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Welsh breeders led the trade when Carwyn, Maria and Lestyn Richards' V1 Mcffi lamb from Kidwelly, Carmarthen, sold for the highest price of £40,000. Sired by the £8,000 S1 Temain, this lamb stood fourth at the pre-sale show to follow on from his first prize at the Royal Welsh in July. Bred from a Duhonw ewe by a Riddings sire, he sold to five breeders north of the border – Jamie Pirie, Blarnavaid flock, Drymen; Drumbeg Farms, Glasgow; T Dick and Son, Hamildean flock, Peebles; David Gray, Drumnessie, Kilsyth; and C Campbell, Happrew flock, Peebles.

Not far behind on £35,000, this time selling to a trio of Northern Irish breeders – G and J Loughry, I Montgomery, and T Butler – was Amy Cambell's V1 Glenrath from Peebles. His breeding includes the £45,000 T2 Steel bought last year in partnership with Happrew, on to a ewe by R21 Monygran.

Two lambs shared a £28,000 price tag including the third prize lamb, V1 Cottage from Jimmy Bell and Rachel Buckle, Carluke. Bred from a daughter of a P24 Riddings and sired by S5 Tarnthorne, he caught the eye of the Wight family for their Midlock Flock, Biggar.

Matching that £28,000 when sold to Paul Brown, Oak House flock, Kirkby Stephen, was Messrs Lord's V1 Hewgill, a son of the home-bred T23 Hewgill and out of a R2 Hanging Wells daughter from the flock near Kirkby Stephen.

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The Ridley family's leader, V1 Shitlington from near Hexham, sold to Shaun Procter and Gavin White for £22,000. He is by the £32,000 T3 Skelgate while his dam is by R38 Shitlington Redneck.

Dearest of the aged rams at £9,000 was Martyn Archer's P1 Carry House Ronaldo, a previous £28,000 sale which was shared with the Temain and Mistyburn flocks and sold to another trio of breeders – J.W. Porter and Sons, Oxnop flock, Richmond; A.C. Pye, Emmetts flock, Lancaster, and A.B. Troughton, Firbank flock, Sedburgh. He is by the L8 Carry House Flash.

Shearling rams peaked at £5,000 for T11 Ilkley Moor from Ellis Bros, West Yorkshire. Selling to W.M. and C. Wallace, he is by the N1 Ilkley Moor.

The female champion, A. and D. McKillop's V120 Giants Causeway, sold to P.L. Heard, Yelland flock, Devon, for £1,800. She is by S2 Giants Causeway.

AVERAGES -Ìý14 aged rams, £2353; 49 shearling rams, £1489; 512 ram lambs, £2588; 10 ewe lambs, £757.50

Auctioneers: Hawes ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Auction Mart.