The Suffolk Sheep Society hosted its 86th annual Scottish Area sale in Lanark on Friday, with records smashed when a ram lamb hit the market at 200,000gns.

The December 2020-born high-seller came from the Salopian flock of Philip Poole and stood novice champion the previous day under judge Alastair Gault.

Aptly named Salopian Solid Gold, he is a son of stock ram Solwaybank Rock Solid, which was the top-priced ram at the 2017 sale when purchased for 26,000gns.

His dam is a Stockton ewe that was purchased for 6,000gns having won the breed championship at the Welsh as a ewe and shearling. This price more than doubles the breed top price of 90,000gns, which was set in 2004.

Securing the high-seller were joint purchasers Boden of the Sportsman flock and Jenkinsons of the Dunfell flock.

These breeders need no introduction, as earlier this year they also forked out 250,000gns for a Limousin heifer to set a new record in that breed too.

This record price was the real icing on the cake for an already very successful sale, which saw an impressive 92% clearance rate and an average resting at just shy of £5,000.

Second-top price

Taking the second-top price of 48,000gns was Mark Priestley with a lamb from his Limestone flock.

This Forkins McCoy-sired lamb is out of a Limestone Aston Martin-bred dam and was secured by the syndicate of G L Stuart, Birness Flock (Aberdeenshire), S Lathangie, Pyeston flock (Fife) R H Black, Collessie flock (Fife), Claycrop flock (Fife) and J I A Wallace (Wigtownshire).

This price also smashed another record for the sale, as it is the highest price paid for a Northern Irish-bred ram.

A total of 10 lots sold for five-figure sums. The next-highest price of 40,000gns was hit on two occasions.

First up was a Salopian Scuderia-sired ram from the Lakeview flock of Stewart Craft.

This one was knocked down to the Ballynacannon flock in Northern Ireland and the Solwaybank flock in Drumfriesshire in a two-way partnership.

Regaining some of their record-setting outlay, the Boden family sold their top lot at 40,000gns. This Strathbogie Ace son is out of a Stockton ewe and was the choice of Jed Sharp of the Hawshill flock.

Darragh McMenamin from Donegal, along with J G Douglas (Cairness flock), and with John Gibb retaining a share, paid 30,000gns for John Gibb’s lot 30, a Cairnton Prince-sired ram lamb out of a Cairnton ewe.

Lilia Hutchinson of the Howgillfoot flock in Cumbria joined with Northern Irish breeders James Alexander and Jack Smyth to secure a Frongoy ram from Dafydd Jones at 25,000gns.

The show champion from G L Stuart’s Aberdeenshire-based Birness flock got 18,000gns going to a syndicate of Mark Priestley (Limestone flock), Alastair Gault (Forkins flock) and Andrew Wilson (Castleisle flock).

James Innes’ Lot 204 was bought by Jones and Powell from Wales for 15,000gns.

Ballymena sale

The previous weekend, Northern Irish breeders hosted their premier sale in Ballymena, with records also smashed there.

The previous high-selling record for the Northern sale stood at 13,000gns, which was hit on two occasions and surpassed on three occasions.

The 18,000gns record-priced ram at the Ballymena sale came from the Forkins flock. \ Alfie Shaw

Hitting the high note and selling for 18,000gns was a young ram from Antrim breeder Alastair Gault of the Forkins flock. This Birness Freedom son is out of a homebred ewe and was the pick of Robin McAdoo, who runs the Threeways flock in Tyrone.

Overall, the sale witnessed an 82% clearance rate, with an average of £1,976 for 157 sheep sold.

One point to note that out of the 157 sold, 60 were sold to southern Ireland, the UK and Europe.