This year’s First Season Sire of The Year Award has resulted in a tie for first place, with the top spot shared by Strathbogie Gladiator and Scholars Governor, with both rams recording an average price of 27,500gns for their top three selling sons from different dams at Society National Sales.

Strathbogie Gladiator’s top three sellers were the Lanark topper Hexel High Voltage at 70,000gns, the 6500gns Haymount Humdinger and the 6000gns Haymount Heart Throb, all sold at the Scottish National Sale, Lanark. Gladiator, bred by Jim Innes, was purchased privately by Messrs MacPherson, Hexel and Arnott, Haymount last summer.

Meanwhile, the 16,000gns Scholars Governor was bred by Wrekin Shell Mouldings and his top three lambs were Auldhouseburn Hercules UK at 60,000gns, Auldhouseburn Hanky Panky at 20,000gns and Orchilmore Hulk at 2500gns, with all three of his top sellers also being sold at Lanark.

Then in third spot was Hexel Geronimo II bred by Donald and Sarah MacPherson. Helping him to an average of 16,870gns were the Lanark champion Saltcotes He’s A Belter at 45,000gns, Duncryne High Five at 2000gns and Saltcotes Heltah Skelta at 12000gns.

Taking fourth place this year was last year’s Lanark topper, the 170,000gns Knap Grumpy. His first was the 20,000gns Mellor Vale Hercules, with Mellor Vale Huntsman at 17,000gns and Mellor Vale Hamlet at 1600gns making up the trio. These three levelled at 13,510gns.

And in fifth was another from Jim Innes, Strathbogie Gypsy King the Lanark 2023 champion. In a remarkable show of consistency all three of his top selling sons made 10,000gns. These were Forkins Hawkeye, Drumcon Hall Of Fame and Drumcon History Maker.

Haddo Falcon, bred by the Knox family and sold at Lanark for 9000gns last year, has clinched the 2023 First Season Sire of the Year title, recording an average price of 58,100gns for his top three selling sons from different dams.

Haddo Falcon

Top seller among these was the 170,000gns Knap Grumpy from the Scottish National Sale, Lanark, with the 2500gns Knap Governor also selling at Lanark, while Overburns General sold at 1900gns at the same sale.

Taking second spot was Auldhouseburn Fancy Pants, bred by Alan Blackwood. His top three selling sons from different dams achieving an average of 44,333gns were Strathbogie Gypsy King at 100,000gns, Hilltop Golden Eye at 30,000gns and Strathbogie Gangster at 3000gns, all sold at Lanark.

In third spot with an average of 32,666gns was Haymount Fan Dabi Dozi. This one was bred by Jack Arnott and his top three selling lambs were Auldhouseburn Ghost at 42,000gns, Auldhouseburn Gazza at 36,000gns and Sportsmans Grand Slam at 20,000gns, all three of these sold at Lanark.

Fourth place went to Myfyr Evans’ Rhaeadr First Choice. Helping him to an average of 13,966gns were Clanfield Golden at 30,000gns, with Clanfield General at 10,000gns and Clanfield Gentleman making 1900gns.

And in fifth was Hexel Fan Club from Donald and Sarah MacPherson. He recorded an average of 9366gns for his three best sellers which were Hexel Geronimo at 24,000gns, the 3000gns Lakeview Goliath and Corbo Gigolo at 1100gns.

The award for 2021-born sires went to Myfyr Evans’ 24,000gns Rhaeadr Entrepreneur, with this ram recording an impressive average of 77,333gns for his highest priced three sons sold from different dams.

Rhaeadr Entrepreneur

Included in his highest selling trio were the 130,000gns Haymount Fan Dabi Dozi, the 70,000gns Haymount First Class, both from Jack Arnott and the 32,000gns Hexel Four Square from Donald and Sarah MacPherson, all sold at the Scottish National Sale, Lanark.

Taking second spot was Seaforde Empire King bred by Mark Priestley and sold at Lanark last year for 7500gns.

His top three sellers were the 100,000gns Glenside Forever from John Forsyth and a brace from Alan Blackwood in the form of the 20,000gns Auldhouseburn Fandabidozi and the 7500gns Auldhouseburn Finders Keepers. This gave him an average of 42,500gns for these three.

Knock Eastwood, bred by Albert and George Howie, came in third, with an average of 18,666gns for his three best sellers. These were Midlock Foo Fighter at 42,000gns and Midlock Flintoff at 8500gns for Karen Wight and family along with Teiglum Fightstar at 5500gns.

