Scottish National

from Texel Sheep Society Journal 2021 - A Year in Review

Chief Executive’s Foreword

Scottish National Sale

Ram lambs A flying trade at the 2020 Scottish National Texel Sale, Lanark, saw a new world record price for a sheep at 350,000gns when Charlie Boden and family sold Sportsmans Double Diamond from their Sportsmans flock, Stockport, Cheshire.

This lamb, one of 19 to make 10,000gns or more, is sired by the 65,000gns Lanark champion from last year when judged by Charlie Boden, Garngour Craftsman, and is an embryo-bred lamb from a ewe lamb flushed last year and sired by the 32,000gns Plasucha Big Gun.

The subject of much pre-sale speculation and a crowd puller from the moment he set foot in the market, Double Diamond carries an index in the top 1% of the breed and was met with an opening bid of 10,000gns. The price quickly escalated, with a rarely seen bidding war between a brace of consortiums, resulting in Brian Ross’ hammer finally falling in favour of a threeway partnership between Alan Blackwood, Auldhouseburn, Procters Farm, Procters and Messrs Teward, New View.

Second best at 65,000gns was Hexel Django from Donald and Sarah MacPherson. This son of Procters Chumba Wumba, himself a son of the 100,000gns Sportsmans Batman, is out of a dam by Duncryne Uber Cool and was another for whom the bids quickly flew in.

Taking this lamb was another three-way syndicate, comprising the Knox family, Haddo, Keith, Alan and Roy Campbell, Cowal and the Wight family, Midlock.

At 50,000gns was another from the same pen as the sale topper in the form of Sportsmans Dirty Harry. This lamb by Garngour Craftsman is out of a dam by the homebred Sportsmans A Star and heads away to a five leg partnership. Shares in him were taken by Robbie Wilson, Milnbank, the Nicholson family, Knockem, Bruce Renwick, Castlecairn, Donald and Sarah MacPherson, Hexel and the Arnott family, Haymount.

Another from Charlie Boden, this time from the Mellor Vale flock then followed that at 40,000gns, with this being Mellor Vale Déjà Vu. Again, by the 65,000gns Craftsman, he is out of a dam by Garngour Alabama and is another with an index in the top 1% of the breed. He was shared by Stuart Barclay, Harestone and John Forsyth, Glenside.

Gimmers

Robert Cockburn’s Knap flock enjoyed the pick of the gimmer trade when an Auldhouseburn Billy The Kid daughter sold for 5800gns.

This gimmer, CKP1903831, is out of a dam by Charben Valentine which also bred Robert’s 6000gns gimmer at the English National Sale in 2018. Buying this one was Eamonn Vaughan for the Partridge Nest flock.

Second best of the evening which saw an 83% clearance rate was a 5000gns call for a Blackstown gimmer across the Northern Irish breeders Messrs Wilson and Wilson Moses. This was WWB1901370, a daughter of Auldhouseburn Black Magic out of a dam by Eglur Viscount, with this one also heading south when bought by Charlie Boden for the Sportsmans flock.

The same buyer then paid 4200gns for one from the Procters flock of Procters Farm. This was PFD1903439, a Fordafourie

Balvenie daughter out of a dam by Glenside Whiskey Galore and with an index in the top 25% of the breed.

After that at 3800gns was the best of the sale from the Plasucha flock of Robert Bennett. This was BFE1909101, a Donrho Aristocrat daughter out of an Auldhouseburn bred dam by Glenside Willie Winkie. She was knocked down to Susan Campbell and Cameron Jackson for the Damside flock. Top flock averages Sportsmans £71,655 for seven Hexel £22,903.12 for four Teiglum £17,115 for two Claybury £15,032.50 for three Mellor Vale £13,187.50 for four Midlock £12,206.25 for four Haddo £9,219.00 for five