Three sales at 100,000gns or more as well as a further 16 bids at 10,000gns or more saw the Scottish National Texel sale record a best ever average of £4831.02 for 267 sold at an 83% clearance rate.
Myfyr Evans’ Rhaeadr flock was the one to leave the biggest footprint on the breed’s flagship sale when his much fancied ram lamb, Rhaeadr First Choice, lived up to his name when making 160,000gns.
This lamb, which had been unshown in the pre-sale show due to Mr Evans being on judging duties, is by Sportsmans Dare Devil, himself a son of Garngour Craftsman, and is out of a dam by the former Lanark topper Teiglum Younggun.
After a short, but fierce bidding battle this lamb went away in the three-way split to Charlie Boden, Sportsmans, Stuart Barclay, Harestone and James Theyer Clanfield. Giving Mr Evans a flock best sale, topping his previous leader, the 125,000gns Rhaeadr Best of the Best and a belting average of £44,205 for five sold, with others at 26,000gns, 12,000gns and 9000gns.
And Rhaeadr breeding was behind the second best price of the sale, when a son of the 24,000gns Rhaeadr Entrepreneur, himself a full brother to the 160,000gns sale topper, sold at 130,000gns for Jack Arnott’s Haymount flock. This was Haymount Fan Dabi Dozi which marked a new flock best for Mr Arnott.
This lamb is out of a Clinterty Yuga Khan daughter which is also dam of lambs at 22,000gns and 12,000gns, and was another shared three ways with Mr Boden again taken a share, along with John Forsyth, Glenside and Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn.
Mr Forsyth, then recouped his outlay and more besides when taking a best ever bid of 100,000gns for Glenside Forever, a son of the 7000gns Seaforde Empire King out of a dam by Usk Vale Captain Billy. Another split three ways, shares in this one were taken by Paul Rowlands and Willy Davis, Usk Vale, James Vaughan, Kingspark, Alan Powell, Monnow Hill and Nick Legge, Thornbury, with a share retained.
And next best at 70,000gns was another Haymount lamb by Entrepreneur, Haymount First Class. He’s bred from an Usk Vale Crackerjack-sired dam and is from the same family as the 32,000gns Haymount Divine King. This one sold to the Robin and Caroline Orr, Halbeath and Danny Hair, Drumbreddan.
Alan Clark and family, Garngour, then took 52,000gns for their pen leader, Garngour First Class. This son of Claybury Dunkirk is out of a dam by Procters Chumba Wumba which is a full sister to the 30,000gns Teiglum Dancing Brave and sold to the Teward family, New View, with an index in the top 1% of the breed.
Then making 42,000gns was the Wight family’s best from their Midlock pen. This was the Knock Eastwood son Midlock Foo Fighter. He’s out of a dam by Sportsmans Cannon Ball and sold to a consortium made up of James Wilkinson, Ballygroogan, Adrian Liggett, Corbo, Andrew Kennedy, Maineview and N Myles, Ballyshannon, Eire.
Taking a 32,000gns call was Donald MacPherson and family’s best of the day, Hexel Four Square. This one is another by the 24,000gns Rhaeadr Entrepreneur and is out of a dam by Procters Chumba Wumba. He sold to Procters Farm, Lancashire, for the Procters flock.
A brace then made 26,000gns, with the first of these being Myfyr Evans second best, Rhaeadr Field Marshall. Sired by Sportsmans Dare Devil and out of a dam by the noted Kelso Pavarotti, this one headed to Shropshire with Matthew Ellis for the Cressage flock.
The other at this money was Knockem Ferocious from young breeders Charlotte and James Nicolson. A son of Procters Eye Catcher he had stood third in his class in the pre-sale show and is out of a dam by Midlock Ali Baa Baa. Buying this one were Jemma Green, Corskie, Robbie Wilson, Milnbank and the Knox family, Haddo.
Close behind these two at 25,000gns was Sportsmans First Class from Charlie Boden, with this being a son of the 80,000gns Procters El Presidente and out of a ewe lamb by Castlecairn Doodlebug. Sold with an index in the top 1% of the breed he found a new home with Rob Evans, Hope Valley, Shropshire.
At 24,000gns early in the sale was Tophill Freestyle from David Houghton. This Garngour Ewe Nailer is out of a dam by Arkle Captain and sold to Peter Woof for the Stainton flock, Cumbria, Robert Pierce for the Oldford flock, Cheshire, The Riby family, Stonehills and Spiros Spyrou, with a share retained.
The reserve champion from the pre-sale show, Robert Bennett’s Plasucha Fireball, then made 22,000gns. He’s by Sportsmans Express and out of a dam by Teiglum Braveheart and sold with a top 1% index. Buying him were Jack Arnott, Haymount, Jim Innes, Strathbogie, Messrs MacGregor, Allanfauld and Kenny Pratt, Hilltop.
A 20,000gns bid then secured Auldhouseburn Fandabidozi from Hugh and Alan Blackwood. He’s by Seaforde Empire King and is out of a dam by the 350,000gns Sportsmans Double Diamond and headed to Northern Ireland with Mark Paterson, Alderview, W and J Herdman, Templepark, John Trimble, Curley and Stephen McNeilly, Drumadowney.
Then selling for 16,000gns was the pre-sale champion from Robert Cockburn, Knap, in the form of Knap Fred Flintstone. This son of New View Electrifying is out of a dam by Sportsmans Cannon Ball which has stood champion at the National Show in 2021 and sold to the judge Myfyr Evans for the Rhaeadr flock.
A 15,000gns sale saw Jack Arnott back among the money taking this call for Haymount Fancy That. Another by the 24,000gns Rhaeadr Entrepreneur, he is out of an Usk Vale Crackerjack daughter and sold to Alastair Gault, Forkins, Johnny Cubbitt, Long Mountain, John Greene, Eire and R McClaughlin, also Eire.
And Paul Rowlands and Willy Davis then took 13,000gns for Usk Vale Fandango, a Knock Eagle son out of an Annan dam by Teiglum Younggun. He sold to Patrick Donnelly, Donrho, John McKillop, Lowtown and Danny McKay, Rohan.
After that came a 12,000gns bid for Myfyr Evans’ last in his pen, Rhaeadr Flashy Boy, with this one also heading across to Northern Ireland with Mark Priestley for the Seaforde flock. He’s by Gasrngour Envoy II and out of an Auldhouseburn-bred dam by the 350,000gns Sportsmans Double Diamond.
Then came two at 11,000gns, with the first being the first five figure lamb of the day, Uppermill Fury from David McKerrow and family. He’s by Ettrick Earthquake and out of a dam by Knock Yankee and had stood second earlier in the summer at Great Yorkshire Show. This one headed to Douglas Webster, Lower Reiss and Jane Chisholm, Wester Moy, with a share retained.
The other at this level was Stuart Barclay’s best, Harestone Fast N Furious. He’s by the 80,000gns Procters El Presidente and out of a Sportsmans dam by Garngour Alabama and was shared by Charlie Harkin, Loughash, David Morrison, Dalwynne and Martin McAteer, Straid.
Averages; 267 ram lambs £4831.02 (+£1012.82) (Lawrie and Symington).
