Scottish National Sale 2003

LANARK AUCTION MART

Wednesday 20th & Thursday 21st August 2003

photo gallery

REPORT (courtesy of the Scottish Farmer)

RAM LAMBS
Averages (with last year’s in brackets)
383 ram lambs, £2661.34 (290 at £2599.71).

Tophill Joe - 122,000gns

Eclipsing last year’s 88,000gns Texel record price paid at Lanark for Claybury Istabraq, this year’s topper also surpassed the UK sheep record of £101,000, also paid in 2002, for a Swaledale shearling ram at Kirkby Stephen. It also broke the world record price for a sheep, believed to be $240,000 Australian for a Merino ram in which, at current conversion rates, works out at around £100,000.

It’s not as if the 122,000gns sale was a one off. Outwith this amazing transaction, no fewer than 17 other ram lambs sold for five-figure prices — nine of which were in excess of 20,000gns — to produce the second best ever breed average, just short of last year’s trade.

In fact, the averages would also have been well and truly blown out the window if it was not for the fact that almost 100 more tups were sold this year, compared to the same sale in 2002.

It wasn’t just the quality of the sheep on display that boosted the trade though. With an additional 200-300 new members having joined the society over the past 12 months, there is a growing demand for the cream of the crop in the Texel world and the cream carrying the all important ARR/ARR scrapie genotype.

“ At present, only 14% of the tups are group 1s for scrapie, which means that breeders have a small pool to select stock rams from. And, because of this short supply, the value of a good ARR/ARR lamb has significantly increased,” said Steve McLean, chief executive of the British Texel Sheep Society.

“ As a result, we saw more breeders than normal joining consortiums to buy the good group 1 tups, which added significant value to certain sheep.”

However, Mr McLean was also keen to point out that such handsome dividends would not always be present for ARR/ARR sheep as the number of Group 1 sheep increase.

Not surprisingly, the 122,000gns tup lamb — from Lancashire breeders, David and Jane Houghton, who run the Tophill flock, at Bury, in Lancashire — was one of those favoured ARR/ARR sheep, but also one boasting a superior breeders’ head.

“ He’s easy the best lamb here,” explained Willie Knox, Mid Haddo, Turriff, one of five Scottish breeders who teamed up to buy the lamb. “We bought the 50,000gns Craighead Hercules lamb in 2001 and he is in the same league as that lamb if not better. He has a tremendous head.”

Commenting on the price of the animal, he said: “We are delighted that we’ve got him. We never thought he would be as dear to buy as he was but, at the same time, we were determined to get him.”

David Houghton, who runs 90 ewes in his flock was obviously delighted by the sale. “We always knew he was a good lamb — but we never realised just how good.”

Such was the demand for the lamb, that bidding opened at 20,000gns and, with the bids coming fast and furious, the sale was completed within two or three minutes.

The 122,000gns price tag is 100,000gns higher than the couple’s previous best when they sold Tophill Emerald in 1998 to Aberdeenshire’s Willie Knox, Mid Haddo; Mrs Margaret Lyon, Milnbank; and the Mairs, from Muiresk, all Turriff; and Sandy Lee, Fordafourie, Fraserburgh.

Notably, it was the same buyers, plus Robert Forsyth, Baltier, Whithorn, who purchased the 122,000gns cracker, Tophill Joe. His breeding is slightly different to Emerald, though with the sire being Knock Impulse, a tup purchased last year in partnership with Steve Symes, while the dam is a home-bred gimmer by Clogher Gigolo that goes back to an Annan-bred female.

Runners-up for Joe were the Campbell brothers, Keith, Allan and Roy, who run the Cowal flock at Lochgoilhead; and Bruce Renwick, of the Kelso-based Castlecairn unit.

The first Tophill lamb into the ring also caught the eye. Tophill Jack of Diamonds was the third prize single at the pre-sale show, and sold for 36,000gns, to bump up the pen average to a massive £42,814 for four.

Again, Knock Impulse was the sire with the dam being a home-bred ewe by Baltier Freddie. He heads out to work on the Craighead, Parkhouse and Ettrick flocks, owned by Allan Cullen, Carluke; Andrew Barr, Biggar; and Gordon Gray, Lindean, Selkirk; respectively.

