2009 Irish National Texel Show and Sale
20-21 August

TEXEL SHOW AND SALE MEETS WITH STRONG TRADE

The British Texel Sheep Society Northern Bank Show and Sale met with a strong trade for the 454 lots on offer. With a packed ringside for most of the day averages were up in both the Shearling ewe and Shearling ram sections while there was a slight dip in the ram lamb average on last year.

Of the 93 gimmers forward 86 were sold averaging 530gns, this is an increase of 138gns on last year’s sale, a reflection of the current commercial breeding female market. The shearling rams also enjoyed an increased average with 95 of the 104 lots forward averaging 568gns, an increase of 108gns on last year.

Ram lamb trade was steady with a top price of 6,000gns for Kilcoan Pele, a Fairywater Olympic Star son bred by Alex Thompson, Larne from a Brague Jethro ewe. Olympic Star was a joint purchase at the Premier sale in 2008 for 2,600gns and has certainly proved profitable for the Kilcoan Flock with this sale topper. Pele, a very smart lamb, with Ettrick My Jinks in his paternal pedigree joins John Watson’s Duvarren flock in Downpatrick and the Hillhead flock in Dundonald owned by brother Michael.

Kilcoan Pele topped the sale at 6,000gns

Second highest price in this section was a Tamnamoney Ned son, forward from the Livery flock of James Thompson, Ballymoney. Predator finally changed hands, following some very fast bidding, for 5,800gns and travels across the sea to Scotland to join the Goldie’s flock in Dumfries.

Thompson’s Livery Predator sold for 5,800gns

Staying in this price bracket was Brian Hanthorn’s Mullan flock with a Curley O’Kelly son selling to 5,200gns. A Ballydonaghy Nijinsky grandson from a Castlecairn Keltic Star dam, Mullan Playboy was purchased by R Henderson, Ballynahone in partnership with the Forkins, Straidarren and Tamnamoney flocks. The Mullan pen also yielded a Castlecairn Nile God son which sold to fellow breeder James Adams, Glarryford for 3,800gns while a Brague Nixon son sold to The Burn flock owned by Johnny Kerr, Comber for 3,200gns. An excellent days trading for Brian achieving a pen average of over 3,000gns for 4.

Hanthorn’s Mullan Playboy sold for 5,200gns

Hanthorn’s Mullan Profiteer sold for 3,800gns

Hanthorn’s Mullan Paymaster sold for 3,200gns

Another exhibitor to experience a good day was the Ballyhivistock flock owned by Simpson and Calvin. Robert Calvin the current NI Club Chairman was delighted with his pen topping at 5,000gns for yet another Tamnamoney Ned son. This ram lamb, Ballyhivistock Prince Charming, travels South to join the flocks of Irish Texel Society’s Chairperson, Mrs. Ann Murphy, Gorey, Co Wexford and new breeder Fergal O’Shea.

Simpson & Calvins’ Ballyhivistock Prince Charming sold for 5,000gns

A second Tamnamoney Ned son from this pen, Ballyhivistock Poser sold to A Kerr, Ballymoney for 1,100gns, while a Redford Ollie son, Ballyhivistock Pop Star, joins the Castleknowe flock of L & K Beacom, Ballywalter for 2,800gns.

Simpson & Calvin’s Ballyhivistock Pop Star sold for 2,800gns

Victor Chesnutt’s Clougher flock was out in force accomplishing a top price of 4,400gns for a Coldstream Magnum son out of a Rams Gold Dust dam. Clougher Physical was jointly purchased by the Tullagh flock of JK Currie, Ballymena and Fairywater flock bred by A Fyffe, Omagh.

Victor Chestnutt’s Clougher Physical sold for 4,400gns

A Brague Nixon son from Richard Henning’s Mullaglass flock also travels across the pond to the well known Arkle flock of G Wilkinson, Cumbria. This great carcase lamb changed hands for 3,600gns.

Also travelling across to the Mainland is Downkillybegs Panther, a Stranmuir Olaf son bred by TJ Carson and sons. He was purchased by R Hughes, Newtown, Wales for 3,200gns.