Following an action packed 10 days of National Sales in late August and early September the results for the First Season Sire of the Year showed an overwhelming trend, with four out of the top five all being sired by previous winner Garngour Craftsman.

Leading the way, in news which won’t surprise many, was the 350,000gns Sportsmans Double Diamond bred by Messrs Boden and Davies.

Sportsmans Double Diamond

He topped the rankings with an average for his top three selling sons of 73,333gns. These were Auldhouseburn Expression at 100,000gns, Procters El Presidente at 80,000gns and Procters Exocet at 52,000gns, with all having been sold at the Scottish National Sale, Lanark.

In second place was Castlecairn Doodlebug. Bred by Bruce Renwick, his top three selling sons from different dams sold at 75,000gns for Sportsmans Express, 18,000gns for Lakeview Earn Your Keep and 14,000gns for Sportsmans Eye Catcher. This gave him an average of 35,666gns, with all three once again sold at Lanark.

Third spot was filled by Mellor Vale Dakota, bred by Charlie Boden. His best-selling sons were Cressage Enforcer at 38,000gns, Oldford Eisenhower at 5000gns and Oldford Entertainer at 1200gns. This left with an average of 14,766gns.

It didn’t come as a surprise to anyone who had paid attention to the results from the Society’s National Sales to learn that the 2020 First Season Sire of the Year was Garngour Craftsman.

With sons selling at five figure prices at both Lanark and Worcester and the now world-famous Sportsmans Double Diamond selling for 350,000gns at Lanark, he was, without doubt, the in-form sire of the season.

Aside from Double Diamond, his other top-selling sons from different dams which saw him clinch the title with an average price of 146,666gns were, Sportsmans Dirty Harry at 50,000gns and Mellor Vale Déjà vu at 40,000gns, both of which were also sold at Lanark.

Taking second spot was Procters Chumba Wumba, himself a son of the 100,000gns Sportsmans Batman. His top three selling sons, again all sold at Lanark, were the 65,000gns Hexel Django, Teiglum Dancing Brave at 30,000gns and Hexel Dallas at 7500gns.

In third place was Sportsmans Cannonball, with him recording an average price of 15,333gns. His top-selling sons were Midlock De Niro at 26,000gns, with Midlock Dizzee Rascal and Craig Douglas Dancer both making 10,000gns.

Knock Bantastic claimed the 2019 First Season Sire of the Year title following the National Sales season, with his best three selling sons bred from different dams achieving an average of 75,000gns.

Bantastic, bred by Albert and George Howie, Aberdeenshire, was sold at the Solway and Tyne Club Sale, Carlisle, last year for 12,000gns, being bought by the Wight family, Midlock, Stephen Renwick, Craig Douglas and the Clark family, Garngour, Teiglum and Clarks.

His top three selling sons were the 200,000gns Midlock Capaldi, the 13,000gns Midlock Cobra and the 12,000gns Teiglum Charmer. All three of these were sold at the Scottish National Sale, Lanark.

Second spot with an average of 27,000gns for his best-selling three sons was the 17,000gns Silvermere Baltic. Bred by Michelle Hanson and sold at the Scottish National Sale last year, he was purchased by the Clark family and Harry and George Wilkinson, Arkle.

Helping him to second spot were the 65,000gns Garngour Craftsman, champion at Lanark, the 13,000gns Ellen Valley Caesar and the 3000gns Teiglum Courteener. Again, all three of these sold at the Scottish National Sale.

Hexel Born To Be Wild then picked up third spot with an average of 21,333gns for his best three sons, all three of which were bred in Willy Davies’ Usk Vale flock. These were Usk Vale Cheeky Charlie, a 36,000gns seller, Usk Vale Champagne Charlie at 15,000gns and Usk Vale Crackerjack at 13,000gns. Cheeky Charlie and Crackerjack both sold at Lanark, with Champagne Charlie being the sale leader at the English National Sale, Worcester.

Taking top spot in the first season sire of the year award for 2017-born sires was Sportsmans A Star, a ram lamb sold at the Scottish National Sale, Lanark, for 130,000gns.

Bred by Messrs Boden and Davies this ram comes from a background of breeding, with his sire being the 2016 sire of the year award winner, the 70,000gns Teiglum Younggun. He is out of a Cowal bred dam by the 42,000gns Cairnam Talisman, himself a former Lanark champion.

Sportsmans A Star was bought in a two-way split by Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, and John Forsyth, Glenside. Helping him to clinch the top spot were a trio of sons sold from the Auldhouseburn flock, with these being Auldhouseburn Boss at 75,000gns, Auldhouseburn Billy The Kid at 28,000gns and Auldhouseburn Bozo at 11,000gns, giving an average of 38,000gns. All three of these sold at the Scottish National Sale, Lanark.

