Lockerbie Hill Sale 2023

The Annual two day sale of Hill type North Country Cheviot females & ram stook place on Tuesday 19th & Wednesday 20th September 2023 at Lockerbie Auction Mart.

Female entry numbers were lower than in previous years but those forward met with a huge demand meaning averages for all ages were up on the previous year.

Ewes sold to a top of £260 for a pen of 20 from WD Allen, Stouphill these were purchased by Mr J Brown, Corriecravie House on the Isle of Arran. A pen of 50 4 crop ewes from Sorbietrees sold for £215 & headed to Wales, with a second pen of the same number at £210 staying in the Borders at Errickshaws.
Gimmers topped at £260 for a run of 40 from RW & C Flintoff, Cocklawfoot, closely followed by 40 at £255, 40 & 30 at £235 & 40 at £230 all from the same good home and heading as far afield as Devon, others with gimmers in the best trade included Kelsocleugh Farming, Kelso, RJ Tweedie, Buchtrig & M&S Wilson, Newbank who all had pens at £230.
Ewe Lambs were also topped by the Allen Family, Stouphill with a run of 27 at £240, these find theie new home on Anglesey in Wales. Gllesbie Farms sold their best pen of 24 to £165.

Rams

With a huge entry of rams for the sale on Wednesday, trade could of gone either way, however numbers forward were less & the ringside was busy from start to finish. A top price of £16000 twice came late in the day, first for Lot 399 third in the ring from Alan Hutcheon, Hartside Hill Commando sold in a half share to D Baillie, Calla & Bennett Partners, Plasucha, the next came from the last consignor of the day, Lot 429 Sorbietrees Captain sired by North House Reliant who joins the Attonburn flock of Bob & Becca Rennie.
The first at big money was Lot 19 Whitehope C 30679 from WN Douglas, a Suisgill Vanguard son he sold to Jen Craig, Nornamgill. Two rams achieved £10000, Lot 185 Gillesbie Crackpot, a Hownam Grange Xackery son, purchased by JM Elliot, Woodside, second at this money was Lot 397, another from the Hartside Hill flock, Hartside Hill Cracker sired by Hartside Hill Alonso finds his new home in the Sorbietrees flock. Again two rams sold for £9000, Lot 122 Attonburn Classic sired by Badanloch Wild Fire, he joins the Clerkhill flock & next Lot 183 Carruthers Crusader another Hownam Grange sired son, this time Xpert, from CR Graham with their first consignment of Hill rams, he was also purchased by Bob & Becca Rennie, Attonburn.
The Attonburn pen took the first at £8000 for Lot 127 Attonburn CallMeDaddy, a Langdale Wee fella son who was purchased by Alan Cowens for Philiphaugh. W & J Thomson, Hownam Grange received £8000 for Lot 149 Hownam Grange Cornet sired by North House X 22271 who joins the Buchtrig flock of Messrs Tweedie, this was followed by another at £7000 Lot 145 Hownam Grange Calibre a Commonside X-Factor son who was purchased by Messrs Dunlop, Commonside.

Overall clearnace on rams forward was tremendous with very few not finding homes,