Mainview Texel shearling ewe tops sale at Balmoral

Saturday 2nd September saw the NI Texel Breeders Club host their annual show and sale at the Balmoral Park, Maze site, Lisburn.Â
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Sep 2017, 08:36 BST
Updated 15th Sep 2017, 08:37 BST
Accepting the Fane Valley champion title at the NI Texel Breeder’s Club Balmoral Maze show and sale is Andrew Fyffe’s Fairywater, shearling ewe. Pictured is Mark Gilliland, Fane Valley representative, and judge Frank Morrison. (Photo by Alfie Shaw Agriimages).Accepting the Fane Valley champion title at the NI Texel Breeder’s Club Balmoral Maze show and sale is Andrew Fyffe’s Fairywater, shearling ewe. Pictured is Mark Gilliland, Fane Valley representative, and judge Frank Morrison. (Photo by Alfie Shaw Agriimages).
Accepting the Fane Valley champion title at the NI Texel Breeder’s Club Balmoral Maze show and sale is Andrew Fyffe’s Fairywater, shearling ewe. Pictured is Mark Gilliland, Fane Valley representative, and judge Frank Morrison. (Photo by Alfie Shaw Agriimages).

The proceedings were led by auctioneer, Richard Beattie, Richard Beattie Livestock Sales and the event was kindly sponsored by Fane Valley Co-Op.

The pre-sale judging was carried out under the capable hands of Frank Morrison.

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Demand for Texel females was evident with competitive bidding from the first female in the ring.

Andrew Fyffe, Fairywater Texels accepts the Fane Valley reserve champion rosette from Fane Valley representative Mark Gilliland and judge Frank Morrison at the NI Texel Breeders Club show and sale at Balmoral Maze. (Photo by Alfie Shaw Agriimages).Andrew Fyffe, Fairywater Texels accepts the Fane Valley reserve champion rosette from Fane Valley representative Mark Gilliland and judge Frank Morrison at the NI Texel Breeders Club show and sale at Balmoral Maze. (Photo by Alfie Shaw Agriimages).
Andrew Fyffe, Fairywater Texels accepts the Fane Valley reserve champion rosette from Fane Valley representative Mark Gilliland and judge Frank Morrison at the NI Texel Breeders Club show and sale at Balmoral Maze. (Photo by Alfie Shaw Agriimages).

This year’s sale topper was a Corskie Whopper daughter out of a Duncryne Uber Cool dam for Andrew Kennedy’s Mainview Flock, Ballymena.

This shearling ewe changed hands for £2,310 and joins Murray Annett’s Milestonehill pedigree Flock, Rathfriland.

The Kennedy pen averaged £1,023.75 for four females sold.

Also pocketing the money and topping the prices for ram lambs was Mary Clarke’s Ballyrussell pen with £1,890 handed over for Ballyrussell Armos, a Mullan Yahoo son out of a homebred ewe.

Andrew Fyffe, Fairywater Texels accepts the Fane Valley reserve champion rosette from Fane Valley representative Mark Gilliland and judge Frank Morrison at the NI Texel Breeders Club show and sale at Balmoral Maze. (Photo by Alfie Shaw Agriimages).Andrew Fyffe, Fairywater Texels accepts the Fane Valley reserve champion rosette from Fane Valley representative Mark Gilliland and judge Frank Morrison at the NI Texel Breeders Club show and sale at Balmoral Maze. (Photo by Alfie Shaw Agriimages).
Andrew Fyffe, Fairywater Texels accepts the Fane Valley reserve champion rosette from Fane Valley representative Mark Gilliland and judge Frank Morrison at the NI Texel Breeders Club show and sale at Balmoral Maze. (Photo by Alfie Shaw Agriimages).
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The Ballyrussell pen also topped the shearling rams with Mary Clarke selling the last of her pen through the ring for £1,680, a Poseyhill Wifi son out of a Derryvore U2 mother to Wilson Kennedy, Ballyclare.

Selling for £1,050 was Adrian Liggett’s, Corbo exhibit, a ram lamb sired by Clintery Yuga Khan and out of a Kelso Pavarotti mother.

He moves home to join the flock of Norman Mullan, Dungiven.

The Corbo pen also featured in the leading prices for a shearling ram selling a Glenside Willy Nilly son purchased as a lamb from Ballygroogan for £934.50 to Peter Kealey, Dungiven.

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Also making £1,050 was the Fane Valley champion shearling ewe from Andrew Fyffe’s Fairywater pen. A Milnbank Womaniser daughter out of a Strathbogie Python dam, she joins Paul Muldoon’s flock in Pomeroy.

The Fairywater pen continued to be in demand with his Knock Trident daughter selling for £840 to Brian Williamson, Farmhill Texels, Omagh and his pen of females averaging £800 for six.

Out of the same sire Andrew Fyffe also saw one of his ram lamb consignment and the Fane Valley reserve champion, also a Milnbank Womaniser son, sell for £945.

Next best for the money in the females was a Bradleys Underworld daughter out of a Mullan Perfection ewe presented by Henry Gamble Springwell Texels, Groomsport.

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She takes up her new home with Cecil McCracken, Dromore, Co Down for £903.

Demand for good Texels showed overall sale averages for shearling rams at £473, ram lambs at £462 and shearling ewes at £546, with female average well up on previous years.

Results of the Fane Valley Co-Op Championship

Champion: Andrew Fyffe Fairywater, shearling ewe

Reserve Champion: Andrew Fyffe Fairywater, ram lamb

Other leading prices

Shearling rams

M Clarke 1,600gns; 700gns; 630gns

A Liggett 890gns; 590gns

J W and Watson 800gns

R S Robinson 700gns; 600gns; 600gns

J Young 600gns

L Young 520gns

M and J Watson 510gns

Shearling ewes

Andrew Kennedy 2,200gns; 700gns; 600gns; 400gns

Andrew Fyffe 1,000gns; 800gns; 750gns; 750gns; 650gns 620gns

Henry Gamble 860gns; 600gns

R Currie 780gns; 720gns

Colin Price 620gns

The NI Texel Club will be holding sales in Armoy on 14th September, Enniskillen 15th September, Swatragh 20th September, Clogher 21st September, Lisahally 22nd September and Hilltown 22nd September.

All sales will commence with judging at 6.00pm followed by sales at 7.00pm.

Catalogues available online at www.texel.co.uk or contact club secretary 07791679112.