Northern Stars Texel In-Lamb sale set for Ballymena Mart

Approximately 100 gimmers from five well-known Flocks are on offer with an opportunity to get your Christmas wish list fulfilled. Joining Richard Henderson (Ballynahone), Alastair Gault (Forkins and Cherryvale), Roger Strawbridge (Tamnamoney) and Paul and Baillie O’Connor’s Drumgooland Flock, Seaforde is guest consignment from the well-known Foyleview Flock, Limavady owned by William and Michael Smyth.

Forkins and Cherryvale Flocks have had another successful year in 2016.

The Forkins Flock achieved the Volac Shearling Ewe and Volac Senior Ewe awards before being awarded the Volac Show Flock of the Year 2016. In the NI Texel Flock Competition Cherryvale added to their 2015 success claiming 1st Small Flock and 1st Medium Flock of Ewe Lambs all sired by Usk Vale Warlord. Forkins was awarded 1st Large Flock and 3rd Large Flock Ewe Lambs before achieving the NI Champion Flock for the second year in a row. Forkins and Cherryvale have had Ram lambs, gimmers and their progeny consistently sell to four and five figures with ram sales ranging from 11,000 to 65,000 in previous years. Females sold have bred well for their new owners with a gimmer breeding the top price ram lamb of €8000 at Blessington 2016 and another gimmer breeding a five time Show Champion and Reserve Champion at the National Livestock event Tullamore. At this year’s RUAS Forkins claimed Reserve Champion with 1st prize Ewe and Female Champion with a daughter presented for sale in this year’s Northern Stars. Also the 2nd prize Ewe was Forkins bred and 3rd place was taken with a Cherryvale Ewe. The 1st place gimmer and Reserve Female (2 ET sisters in sale), also 3rd, 4th and 5th places were claimed by Forkins and Cherryvale gimmers. The flocks were placed 1st in 22 out of 24 female classes at six local shows. This year Forkins and Cherryvale offer 20 gimmers from well-established lines.

Collecting Champion and Reserve Champion rosettes across NI, including Volac Texel Show Flock awards and RUAS success, Ballynahone Texel’s has followed their success through to sales with prices reaching four figures for Ballynahone Top Gun and Ballynahone Trademark. In 2016 the flock claimed first and third place with Ewe Lambs and took Reserve Champion and Volac Ewe Lamb Champion at Antrim Show. At Lanark 2016 Ballynahone sold “Yorkie” who stood in the third Prize Group of Three for 7500gns. Gimmer sales averaged 900gns in Ballymena and 1100gns in Carlisle. Regularly in the spotlight at the NI Flock competition, Ballynahone claimed 1st place Large Pen of Ewe Lambs; 2nd place Junior Stock Ram with homebred Ballynahone Wildchild; 3rd place Senior Stock Ram with joint owned Teiglium Vigilante and 3rd place overall Medium Flock in 2015 and again claimed 1st Prize Pen Ewe Lambs and 2nd Prize Junior Stock Ram with joint owned Tophill Yankee Boy in 2016. Ballynahone Texels offer the majority of their gimmer crop, with best families within the flock represented, including gimmers from the same family as 2003 and 2011 RUAS Champions. Individuals from this family include 11,000gns and 5000gns gimmer from Tamnamoney, 9500gns Rambo, 8500gns Beyonce, 8000gns gimmer sold at this sale in recent years.

Tamnamoney Texels, another Flock of the Year winner, has consistently bred Texels for commercial and pedigree markets. Previous sales have peaked at 22,000gns for Tamnamoney Lynbrook, with consistent year on year sales reaching four figures. Tamnamoney bloodlines from “Ned”, “Rob Roy”, “Tuborg Gold” and “Ultimate” have renowned sires of Lanark top prices and Champions while a Tamnamoney Ewe produced the top price ram lamb in 2011 selling at 46,000gns. 2016 has been no exception with Tamnamoney taking the Show Champion at Ballymena Premier with Tamnamoney Yankee and selling Tamnamoney Young Willie McBride to Hullhouse Flock at Lanark for 9,000gns and Tamnamoney Yetti to Caron Texels Wales for 5,500gns. Tamnamoney females have sold well in recent years reaching four figure prices, with sales in 2011 originally breaking the NI female record price at the Northern Stars Sale at 11,000gns. At Northern Stars 2013 gimmers sold to a top of 5,000gns with 2014 Northern Stars sales reaching a top of 3700gns and 3300gns in 2015. This year’s gimmers are in lamb to Knap Wat a Nut, Reserve Champion Carlisle 2015, Halbeath Woody, Second place Shearling Carlisle 2016 and retained Tamnamoney Yabba Do, a full brother to Tamnamoney Young Willie McBride. Tamnamoney offers the opportunity to purchase from the majority of his select in-lamb gimmers from top breeding families in the flock including that of Tamnamoney Ultimate who bred sons at 20K and 12K at Lanark 2016.

Drumgooland Texels was established with many foundation females purchased from previous Northern Stars sales and breeding influence from 2014 UK Sire Oberstown Usain Bolt. The flock successes over the last four years include Breed and Interbreed Championships as well as RUAS Balmoral Show Male Champion, Reserve Male Champion, Aged Ram, Shearling Ram, Ewe Lamb and the Ram Lamb winners. The flock has also won Champion Ewe Lamb 2014, 2015 and open Ram lamb 2013 at the Northern Ireland Premier Sale with 2016 seeing the Flock win the Shearling Ram class, claim Reserve Champion and top the female trade at 3200gns. Drumgooland claimed the NI Texel Club’s Volac Show Championship and 2nd place in the Large Ewe lamb category of the NI Texel Breeders Flock competition in 2015. Show success in 2016 saw the Flock claim 1st and 3rd Ewe lambs, 1st and 4th Shearling Rams, 2nd Shearling Ewe and 2nd Aged Ram at RUAS Balmoral. This year gimmers will be presented in lamb to sought after Douganhill Young Gun, Champion Carlisle 2016 (12,000gns), Stainton Yasin 4th place open ram lamb purchased for 3000gns and Halbeath Woody 2nd place shearling ram purchased 3600gn Carlisle. Drumgooland are pleased to offer a selection of Duncryne Uber Cool, Teilgum Vigilante, Oberstown Usain Bolt and Killyvolgan Veejay daughters from some of the best bloodlines within the flock.

The guest consignor, Foyleview Texels, established in 2007 was founded from the reputable Tamnamoney Flock which has bred quality rams including Knap Vicious Sid 145,000 gns, Forkins Rock Solid 65,000 gns and Foyleview Superstar 46,000 gns. Foyleview’s success commenced in 2010 with the sale of Foyleview Remarkable 3,600 gns, and winning the Pen of Four Ewe Lambs in the NI Flock Competition. In 2011 they achieved 46,000 gns for Foyleview Superstar, 5,500 gns for Foyleview Scorcher at Lanark, and 2,600 gns for Foyleview Scorpion at Ballymena NI Premier. 2012 saw lamb sales peak at 2,400gns and ram lambs selling to 2,000 gns and gimmers to 2,000 gns in 2013. In 2015 the flock took 1st place in the Medium Flock and Reserve Overall in the NI Flock Competition. Foyle View are proud to offer a selection of quality gimmers at this sale, all bred from 5,000 gns Stainton Victor with the majority of their dams either maternal sister or sisters to 46,000 Foyleview Superstar. The greater part of the gimmers for sale are in lamb to Tamnamoney Wildwest (private purchase - bred from one of Tamnamoney’s best lines) which bred their top price at Lanark 2016. The remainder of the gimmers on offer are in lamb to Cowal Yogibear, purchased at Lanark 6,500gns.

The Northern Stars sale is an excellent opportunity to upgrade or start a flock, with Saturday 17th December promising availability to invest in progeny from some of the top breeding lines in Northern Ireland. Images of some of the ewes on offer, sires and service sires can be viewed on line at www.agriimages.co.uk.

The sale commences in Ballymena Livestock Market at 12.30pm.

Please contact the Mart office for catalogues and enquiries Tel: - 028 2563 3470.