Later in the day, Gordon Gray’s Ettrick flock balanced up its books with a 36,000gns sale to the Cowal and Castlecairn flocks, for a lamb which had been unshown due to the fact that Gordon was the official show judge. Top breeding is also behind this cracker, which stood third in his class at the Royal. The sire is Crookholm Impresario, the 9000gns purchase at Lanark last year which also stood reserve champion at the Royal earlier in the year, whilst also breeding a number of top show winners for the family. The lamb, Ettrick Jackpot, is out of an Annan Dazzle daughter bred from one of the top families in the 120-ewe flock.

There were more big bucks flying when the father and son team, Tom and Robert Laird, sold their Cambwell consignment from Skirling, Biggar, too. They first received 50,000gns for Cambwell Jacobite, and, minutes later, 13,000gns for his flock mate, Juggernaut.

Dearest of the duo and marked down as the third equal highest priced Texel lamb sold to date, was a son of Crailloch Galaxy, a tup bought privately from Angus McColm, Crailloch, Port William, that last year bred Cambwell’s previous 18,000gns top.

A bit of a looker too, this lamb was out of a Craighead Crackerjack-sired dam, and was placed second at the Highland and reserve breed champion at Lesmahagow, earlier in the year. Final bidders for him were the Campbell brothers from Cowal, who took half. The remaining half was knocked down to David McKerrow, Nochnary; Keith Jamieson, Annan; and Michael Black, Newton of Collessie, Ladybank. A team of four breeders were the second last bidders — Dougie Nesbitt, Alwent; Jim Goldie, Goldies; Robin Orr, Halbeath; and John McKerrow, Grougfoot.

Noted Ayrshire dairy cattle and pedigree sheep breeders, Ian Gilmour and son, John, Humeston, Maybole, enjoyed their best ever Texel sale to date too, with a 30,000gns transaction to the Draper family, who run 34 ewes in their Shrewsbury-based Claybury flock. Their purchase comprises a bit of home and some bought-in breeding, with the sire being Broomknowes Inspiration, a tup that goes back to Glenside Eurostar, used on loan from Ian’s brother, David, Broomknowes. The dam is a home-bred ewe by Annan Born Free.

Mrs Margaret Lyon, Milnbank, Turriff, also recouped all of her share of last year’s 28,000gns Durisdeer Instructor, when she sold a son for the same money. Securing a personal best for her flock was Milnbank Jersey Dudeck, a tup lamb brought out by Robbie Wilson, that is out of an Ettrick-bred ewe by Knock Firefly, purchased as a gimmer for 8500gns.

The bus-load of buyers who came up with the readies included Douganhill Farms, Castle Douglas; Bob and Robert Osborne, Durisdeer, Thornhill; Jim Neil, Boreland of Balmaghie, Castle Douglas; Stevie Harrison, Tinwald, Lochmaben; and Mrs Carolyn Hastings, Courthill, Dumfries.

The Haddo boys — William and Sons, Graham and Andrew — from Mid Haddo, always enjoy a flyer of a trade and this year was no exception, securing three five-figure sales, complete with a five-figure average for their pen of seven.

Again it was sons of the former record priced tup, the 50,000gns Craighead Hercules, that stole the show, with the three dear lambs all sired by him. Top on this list, at 22,000gns, was Haddo Jogger, out of a ewe by Glenside Forsyth. Forking out the cash were Herefordshire-based Nick Layton, Parkgate, and John Vaughan, Moorside.

The Gilmour brothers, Ian and David, from Humeston and Broomknowes, respectively, then went jointly to 18,000gns for Haddo Jordan, another by Hercules out of another Glenside Forsyth ewe that has already produced sons to £2900.

Just behind, on 17,000gns, they also sold Haddo Just Right, this year’s reserve breed champion at Turriff, to Albert and George Howie, West Knock, Stuartfield, Peterhead, and Brian Buchan, Clinterty, New Aberdour, jointly. The mother is by Muiresk Forever.

Helping to pay off that big purchase, Clinterty received 15,000gns from Kenny Pratt, Oldtown, Peterculter and Cambwell, for Clinterty Jedi, a son of the 5000gns Milnbank Hitman out of a ewe by Garngour Emperor, one of 70 ewes in the flock.

One of biggest smiles of the day came from Jimmy Warnock, Sandilands, Lanark, when he sold his No 4 lamb, for 22,000gns. This was Watchknowe Jimmy’s Pride, another ARR/ARR lamb, by the privately purchased Cornerstone Isaac, bred by David Simpson, in Northern Ireland. The mother, a gimmer, is by the show tup, Neills Gucci. Jimmy’s Pride, which also lived up to his name as the highest priced tup ever sold off the farm, was knocked down to Bruce Renwick, Legars, Kelso, with a share again being taken by the Cowal flock.

