2006 English National Texel Show
and Sale
Monday
28th & Tuesday 29th
August 2006
ENGLISH NATIONAL SEES BLOODLINES SPREAD AROUND
A top price of 12,000 guineas for a Goldies ram lamb with
an index of 305 was the highlight of the AMC National Texel
Show and Sale at Worcester. A few more sought after sheep
reached high prices but otherwise it was, as Society Chairman
Victor Chestnutt put it, 'a day when the money was well spread
about'.
 |
| Top price at the English National Sale went to
Jim Goldies’ Goldies Matador, selling for 12000gns
to David Milne of Forfar. |
Mr Chestnutt went on to explain: "Today a pile of
breeders have been getting a good price as opposed to one
getting a fantastic price and that will do the breed good.
"After genotyping, our bloodlines got very tight and
this is the year when they will spread out again. While it's
nice to have the hype of a big high price, it's far more
beneficial to have the money spread around".
Of 467 sheep forward, 80.5% of females were sold, 65% of
ram lambs and 51% of shearling rams. Average prices for shearling
ewes were up 100 guineas, down a hundred guineas for ram
lambs and similar to last year for shearling rams. McCartneys
partner, Clive Roads, said it had been a good sale, although
he was a little disappointed with the clearance rate.
But all eyes were on Jim Goldie's, Goldies Matador, Lot
192, genotype ARR/ARR from the outset. One of triplets, it
went to David Milne, of Forfar, Angus, who had bred the dam's
sire, Turin Hardy. The full brother had made 8,000 guineas
at Lanark the previous week and the sister was being retained.
Jim Goldie attributed the price to 'a combination of breed
character, conformation, and good recording figures'. The
index of 305 was the best they had had this year.
"When you are eating lamb, you like to eat the eye
muscle that is what matters if you see these in a shop",
he added. "And with an ultra sonic scan, it tells you
what you are getting. But the flockmaster's eye is still
important. Your eye is the first thing, the figures come
second".
Even so, Jim Goldie is convinced enough to have commissioned
the new gene test, taken from a drop of blood. He had his
best lambs tested and found that it backed up the recording
figures, with 75% of the sheep tested placed in the top category.
David Milne who runs a hundred pedigree Texel ewes and has
been breeding them for thirty years said that in his opinion
his purchase had been the best ram in the sale.
"It's the one I wanted, the only one I wanted today",
he added. "It has the breed characteristics that I
like, and the bloodline."
 |
| Second top of the day 9200gns went
to Milnbank Mercedes, from Mrs Margaret Lyon and sold
to Jimmy Douglas of Cairness. |
The second highest price paid was 9,200 guineas for a novice
ram lamb, second in its class. Lot 388 was Milnbank Mercedes,
genotype ARR/ARR, sold by Mrs Margaret Lyon to Jimmy Douglas
of Cairness, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire. The sire was the
18,000 guinea Clougher Lincoln.
 |
| Selling for 8000gns was Cambwell
Mountain from T&A Laird and purchased by TJ&JH
Prentice of Ipswich. |
The third highest price was 8,000 guineas for lot 309, Cambwell
Mountain, bred by T & A Laird of Skirling, Biggar, Lanarkshire.
The genotype ARR/ARR February born ram lamb was second in
the Signet/MLC recorded lambs class and was sired by Cambwell
Laird and sold to T J and J H Prentice of Creeting St Mary,
Ipswich, Suffolk, and P K Woof of Kendal, Cumbria.
The Supreme Champion, Lot 11, was a shearling ewe bred by
relative newcomers, Peter and Janet Vaughan, and sons Nick
and James, of Leominster, Herefordshire. It sold to Gordon
Gray for his Ettrick Flock at Selkirk for 5,500 guineas.
 |
| Supreme & Female Champion of
the day was a Kingsland Shearling Ewe from Messrs Vaughan,
selling for 5000gns to Gordon Gray of Selkirk. |
The Vaughan family founded their Kingsland flock just three
years ago and the genotype ARR/ARR shearling ewe was sired
by Haddo Jogger, bought then for 22,000 guineas. His daughter
was reserve Interbreed Champion at this year's Royal Welsh
Show.
"He (Haddo Jogger) is the most successful ram to have
left Scotland in the past three years", enthused Peter. "He
was the most powerful ram I have ever seen in my life on
the day and he is still as fit as a fiddle – and that
is so important when it comes to commercial sheep on the
farm."
The success was all the more welcome as show day coincided
with the Vaughans' twenty sixth wedding anniversary!
 |
| Champion Ram Lamb & Reserve
Supreme Champion, Baltier Masterstroke from Robert
Forsyth of Whithorn sold for 2500gns. |
The champion ram lamb, Lot 265, was Baltier Masterstroke,
bred by Robert Forsyth and Sons, of Baltier Farm, Whithorn,
Wigtownshire. Genotype ARR/ARR it sold for 2,500 guineas.
It was bred from an embryo sired by Douganhill Jeronimo.
The dam, out of Craighead Hercules, was purchased by him
for 5,000 guineas at Carlisle two years ago. The ram lamb
is a full brother to the previous week's Lanark champion
which sold for 18,000 guineas.
