Suffolk breed record smashed at Stirling

The breed record for a Suffolk sheep was well and truly broken yesterday at the Northern area sale at Stirling Agricultural Centre with a 90,000 guinea bid removing the previous best of 75,000 guineas.

Jimmy Douglas of Cairness, Fraserburgh and Myfyr Evans of Rhaeadr, Denbigh battled it out, with auctioneer George Purves finally dropping the hammer on the winning bid from Evans. For seller Dan Tynan of Ardlea, Co Laois, who only started his flock last year, it was an unbelievable entry into pedigree sales.

The record price helped push the sale average to 2,225.43 for 160 ram lambs sold against 156 in 2010 for an average of 2,136.

Evans sold his top ram lamb for 14,000gns to Claude Vanwijnsberghe a Belgian scrap metal dealer-cum-Suffolk enthusiast, who said there was a lot of interest in Suffolks on the Continent.

Evans - who has 95 pedigree Suffolks as well as small flocks of Texels and Charollais - also took two bids on the 8,000gns level and another at 5,500gns.

The first five-figure trade came early on with Alistair Gault of Forkins, Co Antrim, taking 13,000 guineas from Robbie Wilson of North Dorlaithers, Turriff.

There was a lot of interest around the Whitestone pen from Gordon Troup of Shaggart Farm, Sauchen and bidding for his top lamb went to 10,000gns from joint buyers Jimmy Douglas and Charlie and Kevin Proctor of Conveth, Turriff.

The Black family from Newton of Collesie, Ladybank invested 7,000gns in buying the show champion from Dan Tynan. The reserve champion from George Stuart of Milton of Birness, Ellon was bid to 5,000gns and went to Ian and Katherine Hepburn, Northhouse, Hawick.

In an all-Irish deal, the Taits from Burnview sold their top lamb for 7,000 guineas to veteran breeder, Stanley Herbert. The Deveronside entry from Barclay and Lucy Mair, Kinnermit, Turriff saw their top lamb being bid to 6,000gns before going off to Lilburn Estate, Wooler and manager Mickey Walton.

Also at 5,000gns, Robert Neill of Broadleys, Dunning, bought the top lamb from David Gilmour, Broomknowes, Maybole. In the pre-sale show, it took the Elite Commercial award. The top Signet recorded lamb from Jim Fleming, Halhill, Carluke was sold at 3,200gns with Sandy Fraser, buying for his Hazeltree flock, at Low Santon, Scunthorpe.

Top flock averages:

Ardlea: top price 90,000 guineas; four sold to average 26,617

Whitestone: top 10,000gns; two sold to av 5,985

Rhaeadr: top 14,000gns; ten sold to av 5,502

Forkins: top 13,000gns; four sold to av 4,593

Burnview: top 7,000gns; four sold to av 3,465

Broomknowes: top 5,000gns; three sold to av 3,150

Deveronside: top 6,000gns; four sold to av 2,113

Birness: top 5,000gns; eight sold to av 1,981