On the other side of the coin, Mr Renwick’s Castlecairn flock sold to a top of 20,000gns for the pre-sale champion, Castlecairn Jack Daniels, the only Group 2 scrapie genotype lamb in amongst the top prices.

However, what the lamb lacks in his genotype he has more than made up in his pedigree. The sire is the 50,000gns Craighead Hercules, while the mother was the first prize ewe at this year’s Highland Show, a Muiresk Forever daughter. From a 5000gns kick off bid, Jungle King was eventually split three ways by John McKerrow, Grougfoot, Linlithgow, and Brian Buchan, Clinterty, taking the biggest share, with the remainder selling to David Arkley, Dalmeny, South Queensferry.

Castlecairn was again in the money when the first prize tup lamb from the Highland, another Group 2 tup by Hercules, this time out of a Glenside Gurka dam, realised 9000gns to Lockerbie breeders, Jim Black, Corrie, and John Millar, Oldwalls.

Aberdeenshire Suffolk breeder, Jimmy Douglas, Woodhead of Cairness, Fraserburgh, was perhaps the luckiest man of the entire sale though. Having bought just four Texel females last year, he came out in style with one lamb for the Lanark event, which then came under the hammer for 21,000gns, selling to fellow Suffolk breeder, John Sinnett, Stockton, Stockton-on-Teme, Worcester.

Cairness Just the Job does, however, boast some classy bloodlines on both sides — the dam is the 19,000gns record-priced gimmer purchased last year at Lanark from John Forsyth, Glenside. She came in lamb to the 88,000gns Claybury Istabraq, the sire of the lamb.

There was more top breeding behind the best from Robert Forsyth, Baltier, Whithorn, when he sold Baltier Jaguar for 18,000gns in a joint sale to North Yorkshire breeders, John Mellin, Hull House, Hellifield, Skipton, and Stuart Currie, Beautry House, Rathmell, Settle. The breeding behind this transaction includes Craighead Hercules onto a Muiresk-bred ewe by Muiresk Forever, that is maternal sister to the 17,000gns Baltier I Catcher and 10,000gns Baltier Imp.

Matt and Craig Ridley, who tragically lost their Haltcliffe stock from Hesket-new-Market, due to the various foot-and-mouth culls, enjoyed a cracker of a day, with two sales at 16,000gns for two twin brothers.

The lambs, by Cambwell Impact, the first prize MLC tup lamb at last year’s Highland show, are out of a Loosebeare-bred ewe by Douganhill Ferrari, purchased privately along with 35 other Loosebeare females, in the restocking programme. The first of the twins, which also scooped the reserve overall championship at the pre-sale show, was knocked down to Ballagloney Farms, Isle of Man; David Houghton, Tophill, Lancs; and Geoff Boden, of the Cheshire-based Sportsman’s flock.

His twin heads off to work on the Alwent, Goldies and Halbeath flocks, owned by Doug Nesbitt, Jim Goldie and Robin Orr, respectively.

Having sold the record priced Claybury Istabraq last year, the Draper family from Shrewsbury, was again back in business with a 14,000gns sale for Claybury Jaguar. This one, a class winner at Shropshire and West Midlands Show, is by Haddo Ignitor and out of a Penstones-bred ewe, by Annan Gold Digger, which was purchased privately after standing first at the Royal Welsh. Notably, it was his grand-dam made the top price at the Penstones flock reduction sale recently, selling for 4200gns to Keith Jamieson. Jaguar heads back down across the border, purchased by Colin Pontin, Foxfield, Faringdon, Oxford.

Trade remained buoyant right to the end of the eight-hour sale, with the last of the big spenders being Avril Evans, The Brace, Llardenny, Usk. She went to 9000gns for Garngour Juror, a son of the 17,000gns Tapanui Icon, from the Clark family from North Garngour, Lesmahagow. Placed sixth at the pre-sale show, and fourth in his class at Lesmahagow, this stuffy lamb is out of a home-bred ewe by Garngour Goliath.