Carson & Son’s Downkillybegs Panther sold for 3,200gns

Yet again there was great interest from breeders outside the Province with 23 sheep travelling to the Mainland and the Isle of Man and a further 30 crossing the border to Eire.

Tamnamoney Playboy sold for 3,000gns

Curley President Nixon sold for 2,800gns

Rowandale Predator sold for 2,600gns

Tullagh Paddy sold for 2,200 gns

Brague Paddy Powers sold for 2,000gns

Leading Ram Lamb Prices in guineas

196 sold Average 737gns

6,000 – A Thompson, Larne to J Watson, Annacloy & M&J Watson, Dundonald
5,800 – J Thompson, Ballymoney to B Goldie, Dumfries
5,200 – B Hanthorn, Tynan to R Henderson, Maghera
5,000 – Simpson & Calvin, Ballymoney to A Murphy & Fergal O’Shea, Gorey
4,400 – V Chestnutt, Bushmills to J Currie, Ballymena & A Fyffe, Omagh
3,800 - B Hanthorn, Tynan to J Adams, Glarryford
3,600 – R Henning, Newry to G Wilkinson, Cumbria
3,200 – TJ Carson & Son, Ballymena to R Hughes, Wales
3,200 - B Hanthorn, Tynan to J Kerr, Comber
3,000 – R Strawbridge, Coleraine to Simpson & Calvin, Ballymoney
2,800 – Simpson & Calvin, Ballymoney to L&K Beacom, Ballywalter
2,800 – J Trimble, Newry to J Carey, Ballymena
2,800 – J Simpson, Ballyclare to PA Kermode, Isle of Man
2,600 – D McKay, Ballymena to J Arnold, Ballynahinch
2,200 – J Currie, Ballymena to A Johnston Ayrshire
2,200 – R Mulligan, Banbridge to P Stonton, Co Mayo
2,000 – M&C Millar, Coleraine to PA Kermode, Isle of Man

SHEARLING RAMS TOP 3,600GNS

The quality of the shearling rams forward at the British Texel Sheep Society Northern Bank Premier sale in Dungannon on Friday was certainly reflected in the prices paid. John Foster, Castlederg brought out a magnificent pen of shearling rams which included the Show Reserve Champion, Springhill Onslow, a Ballynadrenta Nicefella son, who topped the shearling ring prices at 3,600gns selling to new breeder P Hughes, Dungannon. Onslow, a successful member of the Springhill show team 2009, had been awarded the 3rd prize shearling ram rosette at RUAS and took second place in his class at Omagh Show also. This super shearling was sired by Ballynadrenta Nicefella, a Ballydonaghy Istabraq son purchased for 2,200gns at the Premier sale back in 2007. The next two highest prices also came from the Springhill pen with a Blackstown Milo son, out of a Brague IOU dam, Springhill Omega selling for 1,450 gns to R Harkness, Crumlin, while Springhill Oliver a Blackstown Nightrider son realized 1,100gns selling to M Grant, Newry. The Springhill flock gained the highest pen average for shearling rams with 8 sheep averaging 1161gns.

John Watson, Annacloy, also realized a top price of 1,100gns for his Tamnamoney King of the Mountain son, Duvarren One on One, out of a Springhill Kentucky ewe he sold to J. Fegan, Hilltown. Again a super pen of shearlings the Duvarren flock averaging almost 700gns for six.

Young Andrew Fyffe, Omagh followed on, still in the four figure category, with a Montalto Lucky boy son out of a Cornerstone Isaac ewe, Fairywater Official selling to 1,000gns. The 2009 sale saw a clearance of over 90% of shearlings forward with the average price paid up by 108gns on last year.

