Perth ram lamb takes the top price of 16,000gns at Ballymena

A 9000gns Lanark Shearling from Brendan McAllister, Glenarm took the top price in ring 1, Brendan also received 7000gns for another one of his shearlings.

In the Lanark ring 204 shearlings sold to average £865 and 47 ram lambs sold to average £1012. In the Perth ring 35 shearlings sold to average £339 and 63 ram lambs sold to average £1113. Averages were up in three of the four groups but there were 24 less sheep sold compared to last year.

Fourth top price of 6000gns went to two Lanark ram lambs from James McCurdy, Broughshane and Gordon Crawford, Aghanlane, Ballymena, Gordon also received 3200gns for another ram lamb. Tom Adams, Rathkenny took the fifth highest price of 5000gns for a Perth ram lamb. He also received 3200gns for another ram lamb. Damian McSwiggan, Gortin received 4200gns and 3200gns, for Lanark shearlings. Seamus Fegan, Castlewellan, got 3300gns for a Lanark ram lamb while Karl O’Mullan, Dunloy and James Mills, Kilwaughter received 3200gns for their Lanark shearlings.

Other top prices of the day were: 3000gns, 3000gns, 2600gns K O’Mullan, 3000gns R Loughery, 2800gns, 2100gns E McKenna, 2600gns C McAteer, 2600gns T Adams, 2500gns W Smyth, 2200gns V Brennan, 2200gns S Wallace, 2200gns, 1700gns McCormick Bros, 2200gns, 2000gns, 1800gns B McAllister, 2000gns Conway Bros, 2000gns D McSwiggan, 2000gns J McCalmont, 1900gns L McEldowney, 1900gns A Hunter, 1800gns C Breslin, 1800gns Loughash Farms, 1800gns, 1800gns, 1700gns V & P Fullerton,

The day started with the judging. Sandy Smith, Haughton, Scotland judged the Shearlings placing Russell Smyth, Coleraine Champion Shearling which sold for 700gns. Matthew Hamilton, Woolfords, Scotland judged the Ram Lambs placing Conway Bros Champion Ram Lamb which received 2000gns in the sale ring. David Nicol, Viewmount, Scotland judged the Champion of Champions placing Conway Bros’s ram lamb Champion of Champions and Russell’s shearling Reserve Champion of Champions.

Results as follows:

Champion of Champions: Conway Bros, Plumbridge; Reserve Champion of Champions: Russell Smyth, Coleraine

Shearlings:

Champion: Russell Smyth, Reserve Champion – Sam Adams 2nd Res. Champion – Conway Bros, 3rd & 4th – Sandy Carson

Class 1 Singles: 1st R Smyth, 2nd G&W Watson, 3rd J Carson, 4th T Adams, 5th R Smyth, 6th T Adams

Class 2 Group of Five: 1st S Carson, 2nd T Adams, 3rd R Crawford, 4th R Smyth, 5th M Smyth

Class 3 Pairs: 1st Conway Bros, 2nd J Carson, 3rd T Wray, 4th S Adams, 5th G Watson, 6th Curran Bros

Ram Lambs:

Champion: Conway Bros. Reserve Champion – Billy Grant, 2nd Res. Champion – Curran Bros, 3rd Tom Adams, 4th William Smyth

Class 1 Singles: 1st Conway Bros, 2nd T Adams, 3rd M Conway, 4th Conway Bros, 5th V Brennan, 6th Gary Watson

Class 2 Group of Three: 1st Conway Bros, 2nd B Grant, 3rd Curran Bros, 4th P McEvoy, 5th T Harkin, 6th J Adams