The Greatest Show on Earth?

 What you should know:

1. The Black Face Sheep Sale is a big deal. 
2. It should have been this weekend.
3. It still is. Kinda. 

One of the things I've noticed - especially since I moved to the Spittal and started getting to know more folk involved in farming - is the difference in my Facebook feed. Now, not a day goes by without a sponsored post about a big piece of farm machinery (that I have no interest in) or someone showing off pictures of livestock (that I have no knowledge of). If it wasn't for the occasional advert for niche stationery or the cute dog and cat videos, I'd think that the algorithms were way off. 

I had a vague notion that Something was Happening in black face sheep circles and had it confirmed by a friend the other night. Thanks to Ann Ferguson, I now know that:

• it's the biggest event in the sheep calendar
• it's usually a grand day out for the whole family and
• this year, due to covid restrictions, it's happening in Ayr (instead of nearby Newton Stewart) with only buyers and sellers allowed to attend.

I went to the market at Newton Stewart once when Ivie was selling cattle. We hadn't been together long and I was partly intrigued and partly trying to show willing to make up for my lack of knowledge. 

He walked me in and sat me down towards the back of the ring where I couldn't get in the way. It's a traditional hexagonal building (which is listed, apparently) and once you're inside there's a strange mix of hustle and hush as the sale takes place. 

Newton Stewart Market
Photo by Ros
(The eagle-eyed amongst you might even spot Ivie)

I stuck out like a sore thumb. I wasn't wearing wellies or a boilersuit, I wasn't carrying a crook and I wasn't related to anyone else in the room. I was also slightly wide-eyed as I was terrified of twitching or scratching my nose and going home with more beasts than we'd come with. 

I was aware of a slight flicker of, "who's that with Ivie Fisher?" but then everyone returned to what was happening in the ring. 

It was like the most tightly run circus where everyone had very distinct roles. The auctioneer was clearly the ringmaster and he ruled the roost with an iron gavel. 

I was captivated by the chap in the ring whose only job was to keep the livestock moving so that all the buyers could see; another man was responsible for opening and shutting the same gate all day; a young guy beside the auctioneer took a note of who bought what and passed slips of paper to the women in the office who updated the passports and buying records. 

Longtown Market
Photo by C&D Auction Marts Ltd.

Then it got confusing. I spent ages trying to work out who was bidding and who was winning each lot. I missed it every bloody time. It was like that Three Cup Trick where you have to keep track of which cup has the coin underneath it. 

Dumfries Market
Photo by C&D Auction Marts Ltd.

Ivie sold his cows, relatively happy with how the sale had gone. I'd been promised lunch at the hotel across the road so was getting ready to go (while not twitching or scratching my nose). I noticed Ivie shaking hands with a few men at the edge of the ring. 

He was giving all his buyers a 'luck penny'. Like so many things I've asked about over the last few years, he's never really thought about the whys and wherefores; it's just the done thing. So, as well as getting the cow or sheep or whatever in exchange for what they bid by winking or raising an eyebrow, the buyers also get something back. Depending on the type of animal and its value, it might be a few pounds or a short-term insurance policy. It's a way of saying 'thank you' to a buyer and hopefully means they'll look out for your animals at market again. 

I've just looked up the practice on a farming forum and there seem to be mixed feelings about it. There are those that treat it as a genuine tradition that they'd be sad to lose while in other areas, it's been distorted over the years and become something of a small bribe. I should know better than to look up farming forums. That's my Facebook algorithms buggered for another six months.

A note about the photos:

1. Thanks to a call-out on Facebook, C&D Auction Marts Ltd. kindly gave permission for photos of Dumfries and Longtown Markets to be shared. Please note that both these photos were taken before covid restrictions came into place. (I know they're different markets but for people who've never been it gives a good idea of what it's like.)
2. Thanks also to Ros Francis for the photo of Newton Stewart market. (Who knew she'd be the friend who had such a thing?!)