Suffolk females led the Big Bang Export sale of pedigree sheep at Balmoral Park, Belfast, attracting five of the top six prices to include the event high of 10,000gns.
The sale of Suffolk, Dutch Spotted and Badger Face Texels staged live and online by Harrison and Hetherington and MartEye, was led by a Shannagh Suffolk gimmer from Andrew Wilson who also runs the Castleisle flock from Shannagh, Raphoe, Co Donegal.
His pen leader, a daughter of the 9000gns Limestone Another Level, is bred from a home-bred ewe by Limestone Aston Martin that has produced sons to £2000. A maternal sister to the 6500gns female sold at the 2021 Big Bang Sale, her grandam also produced the €6500 Shannagh Lonestar.
On the debit side, Mr Wilson went to 4500gns for Dennis Taylor’s lead gimmer from the Ballynacannon flock from Macosquin, Coleraine.
Her pedigree features the 40,000gns Lakeview Fury and a home-bred dam by Tolgus Pretty Boy, that is a full sister to a 15,000gns ram lamb. She sold scanned carrying a pair of lambs by the 16,000gns Limestone Springbok. Alastair and Jack Gault’s Forkins flock from Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, had another good day with gimmer sales at 8000gns, 5200gns and 5000gns.
Their dearest was the pen leader, a daughter of Ballinatone Show Stopper, a tup that has bred daughters to 5500gns twice and grandsons to 11,000gns.
Equally notable, the Forkins dam, by Mullaghboy Goliath, is a sister to the 26,000gns McCoy, a 17,000gns ewe lamb and a 4500gns lamb sold earlier this year.
She changed hands due to Oakbridge Opportunity, a £4600 purchase at Ballymena, last year. The buyers were father-and-son duo Philip and Ryan Gurney of Oakbridge Suffolks, Coleraine, Northern Ireland.
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Forkins’ No 2, bred from the same dam but sired by Crewelands Cruncher then made 5200gns when selling to John Trimble, Newry, Co Down, Northern Ireland.
She sold carrying a pair of lambs by Oakbridge Opportunity.
The Gaults’ 5000gns gimmer was also sired by Cruncher and changed hands carrying twins to Opportunity. Messrs Breen, Tempo, forked out the cash for this female bred from another Forkins ewe by Mullaghboy Goliath, which bred the 10,000gns Masterplan and a 7000gns gimmer.
Lesley Liggett’s Carony flock from Drumquin, Co Antrim, was another in celebratory mode, selling the top-priced ewe lamb at 5500gns with his pen of 12 cashing in at £1810. From the best female line in the flock, his sale leader is bred from a home-bred ewe dam sired by the 12,000gns Strathbogie Ghost Rider, while her grand dam bred the 4000gns McIlroy and ewe lambs to 2700gns, 2500gns and 2200gns.
The sire is Birness Thunder II. The lamb sold to Charlie Boden and family, Sportsmans, Stockport, Bury.
Suffolk breeders from Spain and Portugal also made their presence felt, with the dearest on the road to continent making 4200gns to Messrs Creus, Puigcerdia, Spain.
Selling at this price was a gimmer from Jack and Andrew Moses’ Blackstown flock, Aldergrove, Crumlin, Co Antrim. Another by Crewelands Cruncher, her dam is sired by Ballyboe Buster. The service sire was Tullywinney Hurricane.
Greenfield Goldie, an imported gimmer by Diamond Felix, topped the Dutch Spotted at 5000gns. Consigned by Sam Allen and Allen Shortt of the Derg flock, Strabane, Co Tyrone, she is bred from Greenfield Fable and sold in lamb to Diamond Got The Moves to I and L Lynn of the Doonans flock Armoy, Co Antrim.
Callum Dodd of the Hazelberry flock from Tundergarth, Lockerbie, bought two of the top four highest priced Spotties at 2500gns and 1600gns. Both were consigned from the Derg flock, with the former, Brookhill Gaby, bred by R McMurtry, being sired by Kilroot Everest. She also sold due to Diamond Got the Moves.
Making 1600gns was Ballintur Gigi, another gimmer this time bred by S Killen and sired by Myreside Elite. She also sold due to the same service sire.
Derg also produced the top-priced pregnancy at 2200gns, selling a single embryo due mid to late January to Royal Ulster breed and inter-breed sheep champion, Craigdoo Firefly, and sired by Knockmult Hector. The buyers were Messrs Doherty, Donegal, Eire.
Badger Faced Texels sold to 600gns for the ewe lamb Little Whisker Fiery from A and J Carson, Strabane, Co Tyrone, purchased by Messrs Crawford, Newtown Stewart, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
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