Saturday’s Northern Star’s in-lamb sale at Ballymena saw an exceptional demand rsulting in a 94% clearance rate and 32% of the females sold reaching four figure prices.
Topping the trade at 4500gns was one from Roger Strawbridge’s Tamnamoney Flock, Coleraine, SRY1801885, an April-born Scotsman Ace daughter out of a Duncryne Uber Cool dam is full sister to 1900gns Bigus Dicus and from the same breeding line as 5500gns Tamnamoney Yeti and Lanark Champion 5500gns Ballynahone Winner . She sold in lamb to 16K Proctors Cocktail with a single pregnancy and was taken by Gary Beacom for the Lakeview flock.
Taking the second leading price of the day at 4000gns was Alastair Gault’s Forkins flock, with GAF1802307(3), a Duncryne Uber Cool daughter out of a Knock Travis dam. Ger grandam’s sister is the 11,000gns RUAS champion. Carrying a single to Procters Cocktail she crosses the sea to Sherratt & O’Keefe, Annakisha flock, Shropshire.
The next leading price for the Tamnamoney pen was SRY1801839. Also in-lamb with a single to Cocktail, she is a Scotsman Avicii daughter out of another Uber Cool dam. This gimmer is a maternal sister to the gimmer sold to the Auldhouseburn Flock in 2018 for 4500gns and to 9000gns Young Willie McBride and 10,000gns Tamnamoney Bushtown. She sold to Michael Power, Co Limerick, for 3800gns
Welsh breeder Alun Jones of the Ynystoddeb flock, Llangadog, bought Mr Gault’s next best for 3600gns. This was GAF1802253, an Avicii daughter and ET sister to 5000gns Forkins Baz and the 2019 All Ireland Champion shearling ewe. She sold in-lamb to Halbeath Woody
Topping the Knap pen of guest consignor Robert Cockburn was one at 3500gns. This was a Amigo daughter, CKP1802847. She is out of a Clintery Yuga Khan mother which was one of Mr Cockburn’s favourites sold to the Didcot flock in 2018. Sold in-lamb to Sportsmans Cannon Ball and scanned with triplets she heads to the South of Ireland to join Rodney McLoughlin’s flock in Clonmany, Co Donegal.
Mr Cockburn’s first lot into the ring generating competitive bids for another Mullan Amigo daughter CKP1802756 out of an Ettrick Vital Spark dam. Scanned in lamb to Sportsmans Cannon Ball with twins she sold to Paddy Morrissey Callan, Co Kilkenny, for 3200gns.
Continuing to retain the buyers interest the Knap pen sold another two penmates for 3000gns. The first was CKP1802743, a Proctors Yankee daughter out of a Tamnamoney Tuborg Gold dam is ET sister to the 5000gns Bugsy Malone. In-lamb with twins again to Cannon Ball she sold to Co Donegal with Richard Wilson’s flock in Raphoe.
Making the same money and joining Gary Beacom’s Lakeview flock, Co Fermanagh, was CKP1802832. Again in lamb to Cannon Ball with a single pregnancy, she is one of the last daughters from Connachan Sugarbabe YSM1101561, dam of the 145,000gns Knap Vicious Sid.
Back with the Tamnamoney pen Mr Power bought SRY1801866 for 2800gns. A Millar’s Windbrook daughter, her granddam is full sister to the 8000gns Tamnamoney Ultimate. She sold in-lamb to Tamnamoney Casanova, a favourite Clarks Bolt son.
Knocked down for the same money was SRY1801826 an ET Scotsman Ace daughter, carrying twins to Proctors Cocktail she was the pick of Darragh Cunniffe, Tuam, Co Galway.
The Forkins pen continued the four figure prices with GAF1802227 selling to 2800gns. A Scotsman Ace daughter, her dam, an Uber Cool daughter was Ballymena Show champion as a gimmer and comes from one of the best bloodlines in the flock. In lamb to Procters Cocktail she headed South to Richard Wilson, Raphoe, Co Donegal.
Averages; Knap 10 gimmers 2420.25, Tamnamoney 20 gimmers £1345.05, Forkins and Cherryvale 19 gimmers £1334.55, Ballynahone 18 gimmers £585.90, Clougher and Bushmills six gimmers £493.50, Drumgooland 14 gimmers £420 (Ballymena Livestock Sales).