Other high prices included Lot 183, a Claybury ram lamb
which sold for 4,500 guineas to A D Bishop of Edlersfield,
Gloucestershire. H J & J R Draper's Claybury Mainlander
was third in its class of Signet/MLC recorded ram lambs and
was sired by Glenside Lord of the Ring. Its dam was out of
Caron He Is Classic and also bred Claybury Legacy which sold
for 5,500 guineas at Lanark in 2005.
 |
| Glenside Marcus sold for 4200gns
for breeder John Forsyth. |
The reserve male champion, John Forsyth's Glenside Marcus,
Lot 300 sold for 4,200 guineas to L Jones of Tywyn, Gwynedd.
The ram lamb was sired by Castlecairn Keltic Star. The dam
was described as an 'outstanding ewe' sired by the 88,000
guinea Claybury Istabraq.
 |
| Langford Leader Again sold for 3800gns
to Neil Crichton, Berwick on Tweed |
The top price shearling was Lot 460, the 3,800 guinea Langford
Leader Again, fourth in its class and sold to N S Crichton,
Berwick on Tweed. It was sired by Handbank Jack The Lad and
its dam was by Baltier Favourite.
 |
| Crookholm Montoya also sold for
3800gns for breeder KD & DE Millar of Crookholm
Farm, Canonbie, Dumfries-shire |
Also sold for 3,800 guineas was Lot 135, K D & D E Millar's
of Crookholm Farm, Canonbie, Dumfries-shire, Crookholm Montoya,
a ram lamb which went to E Gwyn, Banwell, Weston Super Mare.
It was sired by Penparc Lexus and its dam was sired by Forkins
Jacko.
Lot 385 Bruce Renwick's Castlecairn Massimo sold to G V & J
A Hardman, Shrewsbury, for 3,400 guineas. The ram lamb was
sired by Baltier Kracker and the dam was sired by Muiresk
Forever.
 |
| Ettrick Moscow Flyer sold for 3200gns
for breeder Gordon Gray |
Gordon Gray's ram lamb, Ettrick Moscow Flyer, Lot 331, sold
for 3,200 guineas. The ram lamb was fifth in its class and
sired by the 52,000 guinea Baltier King, its dam was sired
by Cornerstone Isaac. The dam is ET sister to the dam of
Mighty Mouse, reserve male champion at this year's Highland
Show.
 |
| Haddo Marvel sold for 3100gns for
breeder William Knox |
William Knox's Haddo Marvel, Lot 314 sold for 3,100 guineas.
The ram lamb was sired by Glenside Loneranger. The dam was
sired by Kirtle Banker and the lamb is a maternal brother
to the 10,000 guinea Kinship.
Society Chief Executive, Steven McLean, said it had been
a good day with a good, commercial, bottom to the sale. Auctioneers,
McCartneys, had made effective use of a marquee to bring
all the sheep together and, most importantly, there had been
plenty of good sheep.
 |
| Judge Geraint Jones makes his selection |
Judge Geraint Jones of Nanterwhaidd, Gwyddelwern, Corwen,
Denbighshire, praised the 'good standard of sheep'.
Signet representative Maurice Jones reported that of the
154 sold, there were 110 non-recorded which averaged 790gns,
whilst the 44 recorded animals averaged 1211gns. Also, those
with an Index in the top 10% of the breed, averaged 1721gns.
Show results:
Supreme Champion: Vaughan Farms Kingsland
5500 guineas
Reserve Supreme Champion: Robert Forsyth
Baltier 2500 guineas
Male Champion: Robert Forsyth Baltier 2500
Reserve Male Champion: John Forsyth Glenside
4200
Female Champion: Vaughan Farms Kingsland
5500
Reserve Female Champion: P K Woof Stainton
1400
Class One. Shearling ewes:
1st Vaughan Farms Kingsland
2nd P K Woof Stainton
3rd J & G Y Davies Aman
Class Two. Shearling Rams:
1st Mrs A Nairey Meinspride
2nd F H Chave & Son Peacehay
3rd S J & H Smith Penparc
Class Three. Novice Ram Lambs:
1st Kirrin Forsyth Kirrin
2nd Mrs Margaret Lyon Milnbank
3rd J & H Clark Garngour
Class Four. Ram Lambs:
1st R Forsyth & Sons Baltier
2nd John Forsyth Glenside
3rd H J & J R Draper Claybury
Class Five. Signet/MLC Recorded Ram Lambs:
1st James K Goldie Goldies
2nd T & A Laird Cam,bwell
3rd H J & J R Draper Claybury
Class Six. Group of Three:
1st T & A Laird, Cambwell
2nd J & H Clark Garngour
3rd N B J Layton Lyonshall
Prices:
Males:
12,000 sold to Balbinny
Farms, Forfar, Angus
9,200 J G Douglas, Fraserburgh, Aberdeen
8,000 T & J Prentice, Ipswich, Suffolk
with P Woof, Kendall, Cumbria
4,400 A. D. Bishop, Eldersfield, Glos
4.200 L. Jones, Tywyn, Gwynedd
3,800 E. Gwyn, Banwell, Weston Super Mare
3,800 N. S. Crichton, Berwick on Tweed
3,400 G.V. & J. A. Hardman, Shrewsbury,
Salop
Females:
5,500 sold to G Gray, Selkirk
Averages:
99 shearling ewes averaged £463.38
154 ram lambs averaged £910.30
52 shearling rams averaged £585.59
|
