Cheviot Ram sale 2023

South Country Cheviot breeders enjoyed a cracking trade at their annul sale at Lockerbie with a joint top price of £18,000, averages up on the year and more sold.

Despite an early calling for John Paton's Castle Crawford consignment, his two-shear ram was the first to achieve £18,000. The pen leader brought out by shepherd James Cochrane, is by Glenochar Knockout, bred from a home-bred ewe by Potholm Harrier and sold to Blair & Morag Cockburn, Stirkfield, Biggar.

Another from the same home achieved £6,000 selling to Billy Common, Crossdykes, Lockerbie. He is from the first crop of sons by the £20,000 Crossdykes Rob Roy, while the dam of this shearling goes back to Langdale Diamond.

Matching the £18,000 lead bid was a two-shear ram from father and son duo, Craig & Stuart Weir, Mainside, Hownam. Their tup also headed home with Billy Common who gets for his money a son of Stirkfield Craig out of a home-bred ewe from the 1,000 strong ewe flock.

Next in the trade stakes at £12,000 was a two-shear ram from Tom Elliot, Hindhope, Jedburgh. Backed by home-bred genetics, this lad is a son of Hindhope Beretta out of a home-bred ewe and sold to new breeder Ewen MacMillan, Lurg, Fintry.

Hindhope also took £6,000 from Messrs Bridgewater & Wood, Potholm, Langholm, for another two-shear, this time by the £11,000 Becks Ring Leader.

Neil Manning, Tweedshaws, Tweedsmuir, Biggar, was another in the money, taking £12,000 for a shearling ram from his 15 strong ewe flock. Backed by Castle breeding, the tup is sired by Castle Hercules which was used on loan, and bred from a ewe by a Castle tup. Norman & David Douglas, Catslackburn, Yarrow, were the final bidders.

The pre-sale champion from the Common family - Alan, Billy and his two sons, Murray & Innes, Crossdykes, Lockerbie - made £10,000 when selling in a two-way split to George Irving, Mountbenger, Yarrow, and Catslackburn. he is by Becks Quicksilver and out of a ewe by a home-bred tup.

The same home achieved a second £10,000 sale for a son of Crossdykes Senator, bred from a home-bred ewe by Becks Officer. He sold jointly to John Paton, Castle Crawford, and Tommy Aitchison, North Shortcleugh, Biggar.

Just behind at on £7,000, Crossdykes sold a son of Mountbenger Ace of Diamonds, out of a Mainside sired ewe to W J Douglas, Upper Hindhope. Jedburgh.

On the debit side, Crossdykes went to £10,000 for a two-shear from Robert & Alastair Warden, Skelfhill, Teviothead. Third in his class at the pre-sale show, this tup is by Skelfhill Quicky.

Skelfhill also took £9,000 for another two-shear ram by Crossdykes Panther from George Irving, Mountbenger, Yarrow.

The last pen of the day from Norman & David Douglas, Catslackburn, also sold well and to a top of £8,000 for the first prize aged ram at the Royal Highland Show and reserve champion at the pre-sale show. Sired by the £2,000 Kale Abe, he was knocked down to Craig & Stuart Weir, Mainside.

The male champion from the Royal Highland Show, again from Catslackburn made £7,500 selling to the Flemings, Sandy & William, Hislop, Teviothead. He is a son of Catslack Immortality.

After a successful day in the sale ring Castle Crawford, went to £7,000 for a shearling by North Shortcleugh Pirate out of a Glenochar Lethal Weapon sired ewe from Billy Goodfellow, Townfoot, Roberton.

On the same price, George Irving, Mountbenger, sold a shearling to Jim Robertson, Becks Langholm. Brought out by shepherd John Allan, he is sired by the £2,000 Catslack Hardy Boy, and is bred from a Castle Demon daughter.

Mountbenger also took £5,000 from Catslackburn for a son of Mountbenger Crackerjack and out of a home-bred ewe by a Kale tup.

There were 377 rams forward with 364 finding new homes with a clearance rate of 95.5%, and an average price of £1,380.25 (Up £44.49 on the year).

240 Shearlings averaged £1,226.38 while 124 Two-Shears averaged £1,678.06.

Welsh buyers were out in force and purchased 97, while 8 went to Cornwall, with a further 35 going to Northumberland, Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire.