Ballymena Bluefaced Leicesters – Ballytober tops 28,000gns

Full of great crossing bloodlines, this shearling is sired by the R14 Hewgill, bought for 7500gns at Carlisle, while his dam is a Midlock-bred ewe bought at J36 and sired by Midlock’s own ‘Big Yin’. He sold to the pre-sale judge Northumberland-based Martyn Archer, Carry House, and Andy Hunter, Steel, Hexham, who saw him when he judged in Antrim.

Another four rams sold at five-figure prices to bolster the shearling average by almost £300 per head, while ram lambs increased by £100, albeit for fewer sold.

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Domanic McCrystal's lamb sold for 16,000gns Also heading across the Irish Sea at 16,000gns with Lanarkshire breeders, Jimmy Bell, Cottage; Allan and Ben Wight, Midlock, and Keith and Andrew Campbell, Overburns, was the No 2 from Domanic McCrystal’s Drummuck flock. He is by the £8000 Cottage bought last year at Hawes, which sired 12 of the 15 Drummuck lambs at the sale. The lamb, later christened ‘Ya Dancer,’ is out of a ewe by the £30,000 N1 Hewgill.

His full brother sold for 10,000gns to Tom Staunton, Mask View, and another S2 Cottage son made 7400gns to SJ Duncan, Hill Vale.

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Top price for Steven Wilson’s Deerfin flock was 14,000gns paid for a shearling ram by the 7500gns Temain, out of a ewe by M2 Asby Hall which was bought in utero of a £4500 Midlock ewe. He was purchased by Mark Douglas.

On the other side of the coin, Mr Wilson bought a third share of Timothy Wray’s pre-sale champion from the Knockstacken flock which made 10,000gns when selling jointly to Graham and Julie Loughery, Temain, and Mr Wray retaining a third share.

This lamb is by Overburns Hitman, bought from Keith and Andrew Campbell at Hawes last year for £7500, and out of a ewe bred from a Firth ewe.