Champion leads Rathriland at 900gns

Bank Holiday Monday saw the first of the Northern Ireland Texel Club Shows and Sales at Rathfriland.  The sale got off to a good start with the pre-sale show judged by Nigel Hamill, Ballynadrenta Texels, Crumlin.

Sale prices peaked at 900gns, which was up on last year’s top price, for the judges Fane Valley Champion, a ram lamb from John McPolin’s Ballei pen.  He is a February born Midcombe Axel son out of a Kelso Ultra dam.

Mr McPolin also sold this lamb’s penmate, another Midcombe Axel son for 500gns. Next in line for the money for a ram lamb was Naomi and Rian O’Hare, Millburn Texels.  Their Mullan Armani son out of an Usk Vale Yankee dam stood third in the judge’s line-up and later sold for 520gns.

Eugene Branagan, Largy Texels was next in demand for a Charben Valentine son out of a Springwell Viera daughter which changed hands for 500gns.

Demand for Shearling rams was evident with S & J Burns topping the shearling ram prices for the fifth place Longbeech exhibit.  A Milestonehill Ahab son out of a Fairywater Ultra daughter, he later sold for 680gns.

Also from the same pen and out of the same sire another of the Longbeech ram changed hands for 650gns followed by a Strathbogie Yes Sir son making 550gns.

Continuing the shearling trade was Ciaran Cunningham’s Brackney exhibit, a Goldies Wicked son which stood sixth in the pre-sale show, selling for 620gns.  Also enjoying the trade was Gareth Tumelty’s Aideshill pen, with his first place Shearling and Fane Valley Reserve Champion heading to pastures new for 600gns.

Overall this was a steady evening’s trading with a total of 44 Pedigree Male Texels selling to better last year’s average at 408gns.

Show Results Kindly Sponsored by Fane Valley

Overall Champion: John McPolin Ballei Texels with Ram Lamb

Reserve Champion: Gareth Tumelty Aideshill Texels with Shearling Ram

Shearling Ram Class

1^stGareth Tumelty, Aideshill

2^ndGraham Rodgers, Bohard

3^rdJack Tumelty, Corbally

4^th J Wilson & J Wilson Moses, Blackstown

5^thS & J Burns, Longbeech

6^th C Cunningham, Brackney

Ram Lamb Class

1^stJohn McPollin, Ballei

2^ndBarclay Bell & Sons, Kiltariff

3^rdNaomi & Rian O’Hare, Millburn

4^th Jim Killen, Ballygorian

5^thStewart Ferris, Bellefield

6^th C Cunningham, Brackney

Other Leading Prices

Shearling Rams

G Rodgers 540gns

M Annett 500gns; 480gns

J Smyth 450gns

J Wilson 450gns

Ram Lambs

M Patterson 400gns

S Ferris 400gns; 380gns

M Annett 400gns

J Killen 400gns

The Club would like to thank Fane Valley for their continued kind sponsorship of the event.