THE Charollais Ram Sales got off to a great start with their Premier Show and Sale in Dungannon Market proving very successful.
A packed ringside of enthusiastic buyers ensured a steady trade and a high clearance rate with buyers having to dig deep to secure their lots.
Topping the trade and winning the Supreme Championship was the Hollylodge Pen of McConnell Brothers, Parkgate, County Antrim. Coming from one of their top maternal lines this tremendous December born ram lamb sired by Loanhead Ur The Boy and out of a Glyn Coch Toy Boy sired dam, caught the eye of judge Charles Sercombe and later sold in the ring to the Davidson’s, Banffshire, for the top price of the day at 4500gns.
The McConnell Brothers had a great day’s trading with several of their lots making over 1000gns. Donegal breeder Patrick Carr went to 1600gns to purchase his lot, a smart Loanhead Ur The Boy sired lamb with an Edstaston San Miguel sired dam. Another Loanhead Ur The Boy sired ram sold to Ben Radley, Dumfries for 1400gns. Pen average 1573gns.
Reserve Champion went to the Springhill Pen of Graham Foster, this lot winning the late December born ram lamb class. This smart ET son of a Boyo sire and out of a Rhaeadr dam later sold to McCalls, County Armagh, for 1000gns. Another Boyo lot from this pen sold at 1300gns to David Anderson for his Ballyhunsley Flock.
The red rosette in the shearling ram class went to the Lornbrook Pen of Trevor Bell with this super strong ram sired by Hollylodge Torpedo and out of a Hollylodge Olympic sired dam selling for 1350gns to Wexford breeder Turlough McDonald.
Another strong shearling from this pen sold to County Donegal breeder Ian Macbeth for 1040. This lot was sired by Loanhead Ur The Boy. County Cork breeder Jim Jeffery had to go to 1020gns to purchase his choice of the ram lambs in the Lornbrook Pen.
The January ram lamb class was won by the Ballynoe Pen of Ian Craig. Sired by Iskeymeadow Wagamama, last year’s Premier Champion, and out of a Knockin Shop sired dam, this smart lamb later sold to David Dolan, County Roscommon, for 2100gns.
The new class for younger members was well supported with Ellie Moore from the Hillside Flock placed first with a Padrig Uperclasss sired ram and out of a Kirkhouse Remo sired dam.
Standing first and second in the female classes and winning the Female Championship was William McAllister. These two powerful ewe lambs were both sired by Rockdale Vespasian with the female champion lamb out of a Loanhead Upper Class dam and sold to Dave Lewis, Pembrokeshire for 1600gns. Their second prize winner from a Knockin Shop sired dam sold for 1000gns to Michael Power, Limerick.
The Group of Three sponsored by Thompsons was won by McConnell Brothers.
New breeder Christopher Kennedy of the Round Tower Flock had a brilliant first sale selling the second top priced ram on the day at 4000gns to Michael Power, Limerick, for his Ballyhibbon Flock, paid for a great muscled ram sired by Loanhead Upper Class and from an Artnagullion dam. Pen average 2350gns.
Next in the prices was the Tullyear Pen of Drew and Stephen Cowan, their smart, upstanding January born ram sired by Duiske V Man and out of a Kilmacshane Skyfall dam selling to Robert Gregory, Shropshire and Charles Sercombe, Leicestershire for 3800gns.
Wexford breeders Michael and Sarah O’Neil had to go to 2600gns for another great muscled V Man son, this one February born from an Oakchurch Royal Ryan dam. Pen average 1672gns.
New to the Premier Sale was the Owenskerry Pen of Brian and Linda Cowan and were very pleased to achieve 2200gns for their January born lamb sired by Springhill Willie and out of a Kilmacshane Skyfall sired dam. Pen average 1460gns.
The Crawford family, also new breeders, had a good day’s trading with their top selling to 1400gns for a ram sired by Gwyndy Whizz Kid and a Logie Durno Untouchable sired dam from the Springhill Flock. The Dunroe pen averaging 936gns.
David Anderson’s Ballyhunsley pen attracted a lot of interest with David selling his two tops to County Westmeath breeder Martin Manning for 1150gns and 1100gns, both rams sired by Springhill Vodka. Another ram from this pen sold to Aberdeen breeder R Davidson for 1100gns. The Ballyhunsley Pen averaging 898gns.
The Hillside pen of Alistair Moore sold their top at 1020gns to Pinehill Farms, Carryduff, for a Padrig Upperclass sired lamb from a Foulrice Supreme sired dam.
William Sherrard sold his senior ram, Dalby Valencia, at 1600gns to County Galway breeder Sean Naughton. A high figures ram lamb from this pen sold to Derek Bell for 1300gns, this lot sired by Dalby Willard and from a Riverdale Rainman sired dam.
Standing second in the January born class was Jonathan Aiken, this great muscled ram selling to a County Cavan breeder for 1000gns.
The Club would like to express their thanks to judge Charles Sercombe for giving of his time and doing such a thorough job. Sponsors were Danske Bank, Provita Animal Health, Thompson’s Animal Feeds, Strabane Mills, also thanks to Trevor Wylie and Dungannon Saleyard for ensuring everything ran smoothly.
Averages: 10 shearlings 813gns, 89 ram lambs 867gns, 10 ewe lambs 671gns.
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