Sold 95 Average 568 gns

Leading Shearling Ram Prices

3,600 – John Foster, Castlederg to P Hughes, Dungannon
1,450 – John Foster, Castlederg to R Harkness, Crumlin
1,100 – John Foster, Castlederg to M Grant, Newry
1,100 – John Watson, Downpatrick to J Fegan, Hilltown
1,000 – A Fyffe, Omagh to C Loy, Pomeroy
900 – M Annett, Rathfriland to M Grant, Newry
900 – L Young, Castlederg to S Etherson, Ballymoney
860 – G Rodgers, Aughnacloy to W O’Neill, Strabane
850 – A Gault, Newtownabbey to T Hynes, Rathfriland
840 – JL McKinney, Maghera to M Geoghegan, Newtowncunningham

TEXELS GIMMERS TOP 3,800gns on FIRST DAY OF NATIONAL SALE

The quality of ewes forward was reflected in the prices with an average of £530 for the 86 lots forward. The number of females presented was well up on last year’s sale however the popularity of the Texel still commanded an excellent sale. Prices peaked at 3800gns for a Douganhill McFly daughter forward from the Forkins pen of Alistair Gault, Newtownabbey. This smart gimmer is a full sister to both Forkins Nijinsky, who sold for 28,000 gns at the Premier Sale in 2007, and Cherryvale Nijinsky who sold to 16,000gns the same year.

Gault’s Forkins GAF080023 sold for 3,800gns

Alistair had a super evening with a further two McFly daughters selling to 1,300 gns giving him a pen average of over 1,700gns for four.

The second highest priced ewe travels to Stockport Cheshire to home of the Judge Charlie Boden. Charlie was obviously taken with this gimmer, as he awarded her the Female Championship earlier on in the day and was prepared to pay 3,600gns for this tremendous Ballydonaghy Nijinsky daughter bred by John Trimble, Newry. Bred from a Forkins ewe, John felt this was the best gimmer ever offered out of the flock, an exceptionally strong shearling with good skin.

CURLEY TYC08034 Female Champion later sold for 3,600gns.

Exhibited by John Trimble pictured with Charlies Boden, Judge and John Henning, Northern Bank Sponsors

Prices still kept to the 3000 gns mark with Brian Hanthorn, Tynan selling to relatively new breeders, C & D Seaman, Florencecourt. Again a tremendous ewe, which stood in second place to the Female Champion, this Tamnamoney Navvy daughter bred form a Cornerstone Isaac dam leaves the Mullan flock to join the Gorteen flock, Enniskillen.

Mullan HBN08026 Reserve Female Champion later sold for 3,000gns.

The Crawfordsland flock of D& J Boyd had an exciting first day also. Having previously won the ram lamb novice class, success also followed them into the ring with their fourth placed shearling ewe realising 1,600gns. A Ballynahone Nirvana daughter from a home bred ewe sold to P Hughes, Dungannon and joins both of the Forkins’ 1,300 gns shearlings at their new home.

Another ewe to cross the pond is the Glenside Lion King daughter shown by C&M Mullan, Limavady. Purchased by T McTaggart, Castle Douglas this shearling changes hands for 1,200 gns

Shearling Ewe Prices

3800 – A Gault, Newtownabbey to D Taylor, Coleraine
3600 – J Trimble, Newry to C Boden, Stockport, Cheshire
3000 – B Hanthorn, Tynan to C&D Seaman, Florencecourt
1600 – D&J Boyd, Ballyclare to P Hughes, Dungannon
1300 – A Gault, Newtownabbey to P Hughes, Dungannon
1300 – A Gault, Newtownabbey to P Hughes, Dungannon
1200- C&M Mullan, Limavady to T McTaggart, Castle Douglas
1000 – R Henderson, Tobermore to A Thompson, Ballymoney
1000 – A Gault, Newtownabbey to J Byrne, Wicklow
1000 – B Hanthorn, Tynan to S Ferris, Dromore
850 – R Henderson, Tobermore to P Hughes, Dungannon
750 – J Trimble, Newry to M&S Riley, Moneyreagh
700 – R Kennedy, Ballymena to P Hughes, Dungannon
650 – M Annett, Rathfriland to G Jones, Denbigh, Wales
600 – R Kennedy, Ballymena to P Hughes, Dungannon

[show report]