Texels met a strong demand at the NITBC Club Sale, Ballymena, achieving a 91% clearance rate across the board.
Leading trade was the champion from the pre-sale show, Botera Embrace from David Jones’ Backburn flock.
This son of Hexel Dallas is out of a Midlock Yorkie-sired dam and led the prices when making 3000gns to James Cleland’s Rose Hall flock.
Next to generate a flurry of bids was Alan Glendinning’s sixth place ram lamb from his Lylehill Flock. This was Lylehill Fireball, a Sportsmans Dare Devil son out of a 130,000gns Sportsmans A Star daughter and sold to A McFarlane, Dungiven, for 1700gns.
The Blackstown flock of J Wilson and J Wilson Moses was next in line for leading prices for shearling ram Blackstown Electric. This Kiltariff Donkey Kong son out of an Eglur Vicount dam moves home to Castlederg to join Sam Rankin’s flock for £1250gns.
Selling for 1050gns was a shearling ram from Robbie Mulligan’s Brague pen, a Maineview Daredevil son out of a Kiltariff Bastareaud daughter. He went to S and B Jamieson, Ballycastle.
Gary Beacom’s Lakeview pen took the same money for a Castlecairn Doodlebug son out of an Auldhouseburn Warlord sired ewe. He sold to W Cranson, Newry.
And a Lakeview ram lamb then sold at the same price, having stood second in the pre-sale line-up. Lakeview F1 is another Doodlebug son and out of an Arkle Awesome dam and join Wesley Cousins’ flock, Omagh.
Coming in close behind at 1000gns were exhibits from the Forkins and Ballydesland flocks. Alastair Gault’s Forkins Firecracker was the reserve champion from the pre-sale show, a Garngour Emerald son out of a Clarks Bolt daughter and sold to the McKinney Bros, Maghera, for their Heathmount Flock.
Pat Garrivan’s Ballydesland Fortune and Ballydesland Freddie are both by homebred sire Ballydesland Eddie and sold at 1000gns apiece to Maurice Robinson, Richhill, and David Herron, Killinchy, respectively.
Averages; shearling rams £861, ram lambs £614 (Ballymena Livestock Market).