Ballymena North Type Ram Sale 2021

BALLYMENA NORTH TYPE RAMS

Averages:

North-type – 51 shearling rams, £1060.50 (-£16.23 for 18 more sold); 104 ram lambs, £1225.27 (-£1.27 for 16 more).

By Patsy Hunter

North or Perth-type Blackface rams, sold just as well with prices peaking at 11,000gns and 10,000gns and numerous others at four-figure prices.

Sale leader in this ring was a fourth prize ram lamb in the championship judged by Matthew Hamilton junior, Woolfords.

This big sale from father and son duo, Willard and Gavin Watson of the Mayfair flock from Macosquin, Coleraine, was a dream come true, with their previous best price being 800gns.

Their lamb, a son of a £3200 Auchnacloich shearling bought at Stirling in 2020, is bred from a ewe by a Gerard Brelin-sired lamb bought privately that goes back to the £11,000 Achdregnie. He sold to Sam Adams, Rathkeel Road, Broughshane.

His brother, Tom Adams and sons Joe and Archie, Rathkenny, bought the 10,000gns lot and lead priced shearling from Mark and Russell Smyth, Macosquin. This was the first prize single as selected by Bert Grant, Glendamph – a son of the £4000 Achdregnie, out of a ewe by an £1800 Craigneigh.

Keeping it in the family, Mark’s brother, William and son Michael, produced a personal best amongst the Blackies, having previously sold Texels to 46,000gns, with an 8000gns shearling sale to AC Carmichael, Dungiven, Londonderry.

Second in the singles class, this big fella is by an 800gns Robert Cassidy ram bought south of the Border in 2019 and bred from a ewe by a Viewmount ram.

The reserve shearling from James Carson, Clough, made 4000gns selling to James Hunter, Glenarm. His pedigree features a Mark Smyth-bred ram bought here in 2019 that was a son of Gavin Watson’s Dollar Bill, a tup that stood champion in 2018. The dam, by an Andy Hunter tup, goes back to a 6300gns Harkin ram.

Back amongst the north-type lambs, Tom Adams’ team from Rathkenny, won the prize for the first prize pen of three which sold for 7000gns, 5500gns and 3200gns.

The first, by a £3200 Auchnacloich bought in 2020, is out of a 2200gns Noel Frew daughter and sold to John and George Conway and their respective sons, Leo and Eamonn, Plumbridge.

The second which was the overall champion, as placed by Ronnie Downie, Newton of Crathie, was purchased by Michael Kennedy, Tullycleave, Ardara, Co Donegal.

Reserve champion lamb from John and George Conway, matched the 5500gns price when selling to Cathal Breslin, Cronkeerin and Matthew Hamilton and son Matthew, Woolfords. He is by a 3800gns Paul McEvoy tup bought in 2019 and out of a ewe by an £800 Woolfords.

Surpassing that price, Paul McEvoy, Kilcoo, received 6500gns for a son of a 1500gns Billy Grant, out of show ewe that last year bred lambs to 5000gns. The buyer was Kevin McAleer.

Auctioneers: Ballymena Livestock.