CENTRE records were smashed at Borderway mart, Carlisle, last Friday when a pedigree Texel ram sold for 120,000gns - just 2,000gns short of the world record for a sheep, which was broken at a sale in the Borders in August this year.

Born in April 2002, Loosebeare Imp was bred by Andrew and Mark Quick, of Zeal Monachorum, Dev-on, and is a group 1 scrapie genotype ram by Summerwood Grand Union. The buyer was a syndicate of three Scottish pedigree breeders: John Forsyth, for his Glenside flock in, Ayrshire; Colin Mair of the Muiresk flock in Aberdeenshire, and Jim-my Douglas of the Cairness flock, Fras-erburgh.

Andrew Quick said: "We hoped the ram would make a good price but this far exceeds what we expected. We had decided that, if he was bid to more than 5,000gns, we would sell, otherwise we would take him back home. He has excellent conformation with a tre-mendous head and hindquarters."

Loosebeare Imp was sold well into the ram sale but one of the earliest lots, a ram lamb from Douganhill Farms, initially broke the Carlisle centre record for a sheep, at 48,000gns. Douganhill Jeronimo, shown by Brian MacTaggart and his son, David, of Castle Douglas, went to father and son Matt and Craig Ridley of Haltcliffe, Hesket Newmarket, Cumbria.

The lamb, from the 70-ewe Douganhill flock established 22 years ago, was the MacTaggarts' best price yet. He is by Cornerstone Isaac, which was lent from the Watchknow flock of Jim Warnock of Lanark.

The champion selected by the judge, Muriel Johnston, Crocketford, Dumfries, sold for the joint sixth top price of the sale at 10,000gns. From William Knox's Haddo flock at Fyvie, Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Haddo Jolt, sold to J & W Mellin, Hellifield. The February-born lamb is by Claybury Invader, and out of a Muiresk Blondin dam.

The sale, the big-gest two-day sale of Texels in England, Scotland and Wales with more than 1,200 rams and females sold, was a great show for the Solway and Tyne Texel Breeders' Club.

"It has been a great comeback after the wild storm of foot-and-mouth," said club chairman Harry Woodmass, of Linstock, Carlisle. "The sale has been absolutely fantastic with a great show of quality lambs and shearlings. There has been a big interest from commercial buyers with many new faces around the ring. Group 1 scrapie genotyped rams have sold well but there has also been good money paid for lower grouped rams."

Averages: 391 lamb rams £1,025.43 (up £462 on year); shlgs £899.47 (up £236).

The previous night's female trade peaked at 4,100gns for a gimmer from Gordon Gray's Ettrick flock at Lindean, Selkirk, bought by K A and R Campbell, of Lochgoilhead, Argyll.