Northern Ireland bred Hampshire Downs among the leading entries in Stratford

Lot 102 from Allen and Victoria McFadden selling for 1,500gns

A Northern Ireland bred Hampshire Down ram lamb were among the three leading 1,500gns bids at Stratford on Saturday, July 1st at the breed association's official national sale.

Co Down breeders, Allen and Vicky McFadden, Banbridge, sold an entry by their homebred Royal Ulster champion, Ashley Blackjack for 1,500gns to D Cormack, Billesdon, Leicestershire.

K P and A E McCarthy, Comber, Co Down offered their leading homebred ram lamb at 780gns to N Haley, Buckfastleigh, Devon.

He was within the breed’s top five per cent by Ballycreelly Devil’s Revenge.

The McCarthys went on to pay 800gns for a Ballycreelly Murphy sired ram lamb bred by A Brown and G Beckley, Templecombe, Somerset.

Two more ram lambs made 1,500gns each.

First was an entry with an index within the breed’s top one per cent by the homebred Thorbeck Hurricane from J Birkwood, Grimsby, Lincolnshire selling to S and A Moore, Brechin, Angus.

The same breeder offered another 1,500gns ram lamb, this time a Kelsey Nobleman son within the top one per cent who headed the performance recorded ram lamb class and he sold to E and A Jones, Wymondham, Norfolk.

The shearling ram section was led at 1,180gns by an entry within the breed’s top 25% by the homebred Eastfortune Balfour from Brand and Son, East Fortune, East Lothian to S Harries, Whitland, Pembrokeshire.

Another ram lamb by Balfour from the same breeders made 880gns to P Meredith, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, whilst their leading shearling ewe again by Eastfortune Balfour made 650gns to Richards Bros, Cilmery, Powys.

Averages: Females: 18 shearlings £529; 19 lambs £421. Rams: 4 shearlings £703; 25 lambs £653.

Auctioneers: Bletsoes.