PICTURES: ‘Caithness breeders came out in style’ – Top price of £8k raised at two-day ram sales
A top price of £8000 was achieved at last week’s Caithness Ram Sales held at the Quoybrae auction mart.
The annual two-day sheep fair, hosted by Aberdeen and Northern Marts at Caithness Livestock Centre, kicked off with the Annual Show and Sale of Multi Breed Rams on Thursday.
A total of 125 rams were sold under the auspices of the Caithness Sheep Breeders Association, sponsored by HRN Tractors.
Centre records were smashed for the Texels and Suffolks on day one, for the second consecutive year, with a top price of £2800 achieved for a Suffolk shearling from William Barnetson & Son, Lynegar, Watten, selling to J S Baillie, Sebay Farm, Tankerness.
The second top price of the night saw another record smashed twice for a Texel from Douglas Webster, Lower Reiss, followed by a Texel from Angus Gunn, Hill of Forss, both realising £2300.
The Champion Suffolk judged by Tommy Linklater, Stonelea, Stenness, was a shearling from A Brims Thruster Mains and sold for £1500 to the judge. The Reserve Suffolk was awarded to JB & L Swanson, East Murkle, Thurso, which sold for £2000 to M Thompson, Ospisdale, Dornoch, Sutherland.
Alison Webster, Ardhuncart Farms, Kildrummy, judged the Texels with a shearling from A Gunn, Hill of Forss taking Championship and going on to sell for £2300 to D Coghill & Sons, Skinnet, Halkirk.
The Reserve Champion was a shearling from D Webster, Lower Reiss, which went onto sell for £1400 to William Barnetson & Son, Lynegar, Watten.
In the Any Other Breed section, judge Zena Mackay, Bardnaheigh, Bridge of Westfield, tapped out her Champion, a Cross Tup from W S McCarthy, Myrelandhorn, that went onto sell for £700 to A MacKay & Sons, Starth Farm, Watten.
The Reserve Champion went to a Blue Texel shearling from K Mackay, East Mey, and sold for £900 to D Coghill & Sons, Skinnet, Halkirk.
On Friday, Aberdeen and Northern Marts – under the auspices of the North Country Cheviot Sheep Society – sponsored by Agri-Lloyd, saw a total of 74 rams sold.
On this second day, a top price of £8000 was achieved for the Overall Champion of the day, selected by judge Roderick Runciman, Allanshaws Galashiels, and Andrew Morris, Logie Farm, Newburgh, Fife.
The Champion was Upper Cornquoy Exclusive, a North Country Cheviot shearling, sired by Knockcocher Catapult and bred by Messrs J & J Smith, Upper Cornquoy, Holm, which went onto sell to James Bruce, Hagg Farm Ltd, Hagg House, Scarborough.
The Reserve Champion was a shearling ram, Bardnaclavan Eurostar, sired by Soutra Cannonball from D N Campbell & Sons, Bardnaclavan Farm, Bridge of Westfield, which sold for £1500 to J I Forbes, Boultach, Latheron.
The second top price of £3800 was achieved for a shearling ram from Messrs J & J Smith, Upper Cornquoy, Holm, which went onto sell to Firm of Mackay, South Balkeith, Tain.
The champion female was a gimmer from J S Baillie, Sebay Farm, Tankerness, which realised £1300 to James Bruce, Hagg Farm Ltd, Hagg House, Scarborough.
Scott Chapman, auctioneer at Aberdeen and Northern Marts, said: “With an outstanding show of rams across both days, the trade was electric from start to finish with a packed ringside of buyers, many of whom went home empty handed.
“The Caithness breeders came out in style with centre records smashed for a second year running and a fantastic top price of £8000 was achieved for a top-quality Cheviot shearling ram from Messrs J & J Smith, Upper Cornquoy, Holm.
“We would like to thank our sponsors HRN Tractors and Agri-Lloyd for their continued sponsorship of the events.”
Following on from the sale of North Country Cheviot Rams was the annual show and sale of 1150 gimmers.
Champion pen of 10 Gimmers judged by Stephen Sutherland, Sibmister, Castletown, were Park North Country Cheviots from J & J Smith, Upper Cornquoy, Holm which went onto sell for £255 to Fiona Anderson, Overton, Clyth.
The Reserve was the 1st placed Pen of Texels from W & S J McCarthy, Myrelandhorn, Bower, which sold for £250 to J & J M B Sutherland & Son, Latheronwheel Mains, Latheron.
Park Cheviot (314) averaged £291.40 to £1000 from Newbigging, Harray. Hill Cheviot (449) averaged £168.60 to £260 from Brackside, Reay. Cheviot Mule (70) averaged £165.46 (+£47.97) to £250 from Strichen Mains. Mule (186) averaged £184.22 to £230 (-£0.06) from Strichen Mains. Continental (142) averaged £205.95 to £250 from Myrelandhorn.