Taking second spot was Plasucha All Star, a ram bred by Robert Bennett. This son of Knock Yankee was again bought at Lanark in a shared deal, with this one selling for 11,000gns to Messrs Campbell, Cowal and MacPherson, Hexel, with Robert Bennett also keeping a share.

The top three sellers from this sire were Plasucha Big Gun at 32,000gns, Plasucha Boss Man at 20,000gns and Hexel Born To Be Wild at 8400gns. This left him with an average for the three of 20,133gns.

Taking third spot was Allanfauld Am The Man bred by Archie and John MacGregor in the Allanfauld flock. He is a son of Knap You’re The Man which sold at Lanark in 2017 for 24,000gns, with shares taken by Messrs Knox, Haddo, Howie, Knock and Ingram, Logie Durno.

His top three selling sons were Haddo Balvenie at 40,000gns, Knock Banker at 28,000gns and Haddo Breadwinner at 24,000gns, with these three averaging out at 30,666gns.

Winning the first season sire of the year award for 2016-born sires was the Clark family’s Teiglum Younggun.

Sold by the Clark brothers, Alan, Andrew and David, and their mother, Helen, at Lanark in 2016 for 70,000gns, he went in a two-way split to Messrs Boden and Davies and Procters Farm.

Taking the award with an average for his best three sons of 46,566gns, Younggun is by the homebred Teiglum Windfall and out of a homebred dam which was interbreed champion at Great Yorkshire in 2016 as well as breed champion at the Royal Highland in the same year.

His top selling sons all sold at Lanark and were the 130,000gns Sportsmans A Star, the 6500gns Procters Abracadabra and the 3200gns Procters Ambassador.

Taking second spot was Clinterty Yuga Khan, bred by Brian Buchan Jnr and was shared eight ways byGordon Gray, Ettrick, Robert Cockburn , Knap, the Wight family, Midlock, Messrs Gray, Scrogtonhead, Messrs Blackwood , Auldhouseburn, the Knox family, Haddo, Messrs Arnott, Haymount and James Currie, Carlinside for 60,000gns at the Scottish National 2016. His best three sons were Midlock Avicii at 22,000gns, Ettrick Avatar at 9000gns and Tima Ace at 8500gns. This gave Yuga Khan an average of 13,166gns for his best three sons.

And in third was Knap You’re The Man bred by Robert Cockburn. He was bought by Archie Hamilton, Smyllum, Kerr Jarvie, Duncryne, Cammie Gauld, Cairnam, James Robinson, Kaker Mill, John Neville, Thornville, Alex Thompson, Kilcoan, Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld and Liam Dillon, Eire, for 20,000gns at Lanark 2016. His best sellers were Allanfauld Am The Man at 24,000gns, Cairnam Anarchy at 3000gns and Allanfauld Archimedes at 200gns. You’re The Man’s best three sons levelled out at 9733gns.

The winner of the first season sire of the year award for 2015 born sires was Tophill Wall St. Bred by David Houghton, this one was bought last year in Lanark for 32,000gns by Brian Buchan, Clinterty, Albert and George Howie, Knock and the Knox family, Haddo, with David Houghton retaining a quarter share.

His best-selling three sons in 2016 were all sold at Lanark, being the 60,000gns Clinterty Yuga Khan, the 52,000gns Clinterty Yogi Bear and the 15,000gns Knock Yardman, with all three of these being sold at the Scottish National Sale, Lanark.

This resulted in an average for the three sons of 42,300gns, with Wall St himself being a son of Procters Ventura and out of a dam by Milnbank Times Square.

Taking second spot was Glenside Wild Boy, bred by John Forsyth and bought by the Innes family, Strathbogie, Robbie Wilson, Milnbank, and Bryden, Nicholson, for 12,000gns at the Solway and Tyne Club Sale, Carlisle. His best three sons were Strathbogie You’re Tupped at 42,000gns, Strathbogie Yabba Dabba Doo and Strathbogie Yolo at 11,000gns. This gave Wild Boy an average of 21,666gns for his best three sons.

And in third was Millar’s Windbrook bred by Cyril and Martin Millar. He was bought by the Innes family, Strathbogie, for 14,000gns at Lanark. His best sellers were Strathbogie Strathbogie Ya Belter at 35,000gns, Strathbogie Yankee Doodle at 5000gns and Strathbogie Y Fronts at 4000gns. Windbrook’s best three sons levelled out at 14,666gns,

This year’s First Year Sire of the Year is Garngour Vintage, bred by the Clark family in their Garngour flock, Lanark, and purchased by Albert and George Howie, Knock, in conjunction with the Knox family, Haddo, and Sandy Lee, Fordafourie, at Lanark last year.

His three high selling sons at National Sales in 2015 were Knock Will-I-am from the Howies which sold for 70,000gns at Lanark to Charlie Boden, Fordafourie Welcome which sold at 1500gns at Lanark and Haddo Winner from the Knox family which made 500gns, again at Lanark.

This left Garngour Vintage, who carries an index of 307, with an overall average for his three highest selling sons from individual dams of 24,000gns. Vintage himself is a son of the 32,000gns Springwell Ulsterboy, himself the third placed sire of the year in 2014, and is out of a dam by Strathbogie Smokey Blue, the fifth placed sire of the year in 2012

Taking second place was Cornmore Velvet Jacket bred by John Leitch and sold for 85,000gns at Lanark last year. His three sons all came from one flock, with these three being Glenside Willie Winkle, Glenside Willy Nilly and Glenside Whiskey Galore, which sold to 24,000gns, 16,000gns and 15,000gns, respectively, for John Forsyth. These three averaged 18,333gns.

And third spot this year went to Procters Ventura. Bred by Procters Farm and purchased for 4000gns in 2014 by David Houghton for the Tophill flock in partnership with Charlie Boden. His three dearest sons were Tophill Wall St which made 32,000gns, Tophill White Knight at 5800gns and Tophill World Cup which sold for 1100gns, leaving Ventura with an average price for his best three sons of 12,970gns.

An overseas sire has claimed the British Texel Sheep Society’s Sire of the Year award for the first time. This year’s winner of the award was Eire bred Oberstown Usain Bolt.

Usain Bolt was bred by Pat and Barry Farrell of the Oberstown flock and was bought at the Irish Texel Sheep Society’s National Sale in August 2013 by Paul O’Connor for his Drumgooland flock, Seaforde, Co Down.

His three sons with the highest average were bred in two different flocks and sold at the Scottish Premier Sale, Lanark, and the Northern Irish Premier Sale, Ballymena.

The highest selling son of the trio was Mullan Vivaldi, bred by Brian Hanthorne and sold for 52,000gns at Lanark. This lamb sold to Neil and Stuart Barclay, Harestone, Jim Innes, Strathbogie, and Graham Morrison, Deveronvale.

His second best-selling son was another lamb bred by Brian Hanthorne, Mullan Van Gogh. This lamb was also sold at Lanark, this time making 3500gns to Douganhill Farms and Caroline Hastings.

And the final lamb in the top selling trio was Springwell Vierra from Henry Gamble. This lamb sold for 3000gns at the Northern Irish National Sale, Ballymena, and was bought by Owen Donohoe for the Derryvore flock, Enniskillen.

The three lambs recorded an average price of 19,500gns (£20,475).

In 2013 the award was one by Messrs James Innes and Sons, Strathbogie, with the three top sons of their homebred sire Strathbogie Terminator.

Terminator is jointly owned with Graham Morrison (Deveronvale flock), who endorsed Jim Innes’s high opinion of the ram by paying £30,000 privately for a share of Terminator in June 2012.

The three sons which contributed to the 64,800gns winning aggregate included the 48,000gns Strathbogie Untouchable (IJS1300280). Following his sale at Lanark, Jim Innes decided to retain a ¼ share, so he has since been used heavily across the four flocks of his co-owners via ET work, namely; Auldhouseburn, Castlecairn, Milnbank and Strathbogie.

The remaining two ram lambs in the winning trio included Strathbogie Unforgettable, a full ET brother to Untouchable, which topped the Worcester sale, selling at 6800gns to Messrs Bradley-Farmer, Hampshire. The final member of the winning trio was Strathbogie Uno, sold for 10,000gns to John Greene & Co, Donegal, Eire.

The Scholars flock of William McCaffrey claimed the honour of second place with Scholars Twenty Twelve. Scholars Twenty Twelve was also instrumental in ensuring that Messrs Innes’s consignments were the star attractions at the sales which they attended, namely Lanark, Worcester and Carlisle. His top bred son in his third placed trio was the 32,000gns Strathbogie Upgrade which joined the Parkhill flock of Robin Kellet, Northants.

Teiglum Tornado, came in third. Tornado’s three Milnbank bred sons included the 40,000gn Ur the Boy, purchased jointly by the Cowal and Sportsmans flocks.