A consistent trade was sent through the sale attracting bids from fellow breeders and commercial buyers. The rams and females found new homes across Northern Ireland and were exported to Southern Ireland and Germany. It was encouraging to see repeat breeders but more importantly new breeders who were buying Lleyns for the first time at the sale.
The NI. Lleyn Sheep Breeders Club would like to thank Fergal Lenoard for travelling up from Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath to judge the show classes on the morning of the sale.
It was the pre-sale show class winners which came out on top in all sections at this year’s sale.
The aged ewes started the sale with a pen of two years old ewes topping the section from J & C Kennedy selling for £270/head to WP & EN Kerr, Co. Tyrone with another strong pen of three year olds from the same home being knocked down to N McIlroy, Co. Londonderry for £265/head.
Topping the Shearling Ewe trade was the 1st prize pen of Shearling Ewes from A Bothwell, selling away for £350/head to Avonlea Farm, Co Londonderry. Mr Bothwell had a tremendous run of females, selling another pen for £315/head to Alan Forbes, Co. Fermanagh. The 2nd prize winning pen of Shearlings from Cathal Quigley were knocked down to fellow breeder David Mason for £320/head with the 3rd place pen from A McConville selling away at £360/head to A Fitzsimons.
From the pre-sales show the individual shearling ewes also had a successful sale with the winning gimmer from David Mason catching the eye of fellow breeder in Ireland, Pat Bobbett who’s securing a bid of £360 saw him successful in taking her home. J Dillon was successful in purchasing the 2nd prize winning shearling ewe selling again for £360 from A McConville.
Individual Ewe lambs were sought after with a top price of £405 coming from A Bothwell with his winning ewe lamb in the pre-sale show. This girl was snapped up by William Oliver, Co. Louth who also purchased the 3rd prize ewe lamb from J & C Kennedy for £205. A McConville sold his single ewe lamb for £280 to ROI breeder Alan McDonald, Co Offaly. The prize-winning pens of ewe lambs all reached £200 plus with A McConville securing the highest priced pen of the day to J & S Gawn for £205.
All in all, a successful day selling the females seeing good clearance rates and consistent averages. There were 14 pens of Shearling ewes hitting the £290 plus mark, with Ewe lambs seeing a steadier trade with 10 pens reaching over the £180 mark with smaller growing lambs seeing a steady trade.
The rams saw a consistent trade compared to last year’s record-breaking sale with buyers for both pedigree breeding and commercial flocks. The 1st prize ram from J & C Kennedy, Mileview Official (01618/2504138) sired by a homebred ram, sold for 2800gns to Irish breeder Alan McDonald. The Kennedy family had another successful sale with Mileview Omega (01618/2504211) sired by the same homebred sire, he was snapped up by Ian Barr for 2700gns, and Mileview Oliver (01618/2504122) who sold for 2400gns selling to the pre-sale show judge F Leonard. The 2nd prize ram from G Calwell, Ballymena Daisylane Optimum (02449/2500927) was again purchased by the judge F Leonard for 1800gns.
Many quality rams sold between 600 – 900gns with 12 rams securing bids of over 1000gns with a 90% clearance of the rams forward on the day of the sale.
Averages
Aged Ewes to £270 av. £217
Shearling Ewes to £350 (£360) av. £267
Ewe Lambs to £205 (£405) av. £162
Rams to 2800gns av. £1031
Top Prices
Aged Ewes – C & A Kennedy £270; J & C Kennedy £265; A F Cunningham £190
Shearling Ewes – A Bothwell £350, £315, £305, £300 x2 £295; A McConville £340, £295; C Quigley £320, £290; R Manson £315; C & A Kennedy £305, £300
Shearling Ewes (Individual) – D Mason £360; A McConville £360; A Bothwell £350
Ewe Lambs – A McConville £205; A Bothwell £205, £200; D Mason £200, £185; J & C Kennedy £200; B & E Latimer £188
Ewe Lambs (Individual) – A Bothwell £405; A McConville £280; J & C Kennedy £205
Rams
J & C Kennedy 2800gns, 2700gns, 1350gns, 1300gns
C & A Kennedy 2400gns, 1700gns, 1100gns
G Calwell 1800gns, 950gns x2
A McConville 1500gns, 1400gns, 1050gns
A Bothwell 1100gns, 950gns
Aidan McConville Lot 106 £1050
B & E Latimer 950gns
A F Cunningham 950gns
Pre-Sale Show
Judge: Fergal Leonard, Co Westmeath
Kindly sponsored by Fane Valley
Shearling Ram: 1st Jayne & Catherine Kennedy (133); 2nd George Calwell (119); 3rd Aubrey & Wendy Bothwell (126); 4th Charles & Andrew Kennedy (114)
Pen of 5 Shearling Ewes: 1st Aubrey & Wendy Bothwell (8); 2nd Cathal Quigley (52); 3rd A. McConville (42); 4th Charles & Andrew Kennedy (21)
Pen of 5 Ewe Lambs: 1st David Mason (63); 2nd A. McConville (85); 3rd Jayne & Catherine Kennedy (77); 4th James Coulter (89)
Individual Shearling Ewe: 1st David Mason (25A); 2nd Aidan McConville (42A); 3rd Barry & Elaine Latimer( 14A); 4th Aubrey & Wendy Bothwell (8A)
Individual Ewe Lamb: 1st Aubrey & Wendy Bothwell (98A); 2nd Cathal Quigley (69A); 3rd Jayne & Catherine Kennedy (77A); 4th Aidan McConville (85A)
The NI Club would like to thank their Judge Fergal Leonard, Fane Valley Stores for sponsoring the show classes and to all the staff at Ballymena Market, and finally to all the buyers who bought sheep on the day. Tbey would like to wish you all well with your new purchases.
2. David Mason with 1st Prize Shearling Ewe.jpg
David Mason with 1st Prize Shearling Ewe Photo: freelance
3. Aubrey Bothwell 1st Prize Ewe Lamb £405.jpg
Aubrey Bothwell, 1st Prize Ewe Lamb - £405. Photo: freelance