NI breeders achieve Lleyn Carlisle success

There was a solid trade with supply out stripping demand as some buyers went home short of what they came for. From breeders sheep to commercial sheep there was something to suit everyone. The female sections saw averages up on the year.

The pens of shearling ewes topped at £270/head when B Walling, Selkirk sold the first prize pen of shearling ewes to A Kirkbride, Whitehaven. T & B Fort, Keighley sold a pen at £250/head to A Nicholson, Beverley. B Latimer, Co Tyrone had a worthwhile journey when selling two pens at £220/head to J Croke, Fethard, Co Tipperary. D Steen, Moffat sold at £210/head and £215/head both bought by P Robinson, Nass, County Kildare. Ian Walling, Selkirk got a pen away at £202/head. H Goldie, Ruthwell and C & A Kennedy, Ballyclare, Co Antrim both got pens away for £200/head. There were many pens sold from £150 to £170/head.

There was a class for an individual shearling ewe which is suitable for ram breeding. H Goldie, Ruthwell claimed first prize and sold for £900 to R Bowie, Crieff. B Walling, Selkirk stood second and sold for £600 to A Kirkbride, Whitehaven. Third prize from L Jenkinson, Kirkby Stephen sold for £200 to GLS Siddall, Angelsey.

Ewe lambs saw L Organ, Llandysul top with his second prize pen selling for £210/head to A Selway, Stalbridge, Dorset. The third prize pen from B Walling came next at £140/head when purchased by C McConville, Newry, Co. Down. The first prize pen from L Jenkinson, Kirkby Stephen sold for £135/head to J Kingan, Troqueer, Dumfries. J & A Barrow, Appleby sold a pen at £125/head and I Walling, Selkirk sold a pen for £122/head. Most lambs were strong enough for tupping this time with over 14 pens over £100. Nothing sold under £80 and only three pens went home.

Rams saw a 90% clearance with buyers around the ring until the last ram. Adding to a successful year for E & D Jones, Machynlleth they once again sold the top price ram at 7000gns. A Lluest Ram (00599/1809758) by Wraycastle Edwardo had stood second in the show was purchased by D Mullan, Coleraine, Northern Ireland. D Steen, Moffat sold a Ballylinney Ram (00809/1812295) by Lochar Extract for 4200gns to H & M Dugdale, Settle. Mr Steen also sold Whitcastle (01400/1800343) by a Ballylinney sire for 3500gns to Laga Farms, Orkney. Also travelling to Orkney Mr Steen sold Whitcastle (01400/1800303) by Extract for 2500gns when purchased by C Davidson. The champion ram was Brynowen High Flyer (01159/1803534) sired by Brynowen Gold Dust from C Lewis, Caersws, Powys. He was purchased by DN Bennett & Son, Meifod, Powys. P Knowles, Kendal sold Cragg Howard (00886/1804776) by Cragg Griffyn for 2200gns to W & N Lawrence, Ellon, Aberdeen. There was plenty of interest in the rams with many rams easily selling over the 450gns mark and 21 realising over the 1000gns mark.

Averages:

Senior Ewes to £102 av. £96.66

Shearling Ewes to £270 (£900) av. £162 (+7)

Ewe lambs to £210 av. £97 (+14)

Rams to 7000gns av. £893