100,000gns was Auldhouseburn Expression from Hugh and Alan Blackwood, Muirkirk, Ayrshire.
Sired by last year’s world record setting sale topper, the 350,000gns Sportsmans Double Diamond, this lamb is out of a dam by the 130,000gns Rhaeadr Best of the Best. His dam’s sister sold for 40,000gns, while the dam was sold for 13,000gns last year.
This one was subject to a flurry of bids from around the sale ring before being knocked down to Oxfordshire-based James Theyer for his Clanfield flock, with the Blackwoods retaining a half share in him.
Second best at 80,000gns and sharing a sire with the sale leader was Procters El Presidente from Procters Farm, Lancashire, under the management of Jeff Aiken. This one, by Double Diamond is out of a dam by the 100,000gns Sportsmans Batman and sold with an index in the top 1% of the breed. Buying this one in a two-way split were Messrs Boden and Davies, Sportsmans and Stuart Barclay, Harestone, Cheshire and Aberdeenshire, respectively.
And the Boden family recouped their expenditure when taking 75,000gns for Sportsmans Express. Sired by Castlecairn Doodlebug, he is out of 2020-born ewe lamb by Garngour Craftsman and shares a maternal grand dam with Double Diamond. Selling with an index in the top 1% of the breed he was shared by Keith, Alan and Roy Campbell, Cowal, Argyll, and Robert Bennett, Plasucha, Welshpool.
Following him at 52,000gns was another from the Procters pen, Procters Eureka. Another by the 350,000gns Double Diamond, he is out of a Sportsmans Batman-sired dam which is from the dame family as a 14,000gns gimmer and the 12,000gns Procters Cheeky Monkey. He sold in a two-way share to Northern Irish breeders Alistair Gault, Forkins, and Mark Priestley, Seaforde, and has an index in the top 1% of the breed.
Then making 38,000gns was Cressage Enforcer from Matthew Ellis, Shropshire. This son of Mellor Vale Dakota is out of a dam by Hexel Beast from the East and has an index in the top 25% of the breed. Buying this one for the Hilltop flock, Aberdeenshire, was Kenny Pratt, with shares taken by Jim Innes, Strathbogie, also Aberdeenshire. Monnow Marquees, Monmouth and Willy Davis, Usk Vale, Monmouth.
Gordon Gray’s Ettrick pen was a hive of activity, with buyers eager to secure lambs. Top here was 26,000gns for the reserve champion from the pre-sale show Ettrick Earthquake. This son of Hope Valley Dazzler is out of a dam by the privately purchased Midcombe Brigadier anmd sold with an index in the top 5% of the breed. He was knocked down to a syndicate of Alan Clark, Garngour, Dy Clark, Clarks, David McKerrow, Nochnary, Brian Buchan, Clinterty and Messrs Teward, New View.
A 24,000gns call then secured one of the earlier lots of the day, New View Electrifying from the Teward family, Darlington. This Sportsmans Double Diamond son is out of a dam by Teiglum Braveheart and sold to Gordon Gray, Ettrick and Robert Cockburn, Knap.
Myfyr Evans then took the same money for his best of the day, Rhaeadr Entrepreneur, with this son of Sportsmans Dare Devil being out of a dam by Teiglum Youngun and selling to Jack Arnott, Haymount and Donald and Sarah MacPherson, Hexel.
Two then traded at 22,000gns, with the first being Haymount Eye of the Beholder from Jack Arnott. This son of Sportsmans Dirty Harry is out of a dam by Clinterty Yuga Khan and sold back to his sire’s breeder, Charlie Boden, Sportmans and a share taken by Danny Sawrij, Kedzlie Farm.
Second at this level was Knock Eastwood from Albert and George Howie, Peterhead. This son of Castlecairn Diamond Vision is out of a Knock Banker daughter and was taken by Andrew Clark, Teiglum and the Wight family, Midlock.
Close behind at 20,000gns was Willy Davis’ best of the day, Usk Vale Eddie. He’s by Teiglum Cinnamon and out of a dam by Sportsmans A Star and sold to Eammon Vaughan, Partridge Nest, Staffordshire.
An 18,000gns call late in the sale secured Gary Beacom’s best of the day, Lakeview Earn Your Keep who certainly lived up to his name. Sired by Castlecairn Doodlebug, he is out of a dam by Arkle Awesome and went in a four-way split to Kenny Pratt, Hilltop, Thomas Muirhead, Ochilmore, Robert Cockburn, Knap and Willy Davis, Usk Vale.
A brace then reached 17,000gns. First at this level was Stuart Barclay’s Harestone Eldorado, a Mellor Vale Déjà vu son out of a dam by Teiglum Braveheart, with this one shared by Robbie Wilson, Milnbank and the Knox family, Haddo.
The other to make this money was another from Gordon Gray, Ettrick Everest. This lamb with and index in the top 1% of the breed is by Claybury Dunkirk and out of a dam by Midcombe Brigadier. He was another to be shared, selling to A Gray and Son, Langside, J & H Gray, Scrogton and Ruaridh and Isla Graham, Craigdarroch.
A 14,000gns call followed that, with this paid for Sportsmans Eye Catcher from Messrs Boden and Davies. Sired by Castlecairn Doodlebug and out of an Auldhouseburn Black Magic daughter he has an index in the top 25% of the breed and found a new home with Paul Castle, for the Ulmus flock, Peterborough.
Selling at 12,000gns early on was Jack Arnott’s Haymount Enter The Dragon, a Sportsmans Dirty Harry son out of a Plasucha Boss Man daughter. He heads home with Allen Campbell, Strawfrank, Lanark.
Also at this price was another from the same pen in the form of Haymount Earth Wind and Fire. Again by Dirty Harry, he is out of a dam by Clinterty Yuga Khan and sold to Ben Vernon, Charben, Staffordshire.
A third and final 12,000gns call came for Holylee Ewe Dancer from David Preacher. This son of Sportsmans Cannon Ball is out of a dam by Auldhouseburn Billy The Kid and sold to Danny Hair, Drumbreddan and Angus McColm, Crailloch.
And taking an 11,000gns call was Knock Eagle Eye from Albert and George Howie. A son of Castlecairn Diamond Vision, he is out of a Knock Banker daughter and heads south to Shropshire with Matthew Ellis for the Cressage flock, with shares taken by D & J Dunlop, Holtridge, Shropshire and Willy Davis, Usk Vale, Monmouthsire.
No less than four then followed that at 10,000gns, with the first of these being Procters Exocet from Procters Farm. Another son of the 350,000gns Sportsmans Double Diamond, he is out of a Sportsmans Batman daughter and goes back to the noted Procters Sugarbabe. He sold to Cammie Gauld, Cairnam and Kerr Jarvie, Duncryne.
Next at this price was another by Double Diamond, Aludhouseburn Espirit from Hugh and Alan Blackwood. He’s out of a dam by Rhaeadr Best of the Best and sold to Nick Legge for the Thornbury flock, Leominster.
Just a few lots later came the next at this level, Glenside Emerald King from John Forsyth. He’s by Mellor Vale Déjà vu and out of a dam by Fordafourie Big Ben and sold to Gary Beacom for the Lakeview flock, Northern Ireland.
And a final 10,000gns call came for Garngour Egor from Alan Clark. By the great breeding Procters Chumba Wumba, he’s out of a dam by Knock Bantastic and sold with an index in the top 5% of the breed when bought by Messrs Dunlop, Elmscleugh.
Average; 290 ram lambs £3818.20 (Lawrie And Symington).