The second highest priced sheep in the UK has been sold this week at a substantial 200,000gns.
The Scottish National Texel Sale was underway in Lanark on Thursday (22 August).
Midlock Capaldi, a lamb bred by the Wight family, was the talk of the yard from the moment he set foot in the market.
Sired by Knock Bantastic, he is an ET-bred lamb flushed from 2018-born Mullan Amigo daughter and goes back to a Garngour dam purchased in 2016.
Unshown in the pre-sale show, this stylish, well bodied lamb took bidding to an extreme level around the Lanark ring.
The final bid came from a two-part consortium of Charlie Boden, buying for the Sportsmans and Mellor Vale flocks and Hugh and Alan Blackwood buying for their Auldhouseburn flock.
Breeder Allan Wight said the lamb had been a standout from two weeks old, with exceptional flesh and character.
“You always knew he was one to watch and he had that extra something the best ones always have,” he said.
Joint purchaser Alan Blackwood said there was no doubt this was the lamb to have: “He’s exceptionally correct, has style and character coupled with a great carcass.
“We’re delighted to have got him and knew from the minute we saw him he was the one to add the next level to the flock.”
British Texel Sheep Society chief executive John Yates said the atmosphere at the two-day event had been buoyant throughout.
“There is no doubt that despite some current political uncertainties Texel breeders have faith in the breed and are placing Texels firmly at the heart of their farming businesses going forward.
“That confidence is feeding back up from the commercial sector where Texel cross lambs continue to earn premium prices thanks to their ability to meet the strict market specification demanded by both processors and retailers.
“It should be remembered that Texel-sired prime lambs outperform the industry average in this respect with 20% more Texel cross lambs meeting specification compared to the rest of the industry.
“The breed’s performance as both a terminal and maternal breed is at the core of the UK sheep industry and it continues to provide commercial producers with large numbers of saleable lambs no matter where in the UK you look,” Mr Yates said.
He said that while to many it may seem an extreme price for a ram lamb it was another sign of the confidence breeders had in Texels.
“What we have to remember is that these breeders are investing in the future of their businesses in both the short and long-term.
“Those animals perceived to be carrying the best genetics will always command a premium and so it proved at Lanark. One only has to look across the agricultural industry to see all those staking their futures on farming investing in their businesses.
“With ongoing investment in modern breeding technologies, such as embryo transfer and artificial insemination by Texel breeders being more than £1m a year, the potential earnings from this ram are vast,” said Mr Yates.
“This coupled with the Society’s investment in genomic R&D and its texelplus performance recording service firmly places the breed at the head of the UK sheep industry.
“Few would question an arable farmer ordering a new combine at £250,000 or more and the sale of this ram lamb is no different, he will be at the core of his purchasers’ breeding programmes this year and, through his daughters, for many years to come,” he added.