Other Leading Prices
8000gns — Glenside JP, by Claybury Istabraq, from J Forsyth, to G Gray, Ettrick, Selkirk; Knock Jackpot, by Castlecairn IOU, from A and G Howie, to A Cullen, Craighead, Carluke; Watchknowe Jazz King, by Cornerstone Isaac, from J Warnock, to Boden and Davis, Sportsman’s, Shrewsbury. 7500gns — Garngour Jack The Lad, by Tapanui Icon, from J and H Clark, to T MacTaggart, Rascarrel; J McKerrow, Grougfoot, and A Beaton, Slamanan, Falkirk.
7000gns — Haddo Jumbo, by Craighead Hercules, from W Knox, to TG and PM Jarman, Gwestyd, Powys, Wales.
6000gns — Birness Jordan, by Garngour Invincible, from G Stuart, to D MacPherson, Baldersbury Mill, Berwick-on-Tweed; Clynnog Joe Tex, by Glenside Inventor, from DB Owen, to Ettrick, and Garngour.
5500gns — Lyonshall Jerronimo, by Claybury Ivanhoe, from NBJ Layton, to Mrs M Dunlop, Corstane, Biggar, and M Hamilton, Woolfords, Carnwath.
5000gns — Sportsman’s Jazzking, by Cambwell Immortal, from Boden and Davies, to G Taylor, Station Road, Thirsk; Teiglum Jackpot, by Ettrick High Jinks, from Clark Farms, to Messrs McCue, Northern Ireland; Haddo Jed, by Craighead Hercules, from W Knox, to K Hourston, Didcot, Orkney; Glenside Juggernaut, by Claybury Istabraq, from J Forsyth, to SP and CP Williams, Great Wollascott, Bomere Heath, Shrewsbury; Muiresk Just James, by Craighead Hercules, from CG Mair and Partners, to Messrs Williams, Garth Lewly, Welshpool; Muiresk Jabot, by Craighead Hercules, from CG Mair and Partners, to J Young, Skerrington Mains, Hurlford, and W Brown, Barrance, Newton Mearns.

SHEARLING RAMS
Averages with last year’s in brackets — 40 shearling rams, £850.76 (75 at £674.66).

A dissapointing show of shearling rams saw only 40 rams change hands out of a catalogued entry of 63, with a top price of 3000gns achieved for tup from Willie Knox’ Haddo flock, from Turriff.

Haddo Inspiration, an ARR/ARR scrapie genotyped ram by Muiresk Forever and out of a ewe by Glenside Forsyth, was knocked down to Andrew Baird, Castlebrae, Sanquhar.

Craighead Hercules was behind the second highest priced shearling at 2500gns, from Colin Mair, Muiresk, Turriff. This was Muiresk Image, another ARR/ARR scrapie ram, this time out of a ewe by Haddo Bertie. Final bidder was John Sherrat, Combs Valley High Peak, Derbyshire.

Neil Harvey Farms, Blackadder Mains, Duns was also forking out the cash. It bought the first shearling into the ring, Goldies Inferno, from Jim Goldie, Townfoot, Mouswald, Dumfries, at 1800gns. The breeding behind this transaction includes Turin Hardy onto a ewe by Milnbank Episode.

FEMALES
Averages with last year’s in brackets — 124 gimmers, £547.02 (117 at £377.57).

There was a buoyant demand for Texel females on the previous night to the ram sale, when 12 lots sold at or above the 1000gns mark to bump up the overall average by more than £162 on the year and for seven more sold.

Top price in this section was 4600gns given for the reserve female champion from John McKerrow, Grougfoot, Linlithgow. This gimmer, an ARR/ARR scrapie genotyped female, is by the 17,000gns Glenside Hot Shot and out of a ewe by Ettrick E Male. She sold to Peter Gascoigne, Harehope, Eddleston, Peebles.

The same buyer also went to 2400gns for another ARR/ARR Grougfoot gimmer by Hot Shot, this time out of an Annan Triple Threat-sired dam. Grougfoot scooped one of the top averages cashing in 12 gimmers for £1072.75 apiece.

Wiston gimmers from SHC and JB Rawlings, also proved popular, with the pen of seven balancing out at £1286.25. Top from this Suffolk-based flock was a 2200gns sale for a group 1 scrapie gimmer, by Wiston Gonzales, purchased by Messrs Watson, Byresteads.

Two group two scrapie genotype Wiston females came under the hammer for 2000gns. The first, by Gonzales, was knocked down to Messrs Perrings, Tilt Hammer Mill, Settle, while another, by Wiston Eryx, was bought by Stuart Currie, Beautry House, Settle.

Another hitting the headlines was the champion from Hugh Frame’s Thinacres flock from Quarter, Hamilton. His show winner, a group 2 scrapie gimmer, by Thinacres Gemini and out of a ewe by Garngour Captain, realised 2100gns to Kenny Pratt, Oldtown, Peterculter, Aberdeen.

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