Again this year the market at Stirling was a hive of activity with several breed sales being held in conjunction with our Lleyn Sheep Society sale. There was plenty of people around the pens and ring to view the quality sheep on offer from our breeders and with the highest entry of sheep entered into the sale for a number of years, a crowd gathered and saw centre records broken in both the Ewe Lambs and Shearling rams sections!

A pen of 10 Shearling ewes from D Steen, Moffat topped the Shearling ewe trade and selling for £325/head to J & J Dick, Falkirk with another pen from the same home selling at £320/head to the same buyer. The 2^nd prize winning pen of 5 Shearling ewes from JK Goldie were knocked down at £320/head to Blackford Farms Ltd, Dunblane. The annual consignment from R Johnston & Sons attracted many bids with the family selling 50 females at £315/head to Allison & Sons, Biggar.

Stronger sheep were selected on the day with these types selling well with prices between £245 to £280. 6 pens reached over £300/head or more. With more sheep on offer at the sale than previous years, this did have an effect on females prices as there was more choice for buyers on the day.

Ewe Lambs had a tremendous trade with buyers bidding fiercely for the pens they wanted to take home. The 1^st prize pen of lambs from Farmstock Genetics, Selkirk reached a new record price at the sale, selling for £280/head to fellow breeders CJ & JS Robertson, Stonehaven. No pens of lambs were sold under £190 with many vendors having a pleasing trade with the overall average levelling off at £207/head.

Farmstock Genetics were again the prizes in the pre-sale show winning the Shearling ram class and breaking centre records with Whitlaw Oakley (00983/2525489) sired by Mullamore Jake who went on to be sold at 4800gns to fellow breeders W & N Lawrence, Aberdeen. Next M & R Cursiter Ltd, Orkney sold a Lagas bred Ram (00971/2520786) sired by a Lluest ram and sold for 1800gns to JR Traquair. T & B Fort sold their 3^rd prize winning ram Brightonhouse Ollie (01299/2530517) again sired by Lluest ram and sold for 1500gns to Floors Farming, Kelso.

Strong Rams for both pedigree and commercial breeding saw a good trade throughout the sale. 16 rams were sold exceeding 1000gns with many of our vendors seeing the commercial rams achieving 600 – 800gns meaning buyers were able to be selective but there were bidders around the ring until the end of the sale.

Averages

Shearling ewes to £325 av. £262

Ewe Lambs to £280 av. £207

Rams to 4800gns av. £930

Top Prices

Shearling Ewes

D Steen - £325, £320

JK Goldie - £320

R Johnston & Sons - £315 x2 £310

Farmstock Genetics - £280

Laga Farms - £275

CJ & JS Robertson - £270 x2

Ewe Lambs

Farmstock Genetics - £280

E Robinson - £205, £200, £190

R & S Turnbull - £200, £195

Rams

Farmstock Genetics - 4800gns,

M & R Cursiter Ltd - 1800gns, 1000gns

T & B Fort – 1500gns, 1100gns x3

H Goldie – 1450gns

JK Goldie – 1400gns, 1100gns, 1000gns

E Robinson – 1400gns

Laga Farms – 1200gns

R Peterkin – 1100gns

I Walling – 1000gns

Show Results

Judge: James Traquair, Tain

Pen of 5 Shearling Ewes

1st - Hamish Goldie

2nd - James Goldie

3rd - Carolanne Crawford

Pen of 5 Ewe Lambs

1st - Farmstock Genetics

2nd - R & S Turnbull

3rd - Ed Robinson

Shearling Ram

1st - Farmstock Genetics

2nd - Ed Robinson

3rd - T & B Fort

*photographs taken by J Robertson