NI Hampshire Downs among the leading entries
County Down breeders, Allen and Vicky McFadden, Banbridge, sold an entry by their homebred Royal Ulster champion, Ashley Blackjack for 1,500gns to D Cormack, Billesdon, Leicestershire.
Kevin and Anna McCarthy, Comber, County Down offered their leading homebred ram lamb at 780gns to N Haley, Buckfastleigh, Devon. He was within the breed’s top 5% by Ballycreelly Devil’s Revenge. The McCarthys went on to pay 800gns for a Ballycreelly Murphy sired ram lamb bred by A Brown and G Beckley, Templecombe, Somerset.
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Hide AdTwo more ram lambs made 1,500gns each. First was an entry with an Index within the breed’s top 1% by the homebred Thorbeck Hurricane from J Birkwood, Grimsby, Lincolnshire selling to S and A Moore, Brechin, Angus. The same breeder offered another 1,500gns ram lamb, this time a Kelsey Nobleman son within the top 1% who headed the performance recorded ram lamb class and he sold to E and A Jones, Wymondham, Norfolk.
The shearling ram section was led at 1,180gns by an entry within the breed’s top 25% by the homebred Eastfortune Balfour from Brand and Son, East Fortune, East Lothian to S Harries, Whitland, Pembrokeshire. Another ram lamb by Balfour from the same breeders made 880gns to P Meredith, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, whilst their leading shearling ewe again by Eastfortune Balfour made 650gns to Richards Bros, Cilmery, Powys.
Averages: Females: 18 shearlings £529; 19 lambs £421. Rams: 4 shearlings £703; 25 lambs £653.
Auctioneers: Bletsoes