Dark Diamonds Suffolk In Lamb Sale

The sale, which included several consignments from the north-east, saw 65 gimmers average £1,646.07 and 20 ewe lambs cash in at £2,921.62.

Sale leader at 12,000gns from John Gibb’s Cairnton flock at Fraserburgh, was a ewe lamb which stood reserve champion at the Scottish National at Fife Show in May. By Bridgeview Balvenie, she is bred out of a home-bred Millhouse Remarkable dam, and is a grand-daughter of the Cairnton ewe that bred the 75,000gns Cairnton Chaos and 30,000gns Cairnton Strike. She sold south to James Theyer, of the Clanfield flock, Oxfordshire.

Father and son Graeme and Finn Christie, of the Balquhain flock, Inverurie, topped the in-lamb gimmer offering at 10,000gns. Selling to Stephen Cobbald, Suffolk, was a daughter of Howgillfoot Sniper, out of a home-bred Crewelands Kingpin dam. Her grand-dam is the dam of Balquhain Fireball, and sold carrying a pair of lambs to the 28,000gns Castleisle Blackadder.

Messrs Bignal, Bridgend, Islay, paid 5,500gns for another similarly bred gimmer from the Balquhain flock, and carrying twins to the same sire.

Melvin Stuart and family’s Birness flock from Ellon, sold two ewe lambs at 9,000gns and 5,500gns, both to Charlie Boden and son Tom’s Sportsmans flock from Cheshire.

Dearest, was a daughter of the 16,000gns Rookery The King, which has bred sons to 13,000gns in his first season.

The other, at 5,500gns, is a ewe lamb by the 13,000gns Sportsmans A Star, which bred the overall champion ram lamb at Shrewsbury to 19,000gns.

William and David Moir, Home Farm Cairness, Fraserburgh, established their new Suffolk flock when purchasing a gimmer for 7,000gns from neighbour Jimmy Douglas’ Cairness flock.

This one is by Cairness McCoy, out of a Cairness Sir William dam, and scanned with twins to Cairnton Nintey Nine.

Craig Paterson’s Cranorskie flock, from Aberchirder, topped at 3,400gns for a gimmer sold to Mark Priestley, of the Limestone flock, Co Down.

A winner in this year’s show circuit, she is by Birness Banter, out of a Castleisle Capaldi dam, and sold carrying a single to Pyeston Highlander.

Averages:
65 Shearling Gimmers £1646.07
20 Ewe Lambs £2921.62
1 Recipient carrying a pregnancy £1260