Birness Ram Lamb takes top price of 43,000gns
Date: 25th July 2019
Sponsor: Carrs Billington Ltd.
Auctioneers: United Auctions
Judge: Iain Barbour, Solwaybank Flock
A top price of 43,000gns, one of eight lots selling at five-figures, set the scene at an electric Suffolk Society ram sale at Stirling, where George Stuart’s Birness flock led the trade with the top price. Click here to view pedigree
Donegal Breeder, Andrew Wilson (Castleisle Flock) had an excellent day in the sales ring selling 6 ram lambs to a top of 21,000gns with an average of 11,650gns.
“This has been an excellent sale this year despite the obvious challenges facing agriculture. I am particularly pleased that there isn’t just a single big headline price, but there was quality prices throughout the sale. This is the second year in a row that the sales average has recorded an increase with an average of £2,852, which is very encouraging for the breed. It has been a difficult year for our breeders and its great to see such a buoyant and positive sale on the back of some challenging months, not lease with all the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.”
Suffolk Sheep Society Chief Executive Robin McIlrath
The 43,000gns top price was a son of Ballynacannon Noah, out of a ewe by Cavanagrove Catalyst. He was knocked down to Dennis Taylor with Mark Priestley and Michael McNally (all N Ireland) taking a quarter share each.
Not satisfied with getting the top price, Birness flock averaged 7,667gns for their pen of 9 lots with Stephen Sufferin paying 10,000gns for the Limestone Legacy sired lot 147 out of a Birness ewe.
Next in the money list was Philip Poole’s Salopian Flock lot 155. This Solwaybank Rock Solid sired ram out of a Cloontagh Chieftain Sired Salopian dam was knocked down for 30,000gns to Paul Delves for addition to his Powys Bridgeview Flock.
Crewelands flock’s Male, and Overall Champion, (lot 124) was bought by Iain Barbour for 26,000gns from Dumfries for his Solwaybank flock. This Birness Playboy sired ram is out of an Ballynacannon Taylor Made sired ewe.
Mark Priestley (Limestone flock) got an average of 7,375gns for his 4 lambs with the 23,000gns lot 118 going to Seamus Browne for his Errigal Flock in Donegal. This Limestone Aston Martin Sired ram is of a Limestone Brigadier sired Gransha dam.
Donegal Breeder, Andrew Wilson (Castleisle Flock) had an excellent day in the sales ring selling 6 ram lambs to a top of 21,000gns with an average of 11,650gns. The hammer fell at 21,000gns for the Limestone Aston Martin lot 201 out of a Cairness Liam sired Castleisle dam going to Chris Holmes Rookery Flock in Worcestershire. Next in the price list for the Wilson pen was another Aston Martin sired lamb out of a Cairness See the Stars sired dam, lot 200, selling for 20,000gns to fellow irish breeder, Arthur O’Keeffe of the Annakisha Flock in Cork. Aberdeen flocks Birness and Strathbogie shared the 16,000gns price for another Aston Martin lamb, this time out of a Shannagh bred dam. The remaining three from the Wilson pen went for 5,500gns (Mr Delday, Orkney), 4,200gns (S Lathangie of Fife, Wallace & Co of Newton Stewart and R H Black of Fife) and for 3,200gns to Boden & Davies of Stockport.
Clearance 64%
Class 1 Young Handler (aged 8-12)
Duncan Gill Memorial Trophy
1st Deon Fleming
2nd Finn Christie
3rd Gemma Stuart
Class 2 Young Handler (aged 13-16)
John Stuart Memorial Trophy
1st Hannah Lorimer
2nd Eoin Butler
3rd Murray Stuart
Class 3 Single Gimmer
1st Lot 4 Patrick Donnelly
LRT:18:01328 by Birness Donn
Class 5 Elite Commercial Ram Lamb
1st Lot 69 D J & D S McKay
UUN:19:01064 by Strathbogie I’m Invincible
2nd Lot 176 Mr Graeme J Christie
PDN:19:00977 by Lakeview Under the Radar
3rd Lot 114 by Mr & Mrs B Nicolson
SUP:19:12042 by Lakeview Bob
Class 6 Novice Breeder in first three years at Stirling
1st Lot 46 Jack & Alfie Moses
UJL:19:00497 by Mullaghboy Goliath
2nd Lot 155 Philip W Poole
V87:19:00614 by Solwaybank Rock Solid
3rd Lot 141 Shaun & Ruth Turkington
SLJ:19:00145 by Strathbogie Statham
Class 7 Open Ram Lamb
1st Lot 124 Stephen Sufferin
PWN:19:01154 by Birness Playboy
2nd Lot 118 Mark J W Priestley
KPC:19:01246 by Limestone Aston Martin
3rd Lot 158 Mr & Mrs S & W Tait
T86:19:01379 by Strathbogie I’m Invincible
Class 8 Pen Of Three
1st Stephen Sufferin
Male Champion
Lot 124 Stephen Sufferin
PWN:19:01154 by Birness Playboy
Reserve Male Champion
Lot 118 Mark J W Priestley
KPC:19:01246 by Limestone Aston Martin
Champion Ram Lamb bred in Scottish Area
Lot 148 George L Stuart
1W:19:02405 by Ballynacannon Noah
Click here to view Pedigree
Reserve Male Champion Lot 118 KPC:19:01246 by Limestone Aston Martin from Mark Priestley sold for 23,000gns 
Male Champion Lot 124 PWN:19:01154 by Birness Playboy from Stephen Sufferin sold for 26,000gns 
Champion Ram Lamb bred in Scottish Area Lot 148 1W:19:02405 by Ballynacannon Noah, from George L Stuart pictured with family 
Lot 155 V87:19:00614 by Solwaybank Rock Solid from Philip W Poole sold for 30,000gns 
Lot 201 DDX:19:01124 by Limestone Aston Martin from Andrew Wilson sold for 21,000gns 
Lot 148 1W:19:02405 by Ballynacannon Noah from George Stuart sold for the top price of 43,000gns
