Seaforde Texel gimmer leads the way at Balmoral Show 2024

This Procters El Presidente daughter is out of a Knock-bred dam by Knock Banker, making her a maternal sister to the 7000gns Seaforde Empire King which has bred rams to 100,000gns.

And the same breeding was in the back pedigree of the reserve female and reserve overall champion, the second prize gimmer from Sam McNeilly, XST2300981.

This one is by Auldhouseburn Fabdabidozi, himself an Empire King son, and out of a dam by Plasucha Charmer.

Mark Priestley then completed a championship double, taking the best opposite sex championship with his ram lamb PRQ2402714. This Auldhouseburn Gazza son is out of a full ET sister to the champion, a Procters El Presidente daughter out of the Knock ewe.

Top spot in the day’s first class, the aged rams went to Stephen McNeilly with Auldhouseburn Fandabidozi, a Seaforde Empire King son out of a dam by the 350,000gns Sportsmans Double Diamond.

Then in the shearling rams the leader were Martin and Cyril Millar and family with Largy Grizzly Bear. This Rhaeadr Entrepreneur son out of a dam by Knap Abracadabra, with this one being a 4800gns purchase at the Northern Irish National Sale, Ballymena, last year.

The Millar’s then claimed top spot in the aged ewe class with VMG2002193. This Lauder Cobra daughter is out of a dam by Charben Yankee Boy and had been champion at Balmoral last year.

And the family kept up their winning ways when taking the top ticket in the ewe lambs too. This time is was a Largy Grizzly Bear daughter, VMG2403051. She’s out of a dam by Knockhll Electric.

Class Results

Aged rams

1 - Stephen McNeilly’s Auldhouseburn Fandabidozi

2 - Federnagh Pedigrees’ Blue Gates Freedom

3 - James Cleland’s Larkhill Frank

4 - D&N Hamill’s Carmavy Frankie Dettori

Shearling Rams

1 - Martin & Cyril Millar’s Largy Grizzly Bear

2 - D & N Hamill’s Long Mountain Godfather

3 - James Cleland’s Rose Hall Gentleman

4 - Steven McCollam’s Auldhouseburn Gucci

5 - D & N Hamill’s Carnew Gaffer

Ram lambs

1 - Mark Priestley’s PRQ2402714

2 - Stephen McNeilly’s SPF2401127

3 - Dickson & Co’s DSO2402272

4 - Stephen McNeilly’s SPF2401123

5 - Kildan Texels’s KMD2400286

Aged ewes

1 - Martin & Cyril Millar’s VMG2002193

2 - Federnagh Pedigrees’ FED2100615

3 - D & N Hamill’s MUC2202057

4 - Rebecca Burke’s DOD2200523

Shearling ewes

1 - Mark Priestley’s PRQ2302488

2 - Sam McNeilly’s XST2300981

3 - Mark Priestley’s PRQ2302489

4 - James Herdman’s HKP2302433

5 - Stephen McNeilly’s SPF2300907

Ewe lambs

1 - Martin & Cyril Millar’s VMG2403051

2 - Jonny Cubbitt’s CWH2401668

3 - James Herdman’s HKP2402585

4 - Jonny Cubbitt’s CWH2401793

5 - Sam McNeilly’s XST2401171

Overall champion

Mark Priestley’s gimmer PRQ2302488

Reserve overall champion

Sam McNeilly’s gimmer XST2300981

Best Opposite Sex

Mark Priestley’s ram lamb PRQ2402714