David Workman, Head of Agribusiness for the Northern Bank was on hand to distribute the generous prize fund, assisted by Marcus McCollum, Agribusiness. The Northern Bank has been involved with this Show & Sale for many years now and their support is greatly appreciated by the British Texel Sheep Society and local breeders.

It took 5,600 guineas to secure Beechvale Joker and give vendor Norman Reid his highest price to date at a Texel event. This outstanding ram lamb is the first son of Meadowvale Idol to be offered at auction and was one of a team of four sired by the ram which sold to average a staggering £2,612. Meadowvale Idol was bred by Norman Reid’s son Malcolm and is proving to be a sound investment leaving top-notch progeny. Recorded as a genotype 1, this well made lamb sold to John Foster, Michael and James Watson and W J and J Wilson.

Another from the same willing seller sold at 2,200 guineas to James Adams, Graeme Martin and Brian Gardiner once again all hailing from County Antrim. This was another sharp looking Meadowvale Idol son, closely related to the pen leader with the maternal sire also being Ballydonaghy Falcon leaving him a three-quarter brother.

Samuel Gordon has a successful day’s trading with his Lindstair flock based at Annalong. The top price in his ram lamb pen was 3,200 guineas paid close to the end of the sale by Charlie Scott who had travelled across the water to attend the event. This genotype1 is sired by Knock Firefly who has already made a name for himself with 9 sons averaging £5,000 in 2000.

The Tamnamoney prefix for Roger Strawbridge, Coleraine, came to the fore when he cashed in a son of Ballynahone Heathcliff for 2,000 guineas. This strong shearling ram is genotype 1 and has an immaculate pedigree to match his good looks. Ballynahone Heathcliff bred by Richard Henderson was selected as a sire reference ram and has produced sons to 2,200 guineas and bred the top three placings at Balmoral Show. Finding this ram too tempting to miss were breeders, Mary Clare and Alan Cochrane.

Ballyclare based Wilson Kennedy also attracted 2,000 guineas for his son of Sweetwall Gigolo bred from a Turin European dam.

Irish Hill Imprezza is a full brother to Hawkeye and Hotshot. Hawkeye sold to Barclay Bell for 2,400 guineas at Ballyclare when he was placed Reserve Champion. Hotshot was retained by the Irish Hill flock as a stock ram and has bred Icon, which was selected as the sire reference ram in 2002. The purchasers of this choice shearling were Martin Cromie, Murray Annett, Barclay Bell and Harry McGaffin.

The Irish Hill flock was back in the money in the ram lamb sale ring when a son of Icon chalked up 1,800 guineas. Heatherstacks Charlie sired the dam of this February born lamb, which has a genotype 1. Frank Morrison paid out the cash for this lot which now joins his Cluntagh flock based at Crossgar.

James and Michael Watson’s Hillhead flock has earned a name as a source for quality Texels and this sale was no exception with shearlings selling to heights of 1,600 guineas. This was paid for a son of the 4,200 guineas Carrowdore Highlite with a genotype 2. The dam is by the noted Annan Daktari, which has been a great asset to their flock with females, selling to 1,600 guineas.

A feast of other lots in each section crossed the £1,000 mark, as the popularity of Texel remains clearly evident. The shearling rams enjoyed swift returns with 130 levelling at £430 per head. This was complimented by a ram lamb average of £412 for 218. These figures speak volumes about the overall success of the event, which is heralded as the largest ram sale in Ulster.

Standing in the Reserve Champion ship position was a tremendous shearling ram from the noted Duvarren flock of John Watson, Annacloy, Downpatrick. The very aptly named Duvarren Impeccable is sired by a homebred son of the noted Hillhead Goldliner. Born as a twin, this shearling handles well and caught the eye of the busy ringside crowd at judging time. This recently formed flock has hit the headlines right from the word go, scooping the top sale price at this event last year with a ram lamb which sold for 3,000 guineas.

Collecting top awards in the female section was a classy shearling ewe presented by Robin Kennedy and his son Andrew. This is the first championship the Maineview flock has produced to date at a Premier Event with this entire pen of hoggetts attracting an average of £550 for five. The leading price in the female section of 1,150 guineas was paid for this daughter of Sweetwall Gabarit, a 2,700 guineas ram purchased in a three way split with Martin Cromie and Brian and William McAllister. Securing this promising gimmer for their Milcomb flock at Ballyclare was the partnership of Ian Millar and his four-year-old grandson James McComb.

The prices followed the judging closely when it came to the Reserve Champion Female, which changed hands at 800 guineas for Alastair Gault travelling from Newtownabbey. The sire of this shearling ewe needs little introduction to breeders, as Sweetwall Gigolo was the successful Sire Reference Ram that bred so many quality stock. Brague Arkle is behind the dam of this classy shearling which was only offered as three sisters have been retained in the flock. The successful purchase of this lot was Dessie Tosh, Limavady.

Another young breeder that was parting with some cash to secure a quality female for their own enterprise was 11 year old Graham Foster son of John who runs the highly successful Springhill flock at Castlederg. Graham selected his first female from the Kiltariff flock of Barclay Bell, Rathfriland and had to fork out 720 guineas to secure her. Irish Hill Hawk Eye sired this entry with Ettrick Caesar siring the dam. Hawk Eye was purchased by the Kiltariff flock for 2,400 guineas at Ballyclare two years ago and is proving his worth by breeding top quality stock.

Chasing this at 700 guineas, was a well made daughter of Carrowdore His Highness from the Tullygarley flock of John Currie, Ballymena. There was keen interest in this promising gimmer with the successful purchaser being Robert Irvine. This pen had consistent quality mirrored by an average of £466 for 5. The figures in this pen were also well above average with Indexes rising up to a mighty 270.

The Clougher entry was also in the money for vendor Victor Chestnutt travelling from Bushmills. Ballynahone Heathcliff sired this January born shearling, which sold for 640 guineas. This entry joins the Ballyrussell flock of Mary Clark, Belfast.

There was fierce demand for the entire entry of females, which traditionally sell on the evening prior to the ram sale. The female portion of the catalogue sold to average £290 for 80 sold out of 84 put forward.

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RAM LAMBS
Leading Sale Prices

SHEARLING RAMS
Leading Sale Prices

130 Shearling Rams averaged £430

SHEARLING RAM PEN AVERAGES

FEMALES
Leading Prices in Guineas

Supreme & Male Champion Robert Mulligan

Reserve Supreme & Reserve Male Champion John Watson

Female Champion Robert Kennedy

Reserve Female Champion Alastair Gault