Prices soar as Texel demand hits fever pitch
Prices soar as Texel demand hits fever pitch
By Jeremy Hunt
North-west correspondent
A FRENETIC demand for Texel in-lamb gimmers sent prices rocketing sky high at Lanark last weekend reaching 8500gns and levelling 97 deals at £1127.
The Mair familys consignment was rated as the best ever from their successful Muiresk flock in Aberdeenshire, including a host of the sales top prices. The 27 Muiresk gimmers averaged £1849, including the sales top price.
The gimmer was one of several outstanding progeny of Glenside Forsyth which sired six of the most expensive females to average £4500.
The top priced gimmer is out of a Glenside Drum Major ewe and was inseminated to the 50,000gns breed record holder Craighead Hercules. Buyer was John Forsyth, Glenside, Ayrshire.
The vendors of the four flocks which consigned sheep – Muiresk (C Mair and Partner), Knock (A and G Howie), Glenside (J Forsyth) and Haddo (W Knox) – had also produced a video that had been sent to breeders nationwide.
So there was some successful phone bids to add to fast demand from the packed ringside. Dumfriesshire breeder Ken Millar, whose Crookholm flock was culled in the foot-and-mouth crisis, took a wagon load of the best females as new foundation stock.
He gave 6200gns for a gimmer from Glenside by Muiresk Forever that is full brother to the 21,000gns Glenside Gurkha. She was in-lamb to the 25,000gns Glenside His Nibs.
Mr Millar took three top gimmers from Muiresk giving 4200gns for an Annan Diadem gimmer and 3600gns and 3400gns for two Glenside Forsyth gimmers. All three were in-lamb to Craighead Hercules.
Another Diadem gimmer from Muiresk, out of a Milnbank Challenge ewe, was bought for 4000gns by Cumbria breeder Ruth Stevenson, Kirkby Stephen. This ewe was in-lamb to the big Baltier Winston son Muiresk Final Winston.
A 3600gns call from D J Dixon, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, secured him a Glenside Forsyth gimmer from Muiresk, bred from the same family as the sales price topper and in-lamb to Hercules.
Best for Albert Howie was 2500gns given by G Johnstone, Dalbeattie, for a Glenside Eurostar gimmer out of a Muiresk-bred Baltier Winston dam and served by Glenside Gurkha.
Surrey buyer S G Chaplin gave 2300gns for a Turin Fantastic gimmer from John Forsyth. She was out of a Muiresk Blondin dam and in-lamb to His Nibs. Mr Chaplin also paid 2100gns for another from the same flock by Muiresk Forever and scanned to His Nibs.
The Glenside consignment drew a 2100gns call from W G Ingram, Inverurie, who added a gimmer by Tamnamoney Finnegan to his well known Logie Durno flock.
Averages Muiresk (27) £1849; Knock (29) £699; Glenside (24) £1181 and Haddo (17) £722 (Lawrie and Symington). *
The top priced Muiresk ewe sold for 8500gns at Lanark last weekend. She was in-lamb to the 50,000gns breed record holder Craighead Hercules (left).