averages: 185 Suffolk ram lambs, £503.77 (+£5.19); 23 Suffolk shearlings, £724 (+£132.31); 122 Texel ram lambs £520.69 (+£9.84); 65 Texel shearlings, £836.12 (+£117.17); 29 Charollais ram lambs, £457.65 (-£74.10); 24 Charollais shearlings, £529.72 (-£63.53; 15 AOB ram lambs, £632.10; AOB shearlings, £548.35; five Border Leicester ram lambs, £632.10; seven Border Leicester shearlings, £495; six Beltex ram lambs, £616 (+£10.50); 24 Beltex shearlings, £539.43 (-£87.77); five Bluefaced Leicester ram lambs, £357; five Bluefaced Leicester shearlings, £840; 12 Blue Texel ram lambs, £448.87; nine Blue Texel shearlings, £673.16; 11 Dutch Spotted ram lambs, £348.40; four Dutch spotted rams, £635.25.

Texels led the way at the annual ram show and sale held at Thainstone Centre on Tuesday, when the champion from the Knox family’s Haddo flock topped at 2200gns.

The event, sponsored by Harbro, saw 628 pedigree and cross-bred rams sell to new homes.

Colin Slessor, deputy head of livestock said: “A good ringside of buyers present at Thainstone today ensured a good, steady trade for all breeds and classes of rams forward.”

Topping the trade when selling to Sue and Alexandra Hall, Inverebrie, Ellon, and landing the overall champion award from judge Olivia Donald, Newton Farm, St Katherines, was the shearling Haddo Europe.

He is by Hexel Django, out of a Clinterty Yuga Khan ewe.

The same home stood reserve champion with the first prize tup lamb which made 1600gns to Alan Rae, Mains of Orchardtown, Udny.

This was Haddo Ferrari, by Feddal Road Easypeasy, out of a Hexel Born To Be Wild-sired dam.

In the Suffolks, Jimmy Douglas from Woodhead, Cairness, Fraserburgh, topped the trade at 2000gns for a ram lamb by Cairnton Strik, out of a home-bred ewe. He sold to Trevor Burke, Northern Ireland.

David Middleton, Mid Mains of Balfour, Fettercairn, awarded the champion ticket in the Suffolks to Jim Innes of the Strathbogie flock, Dunscroft, Huntly.

His champion, a shearling by Crewelands Kingpin, out of a Deveronside ewe, sold for 1200gns to David Moir, Home Farm, Cairness.

Finlay Hunter from West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, took the reserve championship with a ram lamb by Howgillfoot Sniper, out of a Maidenstone ewe.

Brian Barclay, Tullo of Garvock, Laurencekirk, paid 1000gns for this one.

Beltex rams sold to 1600gns for the champion from Stuart Wood’s Woodies flock at Broadwater, Skene, Westhill, to Ian and Faye Wilkie, Whitestone, Skene. 

This was Woodies Hop To It, by the 12,000gns Eyecatcher, out of a dam which won the aged ewe class at the Royal Highland Show in 2018 and 2019.

Stuart also sold another Beltex shearling at 1200gns to CJ MacPherson, Dulsie Farm, Glenferness, Nairn, and his reserve champion, another shearling named Woodies Game On, for 1050gns to RA MacKintosh, Tombreckachie, Glenlivet.

He is by 5500gns Skiddawview Endurance.

Matthew Seed, Home Farm of Auchry, Cuminestown, topped the Bluefaced Leicesters at 1120gns for a third prize winning shearling when sold to William Barnetson, Lynegar, Watten. He also sold his champion for 800gns to the Sutherlands at Sibmister, Thurso.

Stuart and Wendy Hunter from West Cairnhill, Culsalmond, Insch, took the champion male award with a shearling.

The champion, named Hunters Fendt, by Beili Blues Elliot, sold for 1100gns to the Meldrums at Shenval, Ballindalloch, while another from their home, Hunters Frankie, by a home-bred tup, made 900gns to Cameron Taylor, Butlers Cottage, Haddo Estate.

Border Leicester rams reached 1150gns for the champion from Jimmy Douglas, Woodhead, Cairness, when sold to Skelbister Farm, Orphir, with the same flock producing the reserve champion, which later sold for 1100gns.

Craig Bacon, Eastside Farm, Whitecairns, topped the Charollais rams at 950gns for a first prize shearling winner by Lowereye Tryfan, when sold to Messrs Manson, Caithness.

Meanwhile, Eilidh and Erin Duncan, Barnyards, Clola, Mintlaw, dominated the pre-sale show, with the champion realising 700gns to RJ Mathers Ltd, Woodside of Litterty, Turriff, and the reserve selling for 620gns to Ian Cruden, Bridges, Kinnoir, Huntly.

Scott McRobbie and James Lowe, New Deer and Strichen, led the way in the any other breed rams when they received 1000gns for a Texel cross Beltex shearling which sold to David Moir, Home Farm, Cairness.

Dutch Spotted females topped at 1600gns for a gimmer backed by imported bloodlines from Stuart Wood, Broadwater, Skene, when sold to John Gunn and Sons, Cairnroich, Swiney.

The same buyers paid 1000gns for another Dutch Spotted female from J and A Budge, Knockglass Farm, Watten.

PRIZE LIST

Suffolk (Judge: David Middleton, Mid Mains of Balfour, Fettercairn)
Shearling or aged ram – 1, Lot 19 JC Innes, Strathbogie; 2, Lot 8 Young and Noble, Bareflathills; 3, Lot 20 JC Innes, Strathbogie
Ram lamb – 1, Lot 62 Finlay Hunter, Sunset; 2, Melvin Stuart, Birness; 3, Lot 70 C & M Bruce
Pen of 5 ram lambs – 1, GL Stuart; 2, C and M Bruce, Tillyeve; 3, Craig Paterson, Cranorskie
Champion – Lot 19 JC Innes
Reserve – Lot 62 Finlay Hunter

Texel (Judge: Olivia Donald, Newton Farm, Newton of Tulloch, St Katherines)
Shearling or aged ram – 1, Lot 307 WJ Knox, Haddo; 2, Lot 322 Rodney Blackhall, Sheeoch; 3, Lot 332 JD and MM Leitch, Feolquoy
Ram lamb – 1, Lot 464 WJ Knox, Haddo; 2, Lot 425 A & H Rae, Mains of Orchardtown; 3, Lot 494 GL Stuart, Birness
Pen of 3 ram lambs – 1, GL Stuart; 2, Robert H Wilson, Milnbank; 3, WJ Knox
Champion – Lot 307 WJ Knox
Reserve – Lot 464 WJ Knox

Bluefaced Leicester (Judge: Stacey Tinney, Glenavon Estate Ltd, Delvora, Tomintoul)
Shearling or aged ram – 1, Lot 601 M Seed and Son, Auchry; 2, Lot 605 S Burnett, Kingswells Croft; 3, Lot 603 M Seed and Son.
Ram lamb – 1, 2 and 3, Lot 606, 609 and 610 S Burnett,
Champion – Lot 601 M Seed and Son
Reserve – Lot 606 S Burnett

Border Leicester (Judge: Stacey Tinney)
Shearling or aged ram – 1, Lot 611 JG Douglas, Woodhead; Lot 612 JG Douglas
Ram lamb – 1, 2 and 3, JG Douglas with Lot 618, 620 and 622
Champion – Lot 611 JG Douglas
Reserve – Lot 618 JG Douglas

Charollais (Judge: Stacey Tinney)
Shearling or aged ram – 1, Lot 647 Craig Bacon, Broadgate; 2, Lot 640 Thomas A Sands, Southfield; 3, Lot 646 Craig Bacon
Ram lamb – 1, 2 and 3 Eilidh and Erin Duncan, Braemuir, with Lot 675, 676, 681
Champion – Lot 675 Eilidh and Erin Duncan
Reserve – Lot 676 Eilidh and Erin Duncan

Beltex (Judge: David Moir, Home Farm, Cairness, Fraserburgh)
Shearling or aged ram – 1, Lot 698 S Wood, Woodies; 2, Lot 694 Miller Farms, Lurg; 3, Lot 704 James Young, Muirton.
Ram lamb – 1, Lot 722 S Wood, Woodies; 2, Lot 730 R and P Machray, Bilboa; 3, Lot 724 S Wood, Woodies
Champion – Lot 722 S Wood
Reserve – Lot 698 S Wood

Blue Texel (Judge: David Moir)
Shearling or aged ram – 1, Lot 735 WJ and M Hunter, Hunters; 2, WJ and M Hunter; 3, Lot 742 Stasa Moyes, Saltire.
Ram lamb – 1, Lot 766 FE Glass and JI Robinson, West Eninteer Farm; 2, Lot 769 WJ and M Hunter; 3, Lot 759 Stasa Moyes
Gimmer – 1, Lot 775 Stasa Moyes (Saltire); 2, Lot 777 Stasa Moyes
Champion – Lot 775 Stasa Moyes
Reserve – Lot 777 Stasa Moyes

Dutch Spotted (Judge: Shirley Clarke, Williamwood, Kirtlebridge, Lockerbie)
Shearling or aged ram – 1, Lot 782 S and C Cooper; 2, Lot 785 Mr and Mrs M & J Simpson; 3, Lot 781 Mrs J & A Budge
Ram lamb – 1, Lot 793 WG Troup, Shaggart; 2, Lot 795 Mr J and A Budge; 3, Lot 788 Mr and Mrs M and J Simpson
Ram champion – Lot 782 S and C Cooper
Reserve ram champion – Lot 785 Mr and Mrs M & J Simpson
Gimmer – 1, Lot 784 Mr and Mrs M & J Cooper; 2, Lot 800 S Wood, Broadwater; 3, Lot 799 J & A Budge
Ewe lamb – 1, Lot 804 Mr and Mrs M & J Simpson; 2, Lot 806 Mr J & A Budge; 3, Lot 808 Mr J and A Budge
Female champion – Lot 784 Mr and Mrs M & J Simpson
Reserve female champion – Lot 804 Mr and Mrs M & J Simpson

Flock averages

Texel shearlings
Knox 4 £1094.63
Leitch 5 £1060.50
Innes 8 £977.81
Seed 10 £966
Blackhall 8 £938.43
Rae 10 £887.25

Texel ram lambs
Mid Haddo 8 £687.75
Braehead 3 £650
Wester Moy 4 £640.50
North Dorlaithers Farm 10 £625
West Cairnhill 3 £612.50

Suffolk shearlings
Innes 5 £1123.50
Young & Noble 5 £703.50
Smith £664.13

Suffolk ram lambs
Douglas 6 £735
Nicholson 4 £682.50
Paterson 17 £657.79
Bruce 14 £617.25
Innes 4 £603.75
Lormier 13 £558.92
Henderson 8 £557.81
GL Stuart 27 £551.83

Beltex shearlings 
Broadwater 5 £766.50
The Ranch 4 £616.87

Beltex ram lamb
Broadwater 3 £892.50

Bluefaced shearlings
Home Farm, Auchry 4 £924

Charollais shearlings
East Side 3 £798

Charollaos ram lamb
Barnyards, Braemuir 9 £556.50