The NI Texel Club held their final tup sale of the season in Ballymena Mart recently. This sale saw shearling ram and ram lamb sales get steady trade with shearling rams peaking at 1500gns. Shearling ram sales averaged £960 for 15 with a clearance of 94%. Ram lambs peaked at 1100gns, averaging £667 for 52 with a 95% clearance rate.
The sale leader was from James Boyd’s Crawfordsland pen with a shearling ram which stood second in the pre-sale show. Copney Lane Highlander, a Hexel Fan Club son out of an Alderview Explosive-sired dam sold for 1500gns.
Messrs Barclay Bell and Sons’ Kiltariff flock, Murray Annett’s Milestonehill flock and John Watson’s Duvarren flock all came in close behind as the next favourite with the buyers.
The Milestonehill exhibit, Milestone Hammy, was Mr Walmsley’s first place and S H Coleman reserve champion. He is a Ballydesland Eddie son out of a Craig Douglas daughter and sold for 1250gns. The Kiltariff third place exhibit is a Seaforde Firecracker son out of a Corskie De Niro dam, while the Duvarren exhibit, Duvarren High Flyer, is a Mount Prospect Efrain son out of homebred Colorado-sired dam selling for the same money.
Alastair Gault’s Forkins flock took the top spot, both in the judging and sale ring for a ram lamb with his S H Coleman champion. Forkins Iceland, a Forkins Hit the Diff son out of a Procters El Jeffe daughter sold for 1100gns.
The Forkins pen remained in demand with Forkins Iggy, a Strathbogie Gypsy King son out of a Procters Deacon Blue daughter selling for 1020gns.
Alan Glendinning’s Lylehill pen also proved popular with buyers with Lylehill Ipace, a Drumderg Hitman son out of a Sportsmans Cannon Ball daughter selling for 1050gns. Again proving popular with the buyers Mr Glendinng saw Icloud, his second prize exhibit and In Tow both sell for 1000gns.
Averages; 52 ram lambs £667, 15 shearling rams £960 (J A McClelland and Son)