The annual Blackface ram sale at United Auctions’ Stirling Agricultural Centre saw shearlings and ram lambs change hands at a steady but not excessive trade, with slightly smaller numbers forward.
This sale is always a two-ring event, with one devoted to the ‘Perth’ or North-type Blackfaces and the other to the ‘Stirling’ or South-type Blackfaces.
The top price of the day was a stand-alone £18,000 for a South-type ram lamb from John Murray, Crossflat, Muirkirk, selling jointly to John McPherson, Balliemeanoch, Loch Awe, and Mary McCall-Smith, Connachan, Crieff.
This one was by ‘McCoy’, a home-bred son of a £30,000 Aitkenhead purchase.
The top price was to be the only five-figure price in the near eight-hour sale.
The average for 152 ‘Perth’ shearlings was £605 down £140 on the year, with 16 fewer sold than last year. The Perth ram lamb average for 45 sold was £823 up £407 on the year, with two less sold this year.
The average in the ‘Stirling’ ring for 538 sold was £630 down £31 on the year, with 47 fewer sold. The 159 ‘Stirling’ ram lambs averaged £735 up £203 on the year, with 23 fewer sold.
After his stint on the rostrum, sales manager and auctioneer George Purves said: “Sheep from good strong pens sold well all day. The condition of the shearlings maybe reflected the weather they had come through right from when they were young and through last summer and winter.
“Ram lambs reflected the better summer this year and were in very good condition.
“We had plenty of people round both rings today but, as always, they were being choosy.”
Perth-type shearlings:
The highest price transaction amongst the Perth shearlings saw the pen leader from Matthew Hamilton, Woolfords, West Calder selling for £6,500 jointly to David Baillie, Calla, Carnwath and Mr Bresnan, Northern Ireland.
This one was by a £1,000 Viewmount and out of a ewe by a £2,500 Woolfords which was male champion at the first national show.
The Hamilton family run 900 Blackface ewes at Woolfords.
The Perth-type Blackfaces have a stronghold in Glenlivet and the next best price was to come from leading breeders in the area, Stephen Duncan and his son Stephen from Achdregnie. They took £4,200 for a son of a £2,900 Chamberwells and out of a ewe by an £800 Conway. The buyer was Tom Paterson, Craigneich, Comrie
Other leading prices;
£3,000 – David Baillie, Calla, Carnwath for son of a £3,800 Hillhead of Morenish selling to Stephen Duncan, Achdregnie.
£3,000 – David Baillie, Calla for a son of a £3,500 Watson, Northern Ireland selling to ST Adams and A Hunter, both Ballymena, Norhern Ireland.
£3,000 – Tom Paterson, Craigneich for a son of “Tom Daly” and out of a ewe by a £4,500 Woolfords selling to Cadogan Estates, Auchnacloich, Amulree.
£2,000 – Duncan Beaton, Newmill of Inshewan, Memus, Forfar for the pre-sale reserve champion, Irish bred by a £6,500 Woolfords and out of a ewe by a £7,500 Conway. Sold to Cadogan Estates, Auchnacloich.
£2,000 – WG Johnston and Son, Chamberwells, Glamis to Bert Grant, Glendamph, Glen Isla.
£2,000 – Stephen Duncan, Achdregnie, Glen Livet for the show champion by a £1500 Glenhead selling to Matthew Hamilton, Woolfords.
£1,800 – Keith Webster, Markethill, Coupar Angus to Cadogan Estates.
Perth-type ram lambs:
The second-top price of the whole sale on Saturday was to go to a “Perth” ram lamb from John Shearer, Hillhead of Morenish, Glenlivet. The pre-sale champion ram lamb it was quickly bid to £7,000 before being knocked down to Tom and Joe Adams, Ballymena, Northern Ireland. This one was full of Northern Ireland breeding being by a £7,800 Billy Grant and out of a ewe by a £1,000 Breslan.
Other leading prices:
£4,000 – David Baillie, Calla for a son of a £6,000 Haughton out of a dam by a !0,000 gns Conway Bros selling to A Smith and Sons, Glenkindie, Aberdeenshire.
£4,000 Duncan Beaton, Newmill of Inshewan for a son of a £4,000 McEvoy and out of ewe by a £5,500 Craigneich selling to Cadogan Estates, Auchnacloich. This lamb was reserve champion at Kirriemuir Show.
£1,800 – WG Johnston and Son, Chamberwells to B Curran, Culmore, Co Derry.
Stirling-type shearlings:
The big money transactions for South-type Blackfaces normally come later in the sale season at Lanark and Dalmally but there were nonetheless some useful deals between top breeders at Stirling.
The best of the shearling trade was the £5,000 bid for the first through the ring from JW Bennie and Sons, Merkins, Alexandria. This one was by a £3,500 Nunnerie and out of ewe by a £9,000 Nunnerie. The buyer was Burncastle Farms, Burncastle, Lauder.
T Renwick and Sons, Craigdouglas, Yarrow sold at £3,600 to James Duncan Millar, Remony , Aberfeldy for a son of a £16,000 Blackhouse out of a ewe by a £5,000 Hartside.
Other leading prices:
£3,500 – J Wight and Sons, Midlock, Biggar to Mc Arthur, Nunnerie for a home bred son of “The Warrior” and out of a ewe by the £60,000 Nunnerie bred “Soapy”
£3,200 – Kate Fairlie, Glen Cally, Glen Clova to John Little, Letar, Callander for a son of an £8,000 Crossflat.
£3,000 Mary McCall-Smith, Connachan, Crieff to McFadyen, Braglinmore for a son of a £9,000 Dalchirla out of a ewe by a home bred ram.
£2,500 – J Wight and Sons, Midlock, Biggar to C Coubrough, Whelphill, Crawford
£2,500 H Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Muirkirk to J Pirie, Laighpark, Milngavie for a son of “The Bolt”
£2,500 – W Dunlop, Elmscleuch, Dunbar to A McDonald, Ess and Dalbuiack, Carrbridge.
Stirling-type ram lambs:
The next best of the Stirling ram lambs to the sale leader from Crossflat was the £5,200 bid for the pen leader from Willie Dunlop and sons Quinton and Willie, Elmscleuch, Dunbar. The buyer was the Firm of Troloss Farm and the lamb was by an £11,000 Aitkenhead and out of a home bred son of a Glen, Innerleithen.
Other leading prices:
£4,400 – Hugh Blackwood, Auldhouseburn to David Henderson, Sweetshawhead, Elvanfoot for a son of a £12,000 Drumgrange and out of a ewe by “Bolt”.
£4,200 – Mary McCall-Smith, Connachan to Ian Paterson, Andy Woodburn and J Finlay for a son of a £1,700 Aitkenhead and out of a ewe by “Jings”.
£4,000 – McLaren and Wood, West Bracklinn, Callander to Chirmorrie Enterprises Ltd, Barrhill, Girvan for a son of a £2,200 Midlock and out of a ewe by an £1,100 Milnmark.
£3,200 – David Rock, Knock-o-Ronald, Gargunnock to I and S Malcolm, Wester Coliechat, Callander, for a son of an Auldhouseburn out of a ewe by an Elmscleuch
£3,200 – from J Murray, Crossflat, Muirkirk to John MacPherson, Balliemeanoch, Loch Awe.
£2,600 FDA and A MacVicar, Lephinchapel, Cairndow, Argyll to Wodburnand Paterson.
£2,600- H Blackwood, Auldhouseburn to Renwick Bros, Corsebank, Sanquhar